On May 1, 2016, a fire broke out in the boreal forest of northern Alberta. What began as a small fire, 4 acres, grew into a 2,000-acre wildfire within the span of a day. The dry spring, following a dry year, created favorable conditions for fire. The problem wasn’t the forests. Trees are no different […]

At its core, “Ignition: Lighting Fires in a Burning World” is a book about right relationship with land. In an age of megafires that burn so big and hot that they are prone to creating their own weather systems, M.R. O’Connor explores the use of prescribed fire. Sparked by her exposure to a burn-blackened forest

For many readers, the idea of “nature writing” evokes elegant prose about living off the land, or taking long treks through mountainous terrain, written by mostly white men and a smattering of heralded women. “A Darker Wilderness: Black Nature Writing from Soil to Stars” flips that paradigm on its head by centering the voices of

To say that “The Ecological Farm” by Helen Atthowe is a holistic approach to farming would be understating the significance of years of research and farming experience, as well as the love for her farming partner, mentor and husband, Carl Rosato, that is evident throughout the book. One of the subheadings in the book is

The first edition of “The Small-Scale Poultry Flock”by Harvey Ussery was published in 2011. Now, Ussery is back with a revised book, which is almost hard to believe considering the completeness of the first. But this new edition is full of even more essential information on flock management, all told in Ussery’s charming narrative writing

With “Black Earth Wisdom,” the brilliant Leah Penniman does something that most successful writers aren’t inclined to do for their sophomore books: pass the mic. In doing so, Penniman has created an essential primer for intersectional environmentalism that should be required reading for anyone who cares about protecting the Earth. The book is made up

“I think we need to celebrate what we can do and what we’ve been able to do while also acknowledging that we can improve. Investing energy in learning about and changing our own movement patterns for the better is worth it.” – Katy Bowman Katy Bowman’s 2023 book “Rethink Your Position” offers tangible anecdotes on

“Sam Thayer’s Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants: of Eastern and Central North America” offers a practical and informative resource for anyone with an interest in wild plants or foraging. It is Thayer’s third book and his expertise in the subject is evident throughout it. Covering 679 plants, it contains a wealth of information presented

“Sheepology”is a visual encyclopedia, much like its companion volumes, “Chickenology” and “Pigology.” It’s written for ages 6 to 10, but older readers will enjoy browsing through it. The table of contents divides “Sheepology” into five sections and serves as an informal index as there are no chapter or section headers. “Meet the flock” provides a

Take a walk with Susan Shetterly and expect to see more, feel more, understand more in every encounter with the wild world — with many of its fauna and flora and human defenders. Within the 32 essays of “Notes on the Landscape of Home,” the reader will find wonderful insights into the endangered among us,