An Air Force loadmaster in the Vietnam War is shot out of the sky, then saved by falling into a banyan. An artist inherits a hundred years of photographic portraits, all of the same doomed American chestnut. A hard-partying undergraduate in the late 1980s electrocutes herself, dies, and is sent back into life by creatures of air and light. A hearing- and speech-impaired scientist discovers that trees are communicating with one another. These four,...

"A forester's fascinating stories, supported by the latest scientific research, reveal the extraordinary world of forests and illustrate how trees communicate and care for each other"--

Reveals what can be understood about the natural world through the author's year-long observation of a one-square-meter patch of old-growth Tennessee forest, explaining the scientific ties binding all life and how the ecosystem has cycled for millions of years.

Presents a study showing how a child's lack of connection to nature can cause obesity, distraction, and depression, and offers suggestions on how nature can be used to enhance problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

"An ecologist takes the uniquely positive--yet realistic--position that we can adapt and persist despite the inevitable effects of climate change. In Finding Higher Ground, Amy Seidl brings us emerging stories of adaptation from both the natural world and human communities, offering examples of how ecosystems, plants, and animals are responding on behavioral and genetic levels to environmental change. Reducing our carbon footprint is vital, but climate...

America's most celebrated astrophysicist invites young readers to explore the mysteries of the universe.

"An inspired weaving of indigenous knowledge, plant science, and personal narrative from a distinguished professor of science and a Native American whose previous book, Gathering Moss, was awarded the John Burroughs Medal for outstanding nature writing. As a botanist and professor of plant ecology, Robin Wall Kimmerer has spent a career learning how to ask questions of nature using the tools of science. As a Potawatomi woman, she learned from elders,...

"In 2016, author Amy Tan grew overwhelmed by the state of the world: Hatred and misinformation became a daily presence on social media, and the country felt more divisive than ever. In search of peace, Tan turned toward the natural world just beyond her window and, specifically, the birds flocking to the feeders in her yard. But what began as an attempt to find solace turned into something far greater--an opportunity to savor quiet moments during...

"Relevant images match informative text in this introduction to lynx. Intended for students in kindergarten through third grade"--

Argues that a large-scale shift in Earth's climate is unavoidable and explains how humans should live if they are going to sustain themselves on the new planet that their mistakes have created.