On the Trail: Mysteries Featuring Rangers, Game Wardens, and Land Management

The National Park Service turned 100 in August, and they are celebrating all year long! There are so many ways to celebrate: design your own park picture; get an Every Kid in a Park Pass for your fourth-grader; share your park experiences; visit one of New Mexico's 15 national parks (1,714,677 previous visitors can't be wrong!); and, our favorite, read! There are many items in the library catalog for adults and children about national parks across the 50 states, and, for the mystery fans among you, we've rounded up several series whose protagonists are park rangers, game wardens, or involved in land management. If you can't get to a park this weekend, why not do the next best thing?

Wild Indigo by Sandi Ault [eBook, Large Print, Audiobook]

Track of the Cat by Nevada Barr 

Calamity Jayne by Kathleen Bacus 

Open Season by C. J. Box 

The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron 

Ice Hunter by Joseph Heywood 

Habitat by Skye Kathleen Moody 

On Deadly Ground by Michael Norman 

Bone Dry by Ben Rehder 

Shell Games by Kirk Russell [eBook]

Death Stalks Door County by Patricia Skalka

Border Prey by Jessica Speart 

Shadow of the Raven by David Sundstrand 

Canyon Sacrifice by Scott Graham

New & Novel: The Natural World

There are quite a few recent and delightful-looking additions to our library catalog dealing with the natural world - from an "arrestingly unconventional" study of nature (featuring an original typeface created for the book called Qaneq LR, after the Inuktitut word for “falling snow”) to a book detailing the adventures of a man who lived among badgers and other animals to better understand them; another by an author who has "led expeditions on five continents, climbed mountains in three, and is the only living person to have both flown and sailed solo across the Atlantic;" one featuring stunning watercolors by the author of  Le Road Trip; and more! If you are interested in learning more about the world around you, the books listed below offer a bounty of information about various aspects of the nature, some with a more scientific bent, some not so much. We hope you learn something new and have fun doing so!

Being a Beast: Adventures Across the Species Divide by Charles Foster
To test the limits of our ability to inhabit lives that are not our own, Charles Foster set out to know the ultimate other: the nonhumans, the beasts. And to do that, he tried to be like them, choosing a badger, an otter, a fox, a deer, and a swift.  A lyrical, intimate, and completely radical look at the life of animals--human and other--Being a Beast mingles neuroscience and psychology, nature writing and memoir, to cross the boundaries separating the species. It is an extraordinary journey full of thrills and surprises, humor and joy.

An Ocean of Air: Why the Wind Blows and Other Mysteries of the Atmosphere by Gabrielle Walker 
We don’t just live in the air; we live because of it. It’s the most miraculous substance on earth, responsible for our food, our weather, our water, and our ability to hear. In this exuberant book, gifted science writer Gabrielle Walker peels back the layers of our atmosphere with the stories of the people who uncovered its secrets. [Amazon]

The Lost Art of Reading Nature's Signs: Use Outdoor Clues to Find Your Way, Predict the Weather, Locate Water, Track Animals--And Other Forgotten Skills by Tristan Gooley  
Now, in The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs, Gooley has compiled more than 850 outdoor tips—many not found in any other book in the world—that will open readers’ eyes to nature’s hidden logic. He shares techniques for forecasting and tracking, and for walking in the country or city, along the coast, and by night. This is the ultimate resource on what the land, sun, moon, stars, plants, animals, and clouds can reveal—if you only know how to look! [Amazon]

Gardens of Awe and Folly: A Traveler's Journal of the Meaning of Life and Gardening by Vivian Swift
An illustrated, round-the-world tour of idiosyncratic gardens from beloved traveler/writer/watercolorist Vivian Swift. 

Thunder & Lightning : Weather Past, Present, Future by Lauren Redniss
From the National Book Award finalist Lauren Redniss, author of Radioactive, comes a dazzling fusion of storytelling, visual art, and reportage that grapples with weather in all its dimensions: its danger and its beauty, why it happens and what it means. 

The Hidden Life of Trees What They Feel, How They Communicate: Discoveries from a Secret World by Peter Wohlleben
In The Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlleben shares his deep love of woods and forests and explains the amazing processes of life, death, and regeneration he has observed in the woodland and the amazing scientific processes behind the wonders of which we are blissfully unaware... Drawing on groundbreaking new discoveries, Wohlleben presents the science behind the secret and previously unknown life of trees and their communication abilities; he describes how these discoveries have informed his own practices in the forest around him. 

*all descriptions taken from the library catalog unless otherwise noted

Go Wild! for National Park Week

National Park Week is April 19-27! How will you be celebrating?

If you don't have time to visit a park this week, here are some items from the library catalog to whet your appetite for future travel:


Art of the National Parks: Historic Connections, Contemporary Interpretations by Jean Stern, Susan Hallsten Mcgarry, Terry Lawson Dunn

To Conserve Unimpaired: The Evolution of the National Park Idea by Robert B. Keiter

Secrets of the National Parks: The Experts' Guide to the Best Experiences Beyond the Tourist Trail  by National Geographic


The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon by Kevin Fedarko

Before They're Gone: A Family's Year-Long Quest to Explore America's Most Endangered National Parks by Michael Lanza [eBook]

Dirt Work: An Education in the Woods by Christine Byl [eBook]

National Parks: A Kid's Guide to America's Parks, Monuments and Landmarks by Erin McHugh

The Park Scientists by Mary Kay Carson  
 

If you'd like to visit one of New Mexico's National Parks, you can find information about them in the library catalog. You can also find more items about National Parks nation-wide in the library catalog.

Links

National Park Week (National Park Service)

National Parks in New Mexico

Ernie Pyle House (and branch library!) - National Historic Landmark

New Mexico Trees

Now that spring has sprung and the summer is in full bloom, we can finally enjoy the greenery in Albuquerque until the fall when it will again begin its rapid decline. We should all take a moment to appreciate the variety of trees in Albuquerque and how they provide the shade that protects us from the hot summer sun.




Photo courtesy of J.N. Stuart



Pinon Pine

How can we talk about trees in New Mexico without mentioning the Pinon tree? The Pinon tree happens to be the state tree in New Mexico. It is most well-known for nuts that it produces that are enjoyed by wildlife and humans alike. 

Photo courtesy of azmichelle

Photo courtesy of _-Ellie-_



Rio Grande Cottonwood

The Rio Grande Cottonwood can grow to be 90 feet tall and is mostly found along the Rio Grande River. It is one of the only species of cottonwood tree that is not banned in New Mexico. Perhaps the only extensive band of Rio Grande Cottonwoods remaining today exists along the Rio Grande from Espanola south to Belen. So when you want to take a shady stroll, head down to the trails along the Rio Grande.

Photo courtesy of Theilr



  


Photo courtesy of Peter Guthrie





Quaking Aspen

The Quaking Aspen can be easily recognized by its white colored bark. They are usually around 40-50 feet but can be as tall as 70 feet. The leaves are rounded with a point and are a very distinctive golden color in the Fall.

Photo courtesy of Matt Lavine



Photo courtesy of CameliaTWU

 Bur Oak



The Bur Oak is a drought resistant tree common in New Mexico and can grow to be over 40 feet. The leaves are a distinctive shape and they produce the largest acorns of any other native oak tree. 



Photo courtesy of Graham Higgs





Siberian Elm

Although the Siberian Elm is an outlawed tree species in New Mexico, they spread so rapidly that you will still see them just about everywhere you go. They are leaches for water and are known to aggressively take over any nearby water supply, preventing other plants from receiving much needed water.



Photo courtesy of Matt Lavin



Photo courtesy of Marjorie Lipan



Blue Spruce

If you're stepping on crunchy cones you might be walking under a Blue Spruce. These trees can grow from 75 to 100 feet tall. They provide excellent cover for birds in the winter. The cones contain seeds that provide food for many seed-eating wildlife.



Photo courtesy of Tony Frates



The next time you are walking in the shade, take a minute to enjoy the trees around you and see if you can identify them.

Find more info about trees in New Mexico with these great books from your ABC Libraries:

Trees and Shrubs of New Mexico by Jack L. Carter

Southwestern Trees: A Guide to the Native Species of New Mexico and Arizona by Elbert L. Luther

A Waterwise Guide to Trees by The Water Use and Conservation Bureau

The Encyclopedia of North American Trees by Sam Benvie

Trees by Paul McEvoy

Trees of the Rocky Mountains and Intermountain West by George A. Petrides

Get outside - a visual guide!

It's spring and a wonderful time of year to be outside.  Perhaps you are looking for ideas of where to go, for inspiration for a new hobby or project, or some fellow enthusiasts.

Whether you like gardening, bicycling, hiking, photography, or nature our visual guide will link you to books, resources, and people to help you pursue your passion.

Click here or on the photo below to get started.
It will take you to a site called flickr.
  



Get outside!

  
 

Something for Nature Lovers



Courtesy of D.Eickhoff

 New Mexico is a beautiful place to be in the spring. If you would like to maximize your appreciation and knowledge of nature in New Mexico, you might want to consider checking out the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park.  

Regular nature walks are offered to view the wildlife and geology of the bosque. Moonlight tours offer a quiet, serene getaway, perfect for an affordable evening outing with that special someone. All tours are led by nature center staff and volunteers.

Bird walks are offered every Saturday and Sunday morning for a chance to view the different migrating species throughout the Rio Grande Valley. Among the different birds to be seen at the nature center are warblers, meadowlarks, hummingbird, woodpeckers, great-horned owls, various waterfowl and many others.

To experience the big bang of events at the nature center come to this year’s Herbfest 2012 presented by the Friends of the Rio Grande Nature Center. On May 12^th and 13^th from 10am to 4pm. There will be arts and crafts, native plants for sale, live music, demonstrations for wool dying and composting, a presentation for healing with herbs and much more.

If your a nature lover, check out these titles from your ABC library:

New Mexico Wildlife Viewing Guide by Jane Susan MacCarter

Wildflowers of the Sandia and Manzano Mountains of Central New Mexico by Larry J. Littlefield and Pearl M. Burns

A Field Guide to the Plants and Animals of the Middle Rio Grande Bosque by Jean-Luc E. Cartron

Birds of New Mexico : Field Guide by Stan Tekiela.