Environment and Nature Books

The issues concerning the United States land and water resources are varied and complex, involving everything from industrial and domestic water supplies, hydroelectric power, irrigation, and pollution control, to fish and wildlife enforcement and wildlife enhancement, recreational use, flood control, and navigation.

Natural Resource Management of Water and Land is a comprehensive guide to the effective management of natural resources in different geographical sections of the United States.

Noted authority Edward O. Gangstad discusses areas where stresses on water and land resources are likely to occur, describes the conditions in these problem areas, and makes practical suggestions that can improve management methods.

The volume offers readers a number of outstanding features:

* Detailed coverage of enviromentally sensitive regions, such as arid lands and American prairies
* Thorough evalutations of current natural resource management strategies
* Up-to-date information on the conservation of wildlife resources
* Valuable guidance on the use of remote sensing in resource management

The pros and cons of different biological and chemical technologies used to manage natural resources are clearly outlined in accounts of various control programs.

These include operations to control Alligatorweed, to check the spread of Eurasian Watermilfoil, to deal with nuisance aquatic macrophyte growth and to dissipate redidue of 2, 4-D in water, soil, and fish.

Also presented are illustrative case studies of natural resource management strategies for rectifying water and land problems.

Readers will find case studies covering a water hyacinth control plan for the St. Johns River, the Corps of Engineers' aquatic plant management program, a plan to manage lake vegetation, as well as other case studies dealing with "giant" blue-green alga and aquatic weeds and public health.


Natural Resource Management of Water and Land is an authoritative technical reference presenting the latest methods of effective enviromental management.[circa 1990]

The material presentes here will be extremely helpful to natural resource managers, agronomists, botanists, enviromental engineers, ecologists, public health officials, and other concerned professionals.
--- from book's dustjacket

A wonderfully written book about connecting children with nature. Definitely recommended for anyone with or without children!

Roland H. Wauer is Indiana Jones of the naturalists

This book is great for parents, teachers, and day care providers. It gives great methods to help children explore the natural world. It is easy to read and understand for those of us without an education background. A "must have" !!

My son just loved this book. The graphics are reminiscent of photographs with watercolor paint washed over them, just beautiful. The messages for the child are simple and my son really embraced the ideas that nature right in your own backyard can be enjoyed through all our senses, and it made him want to go explore our yard in a new way. There's also a lot of ideas and information for parents in the back of the book which I found very helpful and inspiring.

Heritage Lost
A Review of Nature First (Outdoor Life the Friluftsliv way)
Edited by Bob Henderson and Nils Vikander

by Tom Lindblade

Trees growing in the middle of cross county ski trails, hiking trails long abandoned or turned over to ORVs, silent sports a thing of the past. This nightmare could happen as our children become increasingly ensnared by the seductive call of the keyboard and the adrenalin rush of high speed. Are our children increasingly forgoing the primary experience of nature in favor of the secondary manufactured thrill? An increasing number of people think so. And if they are right, the scenario above could become a reality, and not in the distant future, but as early as the next decade or two. Richard Louve in Last Child in the Woods coined the term Nature Deficit Disorder to describe what is happening to large numbers of our children Louve says that "Healing the broken bond between our young and nature is in our self-interest, not only because aesthetics or justice demand it, but also because our mental, physical, and spiritual health depend upon it."

All of us who participate in Silent Sports or just enjoy being in nature have experienced that bond and know what a powerful experience it is, but somehow, we have failed to communicate that to our youth, and things have gotten to the point that alarm bells are beginning to go off. What to do? I was recently given a copy of a new book called Nature First, Outdoor life and the Friluftsliv way by a friend of mine who is one of its editors, Bob Henderson. I believe that this book may point us in the direction of a way out. Many of us in the Midwest have strong Scandinavian ties, and as we look at those Midwestern states that are heavily influenced by the Scandinavian out-migration of the last century, we can see in many small ways, that they do seem to have a greater appreciation for the outdoor life.

What most of us third or fourth generation Scandinavians do not know is that our forbears brought that appreciation for nature with them, and that it has a long and distinguished history in Scandinavia (largely Norway) where it is called Friluftsliv (translated as free air life). Don't ask me, I don't know the proper pronunciation, and maybe it is because the word does look so strange in our English limited view, that the philosophy and traditions that the word friluftsliv represents has only made it across the cultural and language barrier in a very limited way. What the twenty five essays in the book do, is to give some of us back an important and neglected piece of our heritage. The essays make it clear that there is no magic bullet, but for all of us, whether of Scandinavian heritage or not, a rediscovery of the traditions of Friluftsliv might provide enough validation for change, so that there might never be a "last child in the woods".

Maybe it is time for us to recognize that reacting to each individual threat can only be a stop gap unless we find a way to more effectively frame the problem. I recommend Nature First which is published by Natural Heritage Books, a member of the Dundurn Group in Toronto

I am a CASA (court appointed special advocate) and just came from a lecture by Dr. Ira Chasnoff. He is completely convincing and wonderfully qualified on this subject.

He has run fascinating experiments and seems to have opened a completely new area of diagnosis for problem children. By running a diagnostic and treatment center for problem children, he can offer courses for people who deal with problem children or who are interested in starting a community program to deal with the growing problem. You might check into this...

But, after diagnosis, what can be done to help the child? Dr. Chasnoff describes treatment and can prove its effectiveness. Elsewhere, these children are usually drugged and often over-drugged, but without solving their behavioral problems. He has designed a series of solutions to help the child cope with actual structural brain dificiencies (caused by pre-natal drug use).

Of course, he has found that pre-natal drug use (including alcohol) affect behavior -- but, oddly, he has found that mothers who use drugs AFTER birth continue to affect the child's IQ! Thus treating the child without treating the mother can be futile (probably a reason why Head Start's good results do not last -- the parents must be treated too).

Highly recommended. It may save a life. If you have a problem child, consider getting diagnosis and treatment with Dr. Chasnoff. Get involved with bringing this new information into use within your community!

This book is an introduction to the ecology of Vermont. Johnson, the state naturalist, visited every corner of the state in compiling this concise guide. The book is divided into several sections, covering geology and prehistory, mountains and forests, waters and wetlands, and open land. In his descriptions of the separate environment types, Johnson details some of the common trees, plants, reptiles, birds, and mammals that are characteristically found there. Appendices include an annotated list of places to visit, a list of conservation organizations, references, and common and scientific names of plants of animals mentioned in the text. The book is illustrated with black-and-white photographs.

The text is quite informative and clearly written. Whether you are looking for wild places to visit, or want to learn more about your favorite parks or scenic spots, this book is a great place to start and would make a fine reference for anyone interested in the nature of Vermont.

NATURE'S ARMY is a tremendously engaging history of the 19th century United States Army. The book depicts the Army's main activity as "nation building," a concept somewhat discredited in the 2000 presidential election. The local example of "nation building" found its most lasting impact in the protection the Army gave to the newly-developing national park system. In particular, Harvey Meyerson focuses on California's Yosemite Park, set aside in 1890 as a national park. But, any visitor to Yellowstone in Wyoming can still see the Army's presence where the National Park Service maintains many of the original fort facilities at the Park's north entrance headquarters. Meyerson's excellent book should be read by anyone interested in western American history, military history in general, and the development of the American national park system. Highly recommended by this reviewer. Just a thoroughly engaging book.

A text that reads like a novel. It flows, with gripping information and substance on every page. Well presented. I recommend this book highly to anyone who is interested in the American environment.