New Releases by Ken Keffer

Includes wide range of natural history and facts about types of forests, tree species, tree biology, and more Full-color illustrations throughout and Seeds of Knowledge sidebars enliven and deepen understanding of tree science From the award-winning author of Earth Almanac In Knowing the Trees, naturalist and outdoor educator Ken Keffer explores our forests with both precision and charm. He offers essential context for understanding scientific knowledge and discoveries about trees and forest ecology, informed by rich anecdotes and specific examples from across the US. Modeled after the life cycle of a tree, this beautifully illustrated guide showcases a wide range of topics, including unique reproductive strategies, the wonders of seed dispersal, vast underground networks of roots, the importance of photosynthesis, treetop canopies, how snags and nurse logs contribute to the future of a forest, connections among other species throughout the habitat, benefits of forest bathing, and so much more. Keffer also makes the convincing case that our health depends on the health of trees and being able to see the forest and the trees.

Bird Brainiacs is an interactive high-engagement journal for kids 8 - 13 who love birds--one that puts discovery in their hands! Throughout the pages, kids are encouraged to write, draw, and give their opinions about anything and everything related to birds through fun (and sometimes even silly) ways. Here are some of the things you''ll come across in Bird Brainiacs: Quizzes Mad-Lib style fill-ins Personality questionnaires Game ideas "Would you rather?" scenarios Citizen science challenges Nature challenges Nature truth or dare ...and of course--bird facts and space to log their bird sightings Bird Brainiacs combines the popularity of diaries and journals along with the important subject matter of getting kids outside and learning about birds. Kids will learn things about themselves that they never knew, and it will be documented so they can look back on it for years to come. In addition, they will learn interesting facts and tidbits about the great outdoors. 35% of the net proceeds from the sale of Bird Brainiacs goes directly to support projects at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, including children''s educational and community programs.

Outdoor Writers Association of America Excellence in Craft Award Winner Earth Almanac presents the greatest hits of North American nature! Structured around phenology, which is the study of seasonal patterns in nature, the day-by-day descriptions offer insight into activities and connections throughout the natural world. Beginning with the Winter Solstice in December, Earth Almanac highlights a wide range of natural history, including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, insects, intertidal and marine life, trees, plants, fungi, weather phenomenon, geology, astronomy, notable environmental activists, and more, and reveals the ebb and flow of nature across the planet. Each season features more than 90 entries, and sidebars throughout provide calls to environmental action, citizen science opportunities, and details on special dates or holidays. The book can be enjoyed one day, month, or season at a time--dip in and out as you observe the world around you.

The Kids’ Ultimate Animal Activity Book takes the best animal material from Stacy and Ken’s previous titles and puts it in a single book that kids will love and come back to time and again. Organized in a see, learn, do (interact) format, the book first lays the groundwork for observing and learning about the animals—from their behavior and habitat to the truths and myths about them—and then jumps into lots of animal-related activities (like finding caterpillars or inspecting lizards).

From short scenic day trips to multi-day backpacking excursions, Hiking Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains covers dozens of trails throughout the region including lands of the Bighorn National Forest, the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area, as well as surrounding state and federal lands. Written by outdoor enthusiast and author, Ken Keffer, Hiking Wyoming''s Bighorn Mountains takes new and veteran hikers alike through the beautiful alpine lakes and wilderness of northern Wyoming.

From the “crown jewels” such as Yellowstone, Sequoia, and the Grand Canyon, to the many lesser-known – but still stunning – areas dotting the country, the National Parks have provided generations with enjoyment and wonder. Now, Ranger Rick: National Parks! takes readers on a tour of America’s most beautiful protected landscapes. Join Ranger Rick as he leads this cross-country adventure and provides his favorite facts, animals, and plants along the way. Page after page of beautiful photography and fascinating information bring the most unique features of the National Parks to life. Inside you’ll also find Ranger Rick’s favorite things to do in each park, like sledding down the mighty sand dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park or exploring the bat-filled caves of Carlsbad Caverns. With Ranger Rick as your trusted guide, there is no better way to experience the National Parks – other than being there! Expertly researched, chock full of fun facts, and filled with gorgeous, full-color photography, Ranger Rick: National Parks! is sure to delight and inspire any young explorer!

The Secret Lives of Animals is the perfect mix of field guide know-how and armchair entertainment. In addition to the standard field guide notes and range maps, the meat of the book will offer up “spark moments” in nature—something fascinating or memorable that catches your attention and sets you on a path of lifelong learning. The Secret Lives of Animals will feature more than 100 North American animals and over 1,000 tidbits in a fun, colorful, illustrated format.

Does moss only grow on the north side of a tree? Is the North Star really the brightest star? Will a mother bird abandon its baby if you put it back in its nest? Will toads really give you warts? The Truth About Nature answers all of these questions and more. This useful compendium for parents and children to read together sets the record straight on nature myths once and for all. It breaks down 144 everyday nature myths, identifying how true the myth really is, with the book’s unique “myth scale” (level 1 being somewhat true to level 3 being a complete myth). Organized by season and covering facts that are so strange they must simply be false (but they’re true!), this interactive guidebook also offers readers the chance to do their own science experiments to bust a few myths on their own.

Share in the discovery of nature with your child and preserve his or her sense of wonder in this keepsake journal filled with activities and ideas--for children ages two to eight. As simple as stargazing, as challenging as a wilderness hike, as wild as a snowy sled ride, as creative as making a nature collage—discover (and rediscover) nature with these 52 family activities! A child’s discovery of the outdoors is filled with awe, wonder, and delight. In this interactive journal, parents and kids have opportunities to spark curiosity about nature and are given space to record their discoveries. Part keepsake journal, part activity book, We Love Nature! offers a year’s worth of fresh, fun ways to explore nature that lead to profound memories. Lay back, look up, and invent stories from the shapes in the clouds • Play in the mud until you’re covered head to toe • Sing campfire songs, and put on a show by the fire • Dance in the rain • Predict the weather, and then track your accuracy • Discover the night sky with an astronomy calendar • Hang up a birdhouse to see which birds you attract to nest

Nature is a destination, but you don’t have to travel anywhere to find it. Just open the door and step outside. A fun, hands on approach to getting involved in nature, The Kids'' Outdoor Adventure Book is a year-round how-to activity guidebook for getting kids outdoors and exploring nature, be it catching fireflies in the cool summer evenings; making birdfeeders in the fall from peanut butter, pine cones, and seed; building a snowman in 3 feet of fresh winter snow; or playing duck, duck, goose with friends in a meadow on a warm spring day. The Kids'' Outdoor Adventure Book includes 448 things to do in nature for kids of all ages--more than one activity for every single day of the year. Each of the year''s four seasons includes fifty checklist items, fifty challenge items, three each of projects, destinations, garden recipes, and outdoor games. Throughout the book, you''ll also find fascinating facts, useful tips and tricks, and plenty of additional resources to turn to. Complete with whimsical, vibrant illustrations, this book is a must for parents and their kids.

Nature is a destination, but you don’t have to travel anywhere to find it. Just open the door and step outside. A fun, hands on approach to getting involved in nature, The Kids'' Outdoor Adventure Book is a year-round how-to activity guidebook for getting kids outdoors and exploring nature, be it catching fireflies in the cool summer evenings; making birdfeeders in the fall from peanut butter, pine cones, and seed; building a snowman in 3 feet of fresh winter snow; or playing duck, duck, goose with friends in a meadow on a warm spring day. The Kids'' Outdoor Adventure Book includes 448 things to do in nature for kids of all ages--more than one activity for every single day of the year. Each of the year''s four seasons includes fifty checklist items, fifty challenge items, three each of projects, destinations, garden recipes, and outdoor games. Throughout the book, you''ll also find fascinating facts, useful tips and tricks, and plenty of additional resources to turn to. Complete with whimsical, vibrant illustrations, this book is a must for parents and their kids.

This publication history is based on a peculiar historic event: the systematic recopying or transcription of Montaigne''s extensive marginal notes by secretaries, librarians, and paleographers in the last years of the 19th century at the Bordeaux City Library. Those transcriptions proved to be a necessary condition (and quid pro quo) for the publication (from 1906-1933) of the first critical editions of Montaigne''s complete Essays. It is also, indirectly, a case study of how a literary bureaucracy treats subaltern personnel like sub-librarians and paleographers and how it construes their intellectual property rights.