A Field Guide to Your Own Back Yard

A wise and poetic field guide to the lives, habits, and quirks of the natural world awaiting just beyond your doorstep .

"If there is grass and a few scraggling trees, there will be wildlife," suggests John Hanson Mitchell, an internationally recognized naturalist and advocate for tuning your senses to the wonders that await in your own backyard. Whether your yard consists of a small patch of grass or a rambling mix of forest and field, Mitchell will introduce you to the wealth of plants, insects, and animals that share your patch of the planet.

You'll learn how the behavior at the birdfeeder mirrors that of the deepest woods. You'll get a gander at the rich ecology of the woodpile. You'll get to know the neighbors you never knew you had who make their homes under the bark and in the holes of the trees. You'll learn why you might want to welcome a skunk into your garden. With wisdom and gentle humor, this book reacquaints you with the denizens of your own local habitat. 53 black & white illustrations

John Hanson Mitchell is the author of several books, including A Field Guide to Your Own Backyard (Countryman) and Ceremonial Time, and the editor of the award-winning natural history/environmental journal Sanctuary, published by the Massachusetts Audubon Society. He lives and gardens in Littleton, MA.