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A Wall of White: The True Story of Heroism and Survival in the Face of a Deadly Avalanche
by Jennifer WoodliefOne of the most amazing survival stories ever told -- journalist Jennifer Woodlief's gripping account of the deadliest ski-area avalanche in North American history and the woman who survived in the face of incalculable odds.
A Warmer World
by Caroline Arnold Jamie HoganAdapt, or face extinction. The golden toad used to inhabit the cloud forests of Costa Rica, but when the weather became too warm and dried up the pools where its eggs hatched, the golden toad disappeared. It has not been seen in more than twenty years. This amphibian is just one of several species in A WARMER WORLD, a thought-provoking and informative account of how global climate change has affected wildlife over the past several decades. Species by species, acclaimed nonfiction children's author Caroline Arnold describes how warmer weather alters ecosystems, forcing animals to adapt or become extinct. Arnold's clear and straightforward text is complemented by Jamie Hogan's collage-style illustrations. Reminiscent of a nature journal, the book will inspire readers to start their own research into this significant global issue. A glossary and listing of websites and books for further exploration is included.
A Watershed Runs Through You: Essay, Talks, and Reflections on Salmon, Restoration, and Community
by Freeman HouseThis anthology brings together a selection of essays, articles, and lectures that represent the work of environmentalist Freeman House, whose work built the involvement of local citizens in the restoration of watersheds in northern California. "Consequences flow downstream," he points out, "and we're all in their path." While much of House's work focuses on the restoration of wild salmon populations, he shows how all life is connected and interdependent. His restoration efforts in the Mattole Watershed contain blueprints for restoration efforts everywhere.
A Watery Grave: A Mystery (Wiki Coffin Mysteries #1)
by Joan DruettThe year is 1838, and after more than ten years in the planning, the famous United States Exploring Expedition is set to launch into uncharted waters from the coast of Virginia. A convoy of seven ships filled with astronomers, mapmakers, naturalists, and the sailors charged with getting them around the world, the "Ex. Ex." is finally underway, with much fanfare.Aboard the convoy as ship's linguist is Wiki Coffin. Half New Zealand Maori and half American, Wiki speaks numerous languages and is expected to help the crew navigate the Pacific islands that are his native heritage. But just before departure Wiki, subject to the unfortunate bigotry of the time, is arrested for a vicious murder he didn't commit.The convoy sails off, but just before the ships are out of reach Wiki is exonerated, set free to catch up with his ship and sail on. The catch: the local sheriff is convinced that the real murderer is aboard one of the seven ships of the expedition, and Wiki is deputized to identify the killer and bring him to justice. Full of the evocative maritime detail and atmosphere that have won her numerous awards for her nonfiction, Joan Druett's A Watery Grave is the mystery debut of a masterful maritime writer.
A Way to Garden: A Hands-On Primer for Every Season
by Margaret Roach"Those with dirt already under their fingernails will treasure Roach’s in-depth knowledge, wry humor, and reflective look at how seasons in gardening mirror the passage of time." —Publishers Weekly For Margaret Roach, gardening is more than a hobby, it’s a calling. Her unique approach, which she refers to as “horticultural how-to and woo-woo,” is a blend of vital information you need to memorize (like how to plant a bulb) and intuitive steps you must simply feel and surrender to. In A Way to Garden, Roach imparts decades of garden wisdom on seasonal gardening, ornamental plants, vegetable gardening, design, gardening for wildlife, organic practices, and much more. She also challenges gardeners to think beyond their garden borders and to consider the ways gardening can enrich the world. Brimming with beautiful photographs of Roach’s own garden, A Way to Garden is practical, inspiring, and a must-have for every passionate gardener.
A Wealth Of Wild Species: Storehouse For Human Welfare
by Norman MyersThis book tells how our welfare is ever more intimately tied up with the welfare of the millions of species that share the One Earth home with us. It presents a synoptic review of the contributions that wild species make, and can make, to our daily lives.
A Weaver's Garden: Growing Plants for Natural Dyes and Fibers
by Rita BuchananLong before the invention of pottery, men and women wove baskets from plant fibers. Today, craftworkers creating textiles and other products make use of many of these same resources and methods. Thoroughly researched and charmingly written, this practical guide by a veteran botanist and horticulturist provides weavers and gardeners alike with a wealth of information on growing plants for use in weaving and dyeing projects. Beginning with the history and uses of plant fibers, A Weaver's Garden then offers valuable hints on dyeing fibers and fabrics and how to use soap plants for cleaning textiles. Readers will also find expert advice on fragrant plants for scenting and protecting textiles, what plant materials to use as tools, how to plan and create a garden containing cotton, flax, indigo, madder, fuller's teasel, woad, and many other useful plants; and much more. A glossary, pronunciation guide, and an abundance of illustrations complete this informative and inspiring volume.
A Wedding at the Beach Hut: The feel-good read of the summer from the Sunday Times top-ten bestselling author
by Veronica HenryDiscover the gorgeous new summertime must-read from Sunday Times bestseller Veronica Henry - a holiday for the heart and soul!'A lush, inviting read that lifts the heart and spirits!' Adele Parks, bestselling author of Just My Luck---------------------------------Escape to Everdene Sands, where the sun is shining - but is the tide about to turn?Robyn and Jake are planning their dream wedding at the family beach hut in Devon. A picnic by the turquoise waves, endless sparkling rosé and dancing barefoot on the golden sand . . . But Robyn is more unsettled than excited. She can't stop thinking about the box she was given on her eighteenth birthday, and the secrets it contains. Will opening it reveal the truth about her history - and break the hearts of the people she loves most?As the big day arrives, can everyone let go of the past and step into a bright new future?---------------------------------Your favourite authors love to escape with Veronica Henry's feel-good stories!'As uplifting as summer sunshine' - Sarah Morgan'A delicious treat of a book' - Milly Johnson'An utter delight' - Jill Mansell'Truly blissful escapism' - Lucy Diamond'A heartwarming story combined with Veronica's sublime writing' - Cathy Bramley---------------------------------Praise for A Wedding at the Beach Hut!'Escape to a world where it's OK to dance barefoot on the sand - the latest feel-good instalment in the Beach Hut series' Heat'Wonderful' Daily Mail Veronica Henry really does excel in creating hugely entertaining, captivating and uplifting reads . . . Vibrant and sparkling - LoveReading'We read this brilliant book in one sitting' Bella'Another poignant, touching and feel-good book about family life from the much loved author' Women's Weekly'The perfect feel-good summer read' Fabulous, The Sun'Veronica Henry is brilliant at writing about family relationships and she's on top form here. Her descriptions of seaside life will make you yearn to move to the coast, while the intertwining story of Robyn's birth mother will bring a tear to your eye' S mag, Sunday Express'Gloriously summery' Best'The Beach Hut series is a slice of pure sunshine' Good Housekeeping'Lashings of romance...A lovely read' The Lady'A breezy, sunny tale that will whisk you away to a happy place' Sunday Mirror'Veronica Henry's descriptions of life by the sea will make you yearn to move to the coast, while the story behind Robyn's adoption will bring a tear to your eye' Sunday Express---------------------------------And other readers adore Veronica's irresistibly uplifting bestselling books too:'Amazingly heartwarming, full of families, friends and romance''Packed full of wit and charm''I loved all the rich and vibrant characters''Buy it, read it, you'll love it''One of those stories you hope will never end!'
A Wedding at the Beach Hut: The feel-good read of the summer from the Sunday Times top-ten bestselling author
by Veronica HenryDiscover the gorgeous new summertime must-read from Sunday Times bestseller Veronica Henry - a holiday for the heart and soul!'A lush, inviting read that lifts the heart and spirits!' Adele Parks, bestselling author of Just My Luck---------------------------------Escape to Everdene Sands, where the sun is shining - but is the tide about to turn?Robyn and Jake are planning their dream wedding at the family beach hut in Devon. A picnic by the turquoise waves, endless sparkling rosé and dancing barefoot on the golden sand . . . But Robyn is more unsettled than excited. She can't stop thinking about the box she was given on her eighteenth birthday, and the secrets it contains. Will opening it reveal the truth about her history - and break the hearts of the people she loves most?As the big day arrives, can everyone let go of the past and step into a bright new future?---------------------------------Your favourite authors love to escape with Veronica Henry's feel-good stories!'As uplifting as summer sunshine' - Sarah Morgan'A delicious treat of a book' - Milly Johnson'An utter delight' - Jill Mansell'Truly blissful escapism' - Lucy Diamond'A heartwarming story combined with Veronica's sublime writing' - Cathy Bramley---------------------------------Praise for A Wedding at the Beach Hut!'Escape to a world where it's OK to dance barefoot on the sand - the latest feel-good instalment in the Beach Hut series' Heat'Wonderful' Daily MailVeronica Henry really does excel in creating hugely entertaining, captivating and uplifting reads . . . Vibrant and sparkling - LoveReading'We read this brilliant book in one sitting' Bella'Another poignant, touching and feel-good book about family life from the much loved author' Women's Weekly'The perfect feel-good summer read' Fabulous, The Sun'Veronica Henry is brilliant at writing about family relationships and she's on top form here. Her descriptions of seaside life will make you yearn to move to the coast, while the intertwining story of Robyn's birth mother will bring a tear to your eye' S mag, Sunday Express'Gloriously summery' Best'The Beach Hut series is a slice of pure sunshine' Good Housekeeping'Lashings of romance...A lovely read' The Lady'A breezy, sunny tale that will whisk you away to a happy place' Sunday Mirror'Veronica Henry's descriptions of life by the sea will make you yearn to move to the coast, while the story behind Robyn's adoption will bring a tear to your eye' Sunday Express---------------------------------And other readers adore Veronica's irresistibly uplifting bestselling books too:'Amazingly heartwarming, full of families, friends and romance''Packed full of wit and charm''I loved all the rich and vibrant characters''Buy it, read it, you'll love it''One of those stories you hope will never end!'
A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers (Dover Thrift Editions)
by Henry David ThoreauBased on an 1839 boat trip Thoreau took with his brother from Concord, Massachusetts, to Concord, New Hampshire, and back, this classic of American literature is not only a vivid narrative of that journey, it is also a collection of thought-provoking observations on such diverse topics as poetry, literature and philosophy, Native American and Puritan histories of New England, friendship, sacred Eastern writings, traditional Christianity, and much more.Written, like Walden, while Thoreau lived at Walden Pond, and published in 1849, A Week (his first book) shares many themes with Walden, published in 1854. Both dramatize the process of self-renewal in nature and resolutely rail against the official culture and politics of the "trivial Nineteenth Century." Blending keen observation with a wealth of perceptive and informed reflections, Thoreau develops a continuous and lyrical dialogue between the past and present, as particular scenes on shore trigger reflections on the region's history and legends.Originally conceived as a travel book, A Week eventually became much more -- one of the most intellectually ambitious works of 19th-century America, and a requiem for Thoreau's brother John, who died from a sudden illness in 1842.Of Thoreau and this work, Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "H. D. Thoreau is a great man in Concord, a man of original genius and character. . . . I think it [A Week. . .] is a book of wonderful merit, which is to go far and last long."
A Wetland Biography: Seasons on Louisiana's Chenier Plain
by Gay M. GomezLouisiana's Chenier Plain is a 2,200-square-mile region of marshes and oak-covered ridges (cheniers) that stretches along the Gulf of Mexico from Sabine Lake to Vermilion Bay. Its inhabitants, some 6,000 people of Cajun and other ancestries, retain strong economic and cultural ties to the land and its teeming wildlife. They call it paradise . . . but it is a vulnerable paradise. In this multifaceted study, Gay Gomez explores the interaction of the land, people, and wildlife of the Chenier Plain, revealing both the uniqueness of the region and the challenges it faces. After describing the geography and history of the Chenier Plain, Gomez turns to the lifeways of its people. Drawing on their words and stories, she tells how the chenier dwellers combine modern occupations with traditional pursuits such as alligator and waterfowl hunting, fur trapping, and fishing. She shows how these traditions of wildlife use provide both economic incentives for conservation and a source of personal and place identity. This portrait of a "working wetland" reveals how wildlife use and appreciation can give rise to a stewardship that balances biological, economic, and cultural concerns in species and habitat protection.
A Whale for the Killing
by Farley MowatWhen an 80-ton Fin Whale became trapped in a lagoon near his Newfoundland home, Farley Mowat rejoiced: here was a unique chance to observe one of the world's most magnificent creatures up close. But some of his neighbours saw a different opportunity altogether: in a prolonged fit of violence, they blasted the whale with rifle fire, and scarred its back with motorboat propellers. Mowat appealed desperately to the police, to marine biologists, finally to the Canadian press. But it was too late. Mowat's poignant and compelling story is an eloquent argument for the end of the whale hunt, and the rediscovery of the empathy that makes us human.
A Wheelchair Rider's Guide: San Francisco Bay and the Nearby Coast
by Bonnie LewkowiczMany natural areas, parks, urban waterfronts, and hundreds of miles of trails along the California coast and on San Francisco Bay are now accessible to wheelchair riders and others with limited mobility. This book describes more than a hundred beautiful and interesting sites around the entire bay and on the ocean between Point Reyes and Santa Cruz. You will find opportunities to watch birds and other wildlife, picnic on blufftops and on shaded lawns by the water, camp on an island, fish off piers, watch sunsets over the surf, learn about the region's natural and human history, and enjoy yourself in many other ways. Too often, wheelchair riders hesitate to explore far from home because they don't know about barrier-free routes and the availability of restrooms and other facilities. The Coastal Conservancy funded this guide as part of its public access program, to encourage greater enjoyment of the natural riches we all hold in common.
A Wild Child's Guide to Endangered Animals
by Millie MarottaFrom New York Times bestselling author Millie Marotta comes this gorgeous celebration of the animal kingdom. A Wild Child's Guide to Endangered Animals highlights the plight of 43 endangered species from around the world, including rare and well-known animals living in freshwater, oceans, forests, mountains, tundras, deserts, grasslands, and wetlands. Vivid illustrations bring caribous, axolotls, giraffes, agami herons, and many more to life on these rich and varied pages. Illuminating text relays the story of each species, from how they live and why they are endangered to what is being done about it. Complete with a map detailing where each species can still be found, this visually rich, timely, informative book raises awareness in the most spectacular way.
A Wild Idea
by Jonathan FranklinWHY WOULD A SAN FRANCISCO ENTREPRENEUR SELL HIS COMPANY, FLY TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH, INVEST MILLIONS RESTORING PARADISE, THEN FIGHT LIKE HELL TO GIVE IT ALL AWAY? In 1991, Doug Tompkins left his luxury life in San Francisco and flew 6,500 miles south to a shack in Patagonia that his friends nicknamed Hobbit House. Mounted on wooden skids that allowed oxen to drag it through the cow fields, Hobbit House had for refrigerator a metal box chilled from the icy cold winds off the glacier. Rainwater dripped from a rooftop barrel into the rustic kitchen. Earlier tenants include a sheepherder with little more than his dogs and a rifle. Instead of the Golden Gate Bridge, Tompkins now stared at Volcano Michinmahuida, blanketed in snow and prowled by mountain lions the size of small tigers. Shielded by wilderness, waterfalls and tucked into a remote forest with three times the rainfall of Seattle, Tompkins plotted his counterattack against corporate capitalism. As founder of Esprit and The North Face he had “made things nobody needed.” Now he declared it was time to “pay my rent for living on this planet.” Could he undo the environmental damage produced by his prodigious clothes manufacturing? Could he launch a new brand, one that promoted environmental conservation, preservation and restoration? In Patagonia, Tompkins adored his pioneer existence. All his belongings fit in a single duffel bag. When hungry, he fished from his front yard and harvested vegetables from a greenhouse. Tompkins kayaked along the rivers, ice-climbed glaciers, and waited until the ocean storms reached a frothy peak to pilot his wood-hulled crab boat into the raging waves of the Pacific. Within a hundred miles there were virtually no roads and his old farm was accessible to the occasional fishing boat and a battered airstrip. Flying his small plane for hundreds of hours, he explored. The average plot of land is 10,000 acres and the price per acre is as little as US$25. It was all for sale and about to be destroyed by clearcut logging. Zooming over treetops and around mountain peaks, Tompkins flew inside tight canyons and gaped at the singular beauty: active volcanoes, gliding condors, forests never logged, rivers never dammed—all so undisturbed, so exquisitely designed, without a single flaw. Could he protect this wild beauty? Place a frame around this perfect creation? For the ensuing quarter century that dream, that obsession became his life. Only in death did it become his legacy.
A Wild Idea: How the Environmental Movement Tamed the Adirondacks
by Brad EdmondsonA Wild Idea shares the complete story of the difficult birth of the Adirondack Park Agency (APA). The Adirondack region of New York's rural North Country forms the nation's largest State Park, with a territory as large as Vermont. Planning experts view the APA as a triumph of sustainability that balances human activity with the preservation of wild ecosystems. The truth isn't as pretty. The story of the APA, told here for the first time, is a complex, troubled tale of political dueling and communities pushed to the brink of violence. The North Country's environmental movement started among a small group of hunters and hikers, rose on a huge wave of public concern about pollution that crested in the early 1970s, and overcame multiple obstacles to "save" the Adirondacks. Edmondson shows how the movement's leaders persuaded a powerful Governor to recruit planners, naturalists, and advisors and assign a task that had never been attempted before. The team and the politicians who supported them worked around the clock to draft two visionary land-use plans and turn them into law. But they also made mistakes, and their strict regulations were met with determined opposition from local landowners who insisted that private property is private.A Wild Idea is based on in-depth interviews with five dozen insiders who are central to the story. Their observations contain many surprising and shocking revelations. This is a rich, exciting narrative about state power and how it was imposed on rural residents. It shows how the Adirondacks were "saved," and also why that campaign sparked a passionate rebellion.
A Wild Love for the World: Joanna Macy and the Work of Our Time
by Edited by Stephanie KazaJoanna Macy is a scholar of Buddhism, systems thinking, and deep ecology whose decades of writing, teaching, and activism have inspired people around the world. In this collection of writings, leading spiritual teachers, deep ecologists, and diverse writers and activists explore the major facets of Macy&’s lifework. Combined with eleven pieces from Macy herself, the result is a rich chorus of wisdom and compassion to support the work of our time. &“Being fully present to fear, to gratitude, to all that is—this is the practice of mutual belonging. As living members of the living body of Earth, we are grounded in that kind of belonging. Even when faced with cataclysmic changes, nothing can ever separate us from Earth. We are already home.&”— Joanna Macy
A Wild Path
by Douglas WoodA soul-satisfying journey through the wilderness that uncovers hope, healing, and the abiding grace of wild things A Wild Path is author Douglas Wood&’s highly anticipated followup to the critically acclaimed memoir Deep Woods, Wild Waters. He again leads readers along a meditative path through a wilderness of many dimensions—from the lakes and islands of his beloved Canoe Country to rugged ocean coasts to a mountain chasm, from camping on the Canadian Shield to listening to the soft strains of Beethoven in the pines, and from the pain of childhood wounds to appreciation for a life rich with nature. As on every good journey, there is plenty of laughter, warmth, and humor on the trail. With the generosity and compassion of a good wilderness guide, Douglas Wood welcomes readers to accompany him as he navigates his life-path from struggling student and &“worst reader in the class&” to prolific writer and best-selling author. He offers courage and hope to those who feel different or left behind, and he shares how he found, through the counsel of rocks, trees, and waters, his own way toward joy and wonder and an unshakable sense of belonging. Exploring the meanings of myriad outdoor experiences, Wood seeks to understand the importance and existence of beauty, the emotional poignancy of a wilderness sunset, and the realization of dreams, while also honoring his outdoor and literary mentors, including Sigurd Olson and Aldo Leopold. Traveling across continents, over oceans, and through the landscape of time, A Wild Path ranges from solitary shorelines of introspection to peaks of triumph, finding rest and tranquility in a simple cup of jasmine tea, sipped by a campfire under the stars.
A Wild Promise: An Illustrated Celebration Of The Endangered Species Act
by Allen CrawfordA LITHUB BEST NONFICTION BOOK OF SUMMER In the powerful introduction Terry Tempest Williams reminds us, "Our wild promise within the Endangered Species Act to protect and keep safe threatened and critically endangered species from extinction can become vows of action." For the past fifty years, this promise, the Endangered Species Act, has ensured that the most threatened and vulnerable species and their habitats are protected. From the Steller sea lion to the ivory-billed woodpecker, from the steelhead trout to the red wolf, this landmark act has worked to preserve the wild beauty that surrounds and sustains us. In A Wild Promise, acclaimed artist Allen Crawford beautifully illustrates over eighty animals that embody the spirit, legacy, and commitment of the Endangered Species Act. In his trademark inventive style, Crawford’s full-color illustrations and illuminated text create a vibrant tapestry of our nation’s habitats—oceans, mountains, deserts, wetlands, prairies, and forests—and the varied species that call these places home. With a powerful and moving introduction by award-winning writer and conservationist Terry Tempest Williams, A Wild Promise is critically urgent and inspirational, lending voice and spirit to all endangered species. A visually delightful, one-of-a-kind work, A Wild Promise is a celebration of conservation, commitment, and compassion—a clarion call to continue to embrace, engage, and act in ways that preserve and protect our living world.
A Wilder Kingdom: Rethinking Nature in Zoos, Wildlife Parks, and Beyond
by Ben A. Minteer and Harry W. GreeneZoos have always had a troubled relationship to what is considered the “real” wild. Even the most immersive and naturalistic zoos, critics maintain, are inherently contrived and inauthentic environments. Zoo animals’ diet, care, and reproduction are under pervasive human control, with natural phenomena like disease and death kept mostly hidden from public view. Furthermore, despite their growing commitment to conservation and education, zoos are entertainment providers that respond to visitors’ expectations and preferences. What would a “wilder” zoo—one that shows the public a wider range of ecological processes—look like? Is it achievable or even desirable? What roles can or should zoos play in encouraging humanity to find meaningful connections with wild animals and places?A Wilder Kingdom is a provocative and reflective examination of the relationship between zoos and the wild. It gathers a premier set of multidisciplinary voices—from animal studies and psychology to evolutionary biology and environmental journalism—to consider the possibilities and challenges of making zoos wilder. In so doing, the contributors offer new insights into the future of the wild beyond zoos and our relationship to wild species and places across the landscape in an increasingly human-dominated era.
A Wilder Life: A Season-by-Season Guide to Getting in Touch with Nature
by Celestine Maddy Abbye ChurchillIn our technology-driven, workaday world, connecting with nature has never before been more essential. <P><P>A Wilder Life, a beautiful oversized lifestyle book by the team behind the popular Wilder Quarterly, gives readers indispensable ideas for interacting with the great outdoors. Learn to plant a night-blooming garden, navigate by reading the stars, build an outdoor shelter, make dry shampoo, identify insects, cultivate butterflies in a backyard, or tint your clothes with natural dyes. <P>Like a modern-day Whole Earth Catalog, A Wilder Life gives us DIY projects and old-world skills that are being reclaimed by a new generation. <P>Divided into sections pertaining to each season and covering self-reliance, growing and gardening, cooking, health and beauty, and wilderness, and with photos and illustrations evocative of the great outdoors, A Wilder Life shows that getting in touch with nature is possible no matter who you are and—more important—where you are.
A Window into the Ocean Twilight Zone: Twenty-Four Days of Science at Sea
by Michelle CusolitoWant a front-row seat to cutting-edge ocean twilight zone technology? Climb aboard for twenty-four days of photo-illustrated science at sea! A fascinating middle-grade STEM book.Join scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and international partner organizations on a research trip to study the ocean twilight zone using the newest technologies. Science writer Michelle Cusolito takes you along for the voyage of a lifetime. From moving onto the ship and unpacking equipment to facing massive storms while in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, this book details the fascinating equipment used to study the deep ocean as well as day-to-day details such as what you eat on a Spanish research ship. Meet people and animals and learn more at sea than you ever imagined!&“From word one, Cusolito puts the reader smack into the action. Captivating creatures abound, coupled with important insights that impact our understanding of the ocean&’s role in our planet&’s sustainability. Perfectly titled, this book throws a window wide open, giving us an intimate look into the twilight zone.&” —Tanya Lee Stone, Sibert Medalist & NAACP Image Award Winner&“Michelle Cusolito captures the essence of high-seas research in A Window into the Ocean Twilight Zone. She skillfully guides the reader through what it&’s like to be a scientist at sea—the anticipation of departure, the challenges of heavy weather, and the thrill of discovery in one of the ocean&’s most remote and mysterious regions. In the process, she underscores the urgency behind advancing knowledge of Earth&’s last frontier—the ocean.&”—Peter de Menocal, President and Director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution&“This spellbinding, real-life adventure will whisk you away with a team of scientists as they explore the wonders of the twilight zone. Michelle is a perfect guide to this remote realm and brilliantly shows what it's like to be a scientist working in challenging conditions. You&’ll learn about the importance of teamwork and patience, find out about the exciting technologies scientists use to study the deep sea, and see how discoveries about our living planet are made. This book will spark curiosity and is perfect for budding scientists.&”—Dr. Helen Scales, marine biologist and author of books for kids and adults, including What a Shell Can Tell and The Brilliant Abyss
A Window to Heaven: The Daring First Ascent of Denali: America's Wildest Peak
by Patrick DeanThe captivating and heroic story of Hudson Stuck—an Episcopal priest—and his team's history-making summit of Denali.In 1913, four men made a months-long journey by dog sled to the base of the tallest mountain in North America. Several groups had already tried but failed to reach the top of a mountain whose size—occupying 120 square miles of the earth&’s surface —and position as the Earth&’s northernmost peak of more than 6,000 meters elevation make it one of the world&’s deadliest mountains. Although its height from base to top is actually greater than Everest&’s, it is Denali's weather, not altitude, that have caused the great majority of fatalities—over a hundred since 1903. Denali experiences weather more severe than the North Pole, with temperatures of forty below zero and winds that howl at 80 to 100 miles per hour for days at a stretch. But in 1913 none of this mattered to Hudson Stuck, a fifty-year old Episcopal priest, Harry Karstens, the hardened Alaskan wilderness guide, Walter Harper, and Robert Tatum, both just in their twenties. They were all determined to be the first to set foot on top of Denali. In A Window to Heaven, Patrick Dean brings to life this heart-pounding and spellbinding feat of this first ascent and paints a rich portrait of the frontier at the turn of the twentieth century. The story of Stuck and his team will lead us through the Texas frontier and Tennessee mountains to an encounter with Jack London at the peak of the Yukon Goldrush. We experience Stuck's awe at the rich Aleut and Athabascan indigenous traditions—and his efforts to help preserve these ways of life. Filled with daring exploration and rich history, A Window to Heaven is a brilliant and spellbinding narrative of success against the odds.
A Wing and a Prayer: The Race to Save Our Vanishing Birds
by Anders Gyllenhaal Beverly GyllenhaalA captivating drama from the frontlines of the race to save birds set against the devastating loss of one third of the avian population. Three years ago, headlines delivered shocking news: nearly three billion birds in North America have vanished over the past fifty years. No species has been spared, from the most delicate jeweled hummingbirds to scrappy black crows, from a rainbow of warblers to common birds such as owls and sparrows. In a desperate race against time, scientists, conservationists, birders, wildlife officers, and philanthropists are scrambling to halt the collapse of species with bold, experimental, and sometimes risky rescue missions. High in the mountains of Hawaii, biologists are about to release clouds of laboratory-bred mosquitos in a last-ditch attempt to save Hawaii&’s remaining native forest birds. In Central Florida, researchers have found a way to hatch Florida Grasshopper Sparrows in captivity to rebuild a species down to its last two dozen birds. In the Sierra Nevada Mountains, a team is using artificial intelligence to save the California Spotted Owl. In North Carolina, a scientist is experimenting with genomics borrowed from human medicine to bring the long-extinct Passenger Pigeon back to life. For the past year, veteran journalists Anders and Beverly Gyllenhaal traveled more than 25,000 miles across the Americas, chronicling costly experiments, contentious politics, and new technologies to save our beloved birds from the brink of extinction. Through this compelling drama, A Wing and a Prayer offers hope and an urgent call to action: Birds are dying at an unprecedented pace. But there are encouraging breakthroughs across the hemisphere and still time to change course, if we act quickly.
A Winter Amid the Ice
by Jules VerneWhen his son Louis and members of the crew of the ship Jeune-Hardie, do not return from sea, Jean Cornbutte decides to refit the ship and go north to find them. Accompanying him on this trip is his son's fiancée, Marie, and the man who would be his son's rival for her affections, the ship's first officer, André Vasling. When the missing party is found in the extreme north, the only thing left to do is survive the bitter cold and rivalry. Jules Verne wrote this adventure novel in 1855.