As the popularity of the national parks grows, so do the challenges of visiting and managing them. This innovative book uses crowdsourcing - postings by park visitors on a range of social media sites - to start 100 conversations on issues associated with visiting and managing the national parks. The authors then use their experience and expertise to prepare short, plainspoken, and engaging essays that respond to the postings and complete the conversations. The book is written for park visi...

How does a bird experience a city? A backyard? A park? As the world has become more urban, noisier from increased traffic, and brighter from streetlights and office buildings, it has also become more dangerous for countless species of birds. Warblers become disoriented by nighttime lights and collide with buildings. Ground-feeding sparrows fall prey to feral cats. Hawks and other birds-of-prey are sickened by rat poison. These name just a few of the myriad hazards. How do our cities need t...

Lake Ontario has profoundly influenced the historical evolution of North America. For centuries it has enabled and enriched the societies that crowded its edges, from fertile agricultural landscapes to energy production systems to sprawling cities.In The Lives of Lake Ontario Daniel Macfarlane details the lake’s relationship with the Indigenous nations, settler cultures, and modern countries that have occupied its shores. He examines the myriad ways Canada and the United S...

What if, even in the heart of a densely developed city, people could have meaningful encounters with nature? While parks, street trees, and green roofs are increasingly appreciated for their technical services like stormwater reduction, from a biophilic viewpoint, they also facilitate experiences that contribute to better physical and mental health: natural elements in play areas can lessen children's symptoms of ADHD, and adults who exercise in natural spaces can experience greater reduct...

Drawing on "eighty years of public service in conservation" the authors "chart a course for a new generation of conservation action and leadership" (President Jimmy Carter).This is a turbulent time for the conservation of America's natural and cultural heritage. From the current assaults on environmental protection to the threats of climate change, biodiversity loss, and disparity of environmental justice, the challenges facing the conservation movement are both imm...

The first history of the American hiking community and its contributions to the nation's vast network of trails.In the mid-nineteenth century urban walking clubs emerged in the United States. A little more than a century later, tens of millions of Americans were hiking on trails blazed in every region of the country. This groundbreaking book is the first full account of the unique history of the American hiking community and its rich, nationwide culture.Delv...

The second book in the Immersion Travel USA series offers a one-of-a-kind examination of volunteer immersion opportunities throughout the US.Volunteer immersion means grounding oneself completely in the place, the tasks, and the people you meet along the way, while keeping your own goals in mind. Kayne profiles over 200 volunteer programs throughout the U.S., highlighting the personal stories of volunteers, and offering essential logistical information on the progr...

A study of public recreation space and how urban developers can encourage ethnic diversity through planning that supports multiculturalism.Urban parks such as New York City's Central Park provide vital public spaces where city dwellers of all races and classes can mingle safely while enjoying a variety of recreations. By coming together in these relaxed settings, different groups become comfortable with each other, thereby strengthening their communities and the de...

This book changes the way we view our everyday human landscapes by taking us on a 22-stop adventure through the heart of Flagstaff, Arizona. In Flagstaff's America Tour, the reader encounters four distinct though interacting landscape scenes: a themed historic business district, a pre-War multi-ethnic neighborhood, an expanding university campus, and a dynamic automobile commercial strip. Prior to the tour, Part 1 introduces us to the fascinating study of geography and the interpretation o...

*Winner, 2025 Golden Poppy Award for California Lifestyle*2025 Foreword INDIES Silver Medal, Ecology & Environment*Literary Hub Best Reviewed New Nonfiction Titles of 2025*2026 IPPY Gold MedalistA galvanizing road trip across California's immense public wilderness from a beloved adventurer."The Enduring Wild is a call to look beyond the sur...

What would it mean to live in cities designed to foster feelings of connectedness to the ocean? As coastal cities begin planning for climate change and rising sea levels, author Timothy Beatley sees opportunities for rethinking the relationship between urban development and the ocean. Modern society is more dependent upon ocean resources than people are commonly aware of—from oil and gas extraction to wind energy, to the vast amounts of fish harvested globally, to medicinal compounds deriv...

The Great Lakes are a remarkable repository of millions of years of complex geological transformations and of a considerably shorter, crowded span of human history. Over the course of four summers, Thomas Shevory rode a bicycle along their shores, taking in the stories the lakes tell—of nature’s grandeur and decay, of economic might and squandered promise, of exploration, colonization, migration, and military adventure. This book is Shevory’s account of his travels, shored up by his explor...