This is the second of three volumes covering the vascular plants of Oregon, both native and naturalized. Its stated mission is “to engage researchers, plant growers, land managers, and nature enthusiasts by creating the basis of knowledge of Oregon’s plants.” This print book is supplemented by digital resources, including a mobile app and website (oregonflora.org)….
The frontispiece reveals that the name Cascade Head in the book title refers to the Cascade Head Biosphere Reserve, which encompasses a number of discrete components, including the Neskowin Crest Natural Research Area, Cascade Head Experimental Forest, The Nature Conservancy Cascade Head Preserve, Sitka Center for Art & Ecology, Salmon River and Estuary, Camp Westwind, and Cascade…
William Robbins has produced the first comprehensive historical account of the origins, development, and importance of the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest. This renowned research forest, commonly referred to as the Andrews, is located near Blue River and managed cooperatively by the Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station, Oregon State University, and the Willamette National Forest….
Tanya grew up in New England, the daughter of avid gardeners. She’s been in love with nature, especially plants, as long as she can remember. As a child, she spent as much time out of doors as possible, driven to learn all she could about the natural world. She particularly recalls going on a nature…
As the son of missionary parents, David Wagner spent his childhood in Landour, India, in the foothills of the Himalayas. There David attended Woodstock School, exploring the mountains and collecting specimens of all kinds, including beetles, butterflies, birds, mammals, and snakes. About the age of eleven, he became particularly curious about ferns that, along with…
Lisa Blackburn was born and raised in southern California. As a child, she enjoyed numerous camping vacations with her family all over the western United States. These trips and her mother’s interest in gardening sparked her interest in botany and geology. When Lisa attended the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), her broad interests led…
This is a review of the Field Guide to the Grasses of Oregon and Washington, a long-awaited book by a group of eminently-qualified and experienced botanists and ecologists. According to the authors, this work began in 2003 as a desire to complete a definitive reference work for the grasses of Oregon. Washington state was added later….
The Flora of the Pacific Northwest is the long awaited, fully updated, second edition of Hitchcock and Cronquist’s 1973 classic botanical text for our region. This masterpiece has been revised to include current research in vascular plant systematics, including reorganized family structure and up-to-date name changes. It also includes over 1,000 newly described or documented native and…
Colin Varner started his career in 1977 in the botanical garden of the University of British Columbia, where he became the university’s arborist/horticulturist and also teaches native plant studies. He spent 17 years collecting information and photos for this book. Most of the photos are by the author and most are stunning. The layout is…
50 Hikes with Kids: Oregon and Washington, an attractive guidebook for adults seeking advice for helping children explore the outdoors, is filled with colorful and informative graphics, interesting pictures, and clear maps. Additionally, the weatherproof cover protects it in wet weather and its rounded corners makes it easy to slip in or out of a…
Poinar’s 2016 book on dune ecology (A Naturalist’s Guide to the Hidden World of Pacific Northwest Dunes) covered dune grasslands and ocean beaches. As a companion to that book, this guide expands into the area immediately east (inland) of those areas: the dune forest plant communities and associated wetlands. Poinar is an entomologist and writer,…
Three and a half decades ago, Art Kruckeberg shared his passion for cultivating native plants in Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest. At that time good references on this topic were scarce and his book filled a gap between desire to grow natives and knowledge of how to do so. Much has changed since…