Softcover

ISBN 10: 0679446788 ISBN 13: 9780679446781

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 1998

The most comprehensive field guide available to the flora and fauna of California--a portable, essential companion for visitors and residents alike--from the go-to reference source for over 18 million nature lovers.

This compact volume contains:

An easy-to-use field guide for identifying 1,000 of the state's wildflowers, trees, mushrooms, mosses, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, butterflies, mammals, and much more;

A complete overview of California's natural history, covering geology, wildlife habitats, ecology, fossils, rocks and minerals, clouds and weather patterns and night sky;

An extensive sampling of the area's best parks, preserves, beaches, forests, islands, and wildlife sanctuaries, with detailed descriptions and visitor information for 50 sites and notes on dozens of others.

The guide is packed with visual information -- the 1,500 full-color images include more than 1,300 photographs, 14 maps, and 16 night-sky charts, as well as 150 drawings explaining everything from geological processes to the basic features of different plants and animals.

Review:

California natives and visitors alike will appreciate this compact, photo-filled overview of the Golden State's natural history. Along with a summary of geography, geology, weather, and wildlife, there is a field guide to the identification of 1,000 of the state's unique inhabitants, including the smallest butterfly in the world (the Western Pygmy Blue), the largest animal (the Blue Whale), and one of the largest living single organisms (the Giant Sequoia). What's more, some of the best places to see this diversity of flora and fauna--the many parks, preserves, beaches, forests, islands, and wildlife sanctuaries--are listed with detailed information. To flip through the guide's pages is to envision endless possibilities for scenic and educational field trips, from fog-shrouded Point Reyes National Seashore to the barren salt pan of Death Valley National Park.

From the Inside Flap:

Filled with concise descriptions and stunning photographs, the National Audubon Society Field Guide to California belongs in the home of every California resident and in the suitcase or backpack of every visitor. This compact volume contains:
An easy-to-use field guide for identifying 1,000 of the state's wildflowers, trees, mushrooms, mosses, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, butterflies, mammals, and much more;
A complete overview of California's natural history, covering geology, wildlife habitats, ecology, fossils, rocks and minerals, clouds and weather patterns and night sky;
An extensive sampling of the area's best parks, preserves, beaches, forests, islands, and wildlife sanctuaries, with detailed descriptions and visitor information for 50 sites and notes on dozens of others.
The guide is packed with visual information -- the 1,500 full-color images include more than 1,300 photographs, 14 maps, and 16 night-sky charts, as well as 150 drawings explaining everything from geological processes to the basic features of different plants and animals.
For everyone who lives or spends time in California, there can be no finer guide to the area's natural surroundings than the National Audubon Society Field Guide to California.