LAS Birds & Books Reading Group
Birds & Books is a flock of readers interested in books about nature, especially birds and birding. You are encouraged to attend a meeting to see if this group is for you.
Meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 2:00PM
Sundance Bookstore
121 California Ave. Reno
For more information, please contact coordinator Zena Lamp at zenanlamp@gmail.com or 775-762-3068.
2011 Book List - A list of recommended books with a brief review.
2012 Schedule
- January 25, 2012 - Aldo Leopold: A Fierce Green Fire, by Marybeth Lorbiecki.
- February 22, 2012 - An Eagle Named Freedom: My Story of a Remarkable Friendship, by Jeff Guidry.
- March 21, 2012 - Feathers, An Evolution of a Natural Miracle, by Thor Hansen
- April 25, 2012 - Field Notes on Science and Nature, edited by Michael R. Canfield with foreword by E. O. Wilson
January 25, 2012
Aldo Leopold: A Fierce Green Fire, by Marybeth Lorbiecki. While not the first biography written about environmentalist Aldo Leopold (see Curt Meine's Aldo Leopold: His Life & Work, Univ. of Wisconsin, 1988), this one is definitely a worthwhile addition to the literature. Sufficient facts and context are provided to leave the reader informed yet not overburdened with detail. Environmental writer Lorbiecki does not offer much interpretation of events but rather allows us to see Leopold's development through description of his life and his own philosophical evolution. We see his emergence as a leader in wilderness preservation, and game and then wildlife management. We also see his development as a husband, father, and mentor. The presentation of Leopold's public and private lives is well balanced. He is portrayed here not as a saint but as a thinking man, willing to learn and change. Those unfamiliar with Leopold will relish this book; those who already know him will enjoy the retelling. This highly readable, lavishly illustrated biography is recommended for all environmental collections, public and academic.
February 22, 2012
An Eagle Named Freedom: My Story of a Remarkable Friendship, by Jeff Guidry. From the moment Jeff Guidry saw the baby eagle with broken wings, his life was changed. For weeks, he and the staff at Sarvey Wildlife Care Center in Puget Sound, Washington, tended to the injured bird. Miraculously, she recovered, and Jeff, a center volunteer, became her devoted caretaker. Though Freedom would never fly, she had Jeff as her wings. And after Jeff was diagnosed with stage three non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2000, Freedom returned his gift. Between sessions of debilitating chemotherapy, Jeff’s visits to Freedom and their special bond soothed his spirit and gave him the strength to fight. A tender tale of hope, love, trust, and life, this moving true story is an affirmation of the spiritual connection that humans and animals share.
March 21, 2012
Feathers, An Evolution of a Natural Miracle, by Thor Hansen In Feathers, biologist Thor Hanson details a sweeping natural history, as feathers have been used to fly, protect, attract, and adorn through time and place. Applying the research of paleontologists, ornithologists, biologists, engineers, and even art historians, Hanson asks: What are feathers? How did they evolve? What do they mean to us? Engineers call feathers the most efficient insulating material ever discovered, and they are at the root of biology's most enduring debate. They silence the flight of owls and keep penguins dry below the ice. They have decorated queens, jesters, and priests. And they have inked documents from the Constitution to the novels of Jane Austen.
Feathers is a captivating and beautiful exploration of this most enchanting object.
April 25, 2012
Field Notes on Science and Nature, edited by Michael R. Canfield with foreword by E. O. Wilson Pioneering a new niche in the study of plants and animals in their native habitat, Field Notes on Science and Nature allows readers to peer over the shoulders and into the notebooks of a dozen eminent field workers, to study firsthand their observational methods, materials, and fleeting impressions.
What did George Schaller note when studying the lions of the Serengeti? What lists did Kenn Kaufman keep during his 1973 “big year”? How does Piotr Naskrecki use relational databases and electronic field notes? In what way is Bernd Heinrich’s approach “truly Thoreauvian,” in E. O. Wilson’s view? Recording observations in the field is an indispensable scientific skill, but researchers are not generally willing to share their personal records with others. Here, for the first time, are reproductions of actual pages from notebooks. And in essays abounding with fascinating anecdotes, the authors reflect on the contexts in which the notes were taken.
Covering disciplines as diverse as ornithology, entomology, ecology, paleontology, anthropology, botany, and animal behavior, Field Notes offers specific examples that professional naturalists can emulate to fine-tune their own field methods, along with practical advice that amateur naturalists and students can use to document their adventures.