Nature Nook Book Group

I've really enjoyed meeting with a group of people to discuss nature concepts and books through the Nature Nook Book Group at Woodlawn Nature Center over the last year. It started as a group of Indiana Master Naturalists wanting to get together and read the books we received and has grown to include others.

We met this last week to discuss Alone: The Journey of the Boy Sims which is a coming of age book similar to Sign of the Beaver, but set in our area of northern Indiana in 1830. Read my review here. We also set out our list of books for the rest of the year. Typically the group meets on the fourth Thursday of the month at 6:30pm at Woodlawn Nature Center in Elkhart. Read about past books we've read here and here.

See the upcoming schedule for 2014 below.





March 27 The Bluebird Effect: Uncommon Bonds with Common Birds --I've already started reading this and am impressed by the personal observations of the author in her interactions with birds. The illustrations and inclusion of bits of her nature journal are lovely. I bought the Kindle version and was impressed with the good detail I can see on the iPad.

April 24 The Dunes--We're reading any book based loosely on the Indiana Dunes, such as Dune Country: A Hiker's Guide To The Indiana Dunes The Dune Country--find it free online here, Dune Boy: The Early Years of a Naturalist , or Diana of the Dunes (IN): The True Story of Alice Gray . We will then gather and share what we've learned.

May 22 The Trees by Conrad Richter


June 26 Pond and Brook: A Guide to Nature in Freshwater Environments by Michael J. Caduto

July 24 A Conservationist Manifesto by Scott Russel Sanders

August 28 The Nature Principle: Reconnecting with Life in a Virtual Age by Richard Louv


 September 25 Wild Edibles--You Pick!
A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants: Eastern and central North America (Peterson Field Guides),Stalking The Wild Asparagus
The Forager's Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants
The Herb Book

October 23 Dawn Light: Dancing with Cranes and Other Ways to Start the Day by Diane Ackerman

November 20 Any book by John Muir--You pick!

December 18 Art of the Earth: Ancient Arts for a Green Future by Elizabeth Hyatt or other Environmental Art related book