Many parents and teachers are asking the same question: What can kids actually do about climate change?
Children hear about wildfires, floods, pollution, and rising temperatures all the time. But information without action can leave them feeling overwhelmed. What young readers need is a way to understand the science, process their emotions, and see where they fit into the solution for the future.
A climate book that explains the problem for kids without leaving them stuck in fear
Some environmental books focus so heavily on what’s going wrong that young readers come away feeling helpless. Climate Action for Kids takes a different approach. It explains how Earth’s systems work, how people have changed the climate, and what communities can do next.
The book makes a difficult subject easier to understand through accessible examples and memorable comparisons. It helps readers see that climate change is serious but not hopeless.
That sort of balance is especially important for adults looking for:
climate change books for kids
Earth Month/Earth Day classroom books
environmental science books for upper elementary and middle grade readers
books that address climate anxiety in children
What readers will learn from Climate Action for Kids
Rather than staying abstract, Climate Action for Kids gives readers a framework for understanding both causes and solutions.
Young readers learn about:
the difference between weather and climate
the carbon cycle and greenhouse gases
renewable and non-renewable energy
how transportation, waste, and land use affect the planet
how climate change affects weather, biodiversity, oceans, and communities
why resilience, cooperation, and better choices matter
Just as importantly, the book shows that climate action solutions are not limited to scientists or politicians. Kids can be part of a larger effort by learning, observing, asking questions, helping their communities, and building better habits.
Why this message matters before Earth Month and release day
Early April is the perfect time for a book like Climate Action for Kids. Teachers are planning Earth Day activities. Parents are looking for meaningful spring reading for their children. Libraries, schools, and homeschoolers are searching for timely nonfiction that feels both educational and hopeful.
A book release right before Earth Day gives families and educators a chance to move from climate awareness to climate learning.
That makes this more than a seasonal read. It makes it a useful tool for real conversations at exactly the right time.
How Climate Action for Kids helps with climate anxiety
One reason children struggle with environmental news is that they often hear about the impacts without hearing enough about solutions. Climate Action for Kids helps correct that imbalance.
The book:
validates that climate change can feel scary
explains the science in manageable language
reminds readers that humans can make better choices
points to real examples of environmental progress
emphasizes resilience, cooperation, and community action
Instead of teaching kids to panic, it teaches them to understand.
parents who want to talk about climate change without overwhelming children
teachers planning Earth Day or Earth Month lessons
librarians building environmental reading lists
homeschool families teaching science and civic responsibility together
young readers who want facts, context, and practical hope
A practical climate book for classrooms and families
One of the most useful things about Climate Action for Kids is that it connects science to daily life. Readers can relate the book’s ideas to what they already see around them: weather changes, waste, transportation, energy use, and community preparedness.
That makes it a strong conversation starter for:
classroom discussions
family reading time
Earth Day units
science enrichment
student projects on sustainability and resilience
Why order Climate Action for Kids now
If you’ve been looking for a children’s climate book that is factual, encouraging, and action-oriented, this is the moment to put Climate Action for Kids on your list.
With its April 7th release date arriving just ahead of Earth Month, the book offers a timely way to help young readers move from confusion to clarity and from anxiety to informed hope.
Release date: April 7th Book: Climate Action for Kids Ideal for: parents, teachers, librarians, and young readers ready for science-based hope
If you want children to understand climate change and believe they can help shape a better future, Climate Action for Kids is a strong place to start.
FAQ
What is Climate Action for Kids about?
Climate Action for Kids is a children’s nonfiction book that explains climate science, climate impacts, and practical solutions in a way that is accessible and hopeful for young readers.
Is Climate Action for Kids too scary for children?
No. The book addresses the seriousness of climate change, but it does so in a balanced way that helps reduce helplessness by focusing on understanding, resilience, and action.
Who should read Climate Action for Kids?
The book is ideal for parents, teachers, librarians, homeschoolers, and children who want a clear introduction to climate science and climate solutions.
Is Climate Action for Kids good for Earth Day or Earth Month?
Yes. Its focus on science, solutions, and community action makes it a strong choice for Earth Day reading lists, classroom units, and spring family reading.
What makes Climate Action for Kids different from other climate books for children?
It combines scientific explanation with emotional reassurance and practical action, helping young readers understand both the problem and the possibility of progress.
When many people imagine an ideal summer, they picture distant destinations: national parks, long road trips, and dramatic landscapes far from home. Yet some of the most meaningful encounters with nature can take place much closer—along a neighborhood trail, beside a modest wetland, or in the fragment of prairie at the edge of town. With a guidebook in hand and a shift in perspective, everyday surroundings can become the setting for rich, meaningful adventures.
Nature Smart: Midwest by Stan Tekiela fits naturally into this way of traveling. Although it contains identification tips and natural-history facts, it functions less like a traditional field guide and more like a companion for seeing the familiar with new eyes. Its focus on prairies, wetlands, forests, birds, mammals, insects, amphibians, reptiles, and fungi encourages readers to look again at ordinary places and recognize them as living ecosystems.
The Power of Nearby Nature
Rather than centering on distance or spectacle, micro-travel emphasizes short, local excursions that fit into daily life. A half-hour walk in a nearby park, an hour at a marsh after work, or a slow exploration of a wooded ravine can become satisfying experiences when framed as encounters with real, functioning habitats.
Nature Smart: Midwest provides the ecological and behavioral context that makes these small outings feel substantial. Its sections on prairies, for example, reveal that what might appear to be an empty field is often a complex community of grasses, forbs, insects, and ground-nesting birds. Wetland chapters describe how shallow, “messy” water regulates floods; filters pollutants; and supports frogs, dragonflies, and marsh birds. Forest chapters illuminate the layered structure of canopy, understory, and forest floor, as well as the roles played by fungi, insects, and mammals in cycling nutrients.
Nature and Mental Health
For readers concerned with mental health and the pace of modern life, this style of engagement with nearby nature offers distinct advantages. Research has repeatedly shown that even small doses of time outdoors can reduce stress, improve mood, and restore attention. Micro-adventures grounded in books like Nature Smart: Midwest add an additional layer: They create cognitive and emotional connection.
Knowing that the birds heard at dawn are establishing territory, that the mushrooms after rain are fruiting bodies of a vast underground network, or that a weedy ditch is functioning as a miniature wetland changes a brief walk from “time outside” into participation in a larger story.
This narrative quality can be particularly helpful for those who struggle to slow down. Many people find it difficult to simply “relax” in nature without feeling idle or restless. Stan’s explanations—how fire renews prairies, why certain plants flower at specific times, how animals adapt to winter or darkness—offer the mind gentle focus. Attention is drawn away from internal worries and directed toward external patterns and relationships. The result is not passive distraction but a quiet form of curiosity that tends to calm the nervous system.
Lowering the Barriers to Nature
Focusing locally also reduces the barriers often associated with outdoor experiences. Extensive planning, travel costs, and the pressure to “make it worth it” can turn vacations into sources of stress. By contrast, a local outing requires minimal logistics yet still feels purposeful.
Over the course of a summer, repeated visits to the same prairie edge, pond, or woodland path allow readers to notice seasonal changes and animal behaviors over time. This familiarity often leads to a sense of belonging: the recognition that one’s own neighborhood is part of a living landscape rather than a backdrop.
The book’s broad coverage of organisms—from birds and mammals to insects, amphibians, reptiles, and fungi—also supports a more inclusive view of nature. Instead of reserving wonder for rare species or spectacular vistas, Nature Smart: Midwest highlights the importance of common animals and overlooked habitats.
Backyard birds become case studies in migration, nesting, and song. Ant hills and spider webs illustrate complex social structures and hunting strategies. Mushrooms and soil organisms reveal the hidden processes that keep forests and grasslands functioning. This emphasis can quietly shift attitudes from indifference or fear toward respect and stewardship.
Seeing these connections often replaces a sense of helplessness with a more balanced mix of concern, appreciation, and agency. Readers can better understand how small actions—supporting habitat-friendly practices, reducing chemical use, protecting local green spaces—fit into a larger picture.
A Summer That Lasts All Year
In this way, a summer spent with Nature Smart: Midwest is not only about recreation. It is about cultivating a sustained relationship with the nearby natural world—one that supports mental well-being, encourages slower and more attentive living, and deepens understanding of how even small patches of habitat contribute to the health of larger ecosystems.
This book supports the idea that meaningful adventure does not depend on distance. It can be found in the next park over, at the edge of a retention pond, or along a familiar trail walked with a new awareness that the land, and its countless inhabitants, are telling stories all summer long—and well beyond.
Stan Tekiela is an author, naturalist, and photographer who travels extensively to study and capture images of wildlife. He can be followed on www.instagram.com and www.facebook.com. He can be contacted via his webpage at www.naturesmart.com.
When the weather heats up, many kitchens become the last place anyone wants to be. Turning on the oven or standing over a hot stove can make you feel even warmer and more uncomfortable. Still, most people want more than takeout or a plain salad at the end of the day. They want food that feels fresh, homemade, and satisfying—without adding extra heat.
Some Assembly Required shows how no‑cook meals can deliver all of that, with less effort and no time at the stove.
Simple Assembly, No Cooking
The heart of no‑cook meals is simple: Focus on assembly instead of traditional cooking. This approach relies on tossing, layering, and mixing, rather than frying or baking.
Many of the recipes in Some Assembly Required start with ingredients people already buy:
Rotisserie chicken
Canned beans and lentils
Prewashed salad greens
Smoked fish and deli meats
Jarred roasted peppers, olives, and artichokes
These staples are turned into colorful and healthy salads, wraps, grain bowls, tostadas, and more. Short ingredient lists and clear steps mean dinner can be ready in minutes instead of hours.
Cool Meals for Hot Days and Gatherings
On hot days, even thinking about heating up the oven can feel exhausting. No‑cook meals solve this problem by leaning on the fridge, pantry, and fresh produce instead of the stove.
Bright salsas and creamy dips made in a blender or food processor
Shrimp cocktails and chilled seafood salads built from precooked proteins
Fresh, crunchy salads and lettuce wraps that stay crisp
Make‑ahead chilled soups and desserts
These dishes are perfect for potlucks, picnics, and backyard parties because they travel well and can often be prepared hours before guests arrive. Big‑batch drinks like agua frescas, iced punches, and light cocktails add a cool, festive touch without extra heat or stress.
Using Pantry Staples and Leftovers Wisely
A key part of no‑cook meals is learning to use what’s already on hand. This cookbook offers tips for building a smart pantry with items such as:
Canned beans, tuna, and salmon
Whole grains like quinoa, farro, and rice
Nuts, seeds, and nut butters
Jarred vegetables and pickles
These ingredients become the base for fast meals that do not require turning on the stove. Leftover meats, herbs, and random vegetables from the crisper drawer are turned into salads, wraps, bowls, and dips, helping cut down on food waste.
Instructions are flexible, with lots of options like “use any cooked grain you have” or “swap in your favorite beans.” This relaxed style lowers the pressure and makes it easier to experiment and learn.
Cooler Kitchens, Lower Bills, Better Meals
Because these recipes skip cooking, they keep kitchens cooler and can help lower energy bills. Chilled soups, hearty salads, grain bowls, and no‑bake snacks rely on the fridge more than the oven.
In the end, Some Assembly Required proves that amazing no‑cook meals are possible, even on the hottest days. With smart shortcuts, fresh ingredients, and simple directions, anyone can enjoy homemade food without heating up the whole house.
It is early March, and Earth Month is just around the corner. Parents and teachers often wonder how to talk about the environment without frightening young people. Today’s students see a constant stream of scary news about extreme weather and melting ice, and it can make them feel helpless. Luckily, a new book takes a much better approach to this tough topic. Coming out on April 7th, Climate Action for Kids understands these fears right from the start. It validates those worried feelings while throwing readers a lifeline: “Climate change can be scary to talk and think about, but people have a lot of power to make things better for generations to come.“
Starting with Wonder, Not Worry
Before discussing disasters or complex rules, author Ian Hunt helps readers appreciate our home planet. This turns anxiety into a feeling of awe. By exploring the delicate balance of our atmosphere and oceans, the book shows exactly what we are trying to protect. It explains why our world is so perfectly suited for humans and animals. Ian points out the beauty of our natural climate, noting, “Since it keeps the temperature just right for life to exist, some people call Earth the ‘Goldilocks Planet.’“
To keep readers from feeling doomed, the book breaks down hard science into easy ideas. Instead of treating carbon dioxide like an invisible monster destroying the sky, it teaches basic science. It shows how elements naturally move through Earth’s systems over time. To help kids understand the carbon cycle without getting lost in tough chemistry, the book suggests, “Another way to think about the carbon atom is as if it is a world traveler.“
Turning Confusion into Clarity
When it is time to discuss the actual crisis, the book uses smart, real-world examples. Ian carefully separates the causes of global warming from its daily impacts. This helps readers see exactly where they can step in to fix the problem. To show how we must stop pollution while also dealing with its effects, the author vividly explains, “Climate change is like a faucet over a bucket.“
One huge reason that young people feel eco-anxiety is the belief that humans are just bad for the Earth. This book reminds us that humans have lived in harmony with the planet for thousands of years. Our current crisis is a modern problem with our systems, not a permanent flaw in who we are. It states firmly and with hope, “It’s not humanity that is the issue, but the choices that humans make.“
Real Evidence That Change is Possible
Scientific hope is built on history, and this book explains how we have solved huge atmospheric problems before. It spends time looking at the 1990s fight against the hole in the ozone layer. This shows students that countries and businesses can actually change their ways and fix things. Looking back at this massive environmental win, we see that change is possible.
Beyond just stopping future pollution, the book talks about how we can adapt to our changing world right now. It teaches that bouncing back from storms, making emergency plans, and helping neighbors are powerful ways to fight back. The author comforts readers by declaring, “One of humanity’s greatest traits is its ability to build resilience.“
Healing the Planet Together
In the end, this excellent guide leaves young readers feeling smart, supported, and ready to help build a greener future. It takes a lonely, scary subject and turns it into a team mission just in time for spring reading. As you get ready to grab your copy on the April 7th release date, remember the book’s most comforting lesson: “It’s important to remember that none of us are alone in taking climate action.“
The search for a perfect gift often involves finding something unique, beautiful, and meaningful—an item that sparks curiosity and offers a new perspective. A remarkable candidate for such a gift has emerged: Maya Jewell Zeller’s breathtaking book The Wonder of Mushrooms: The Mysterious World of Fungi, featuring illustrations by Jenny DeFouw Geuder. This volume stands out as a rare find that will captivate a wide audience.
This is not a typical field guide. It’s a lyrical, artistic journey into a kingdom that is often overlooked. Maya’s poetic prose transforms complex science into a magical narrative, while Jenny’s stunning watercolor illustrations bring the vibrant and bizarre world of fungi to life. The book explores everything from the rainbow of colors found in mushrooms—like the crimson wax cap and cobalt crust—to the vast, hidden mycelial networks that form a secret “web beneath the forest floor.“ It’s a gift of knowledge, art, and pure wonder.
The book has earned high praise from authors and experts who have been enchanted by its pages. Kathryn Nuernberger, author of The Witch of Eye, celebrates how the book reveals the fungal world with “poetic and painterly beauty,“ offering a reading experience that is both magical and enlightening.
Lawrence Millman, author of the acclaimed Fungipedia, calls it a “delightful combination of fungal poetry and watercolor illustrations.“ He perfectly captures its universal appeal, noting it’s an ideal gift for anyone intrigued by mycology, “whether that person be a child, an adult, or an elder.“ It’s a book that bridges generations, inviting everyone into the enchanting allure of fungi.
This seamless fusion of art and science is a recurring theme among its admirers. Lesley Wheeler, author of Mycocosmic, praises the book for its brilliant “blend of art and science,“ highlighting how Maya’s poetic language and Jenny’s watercolors create an irresistible invitation to explore this topic.
Adding to this chorus of acclaim, Foreword Reviews offers a thoughtful endorsement from Rebecca Foster, noting: “When it comes to fungi, art and science often overlap,” Maya Jewell Zeller writes, and that is indeed true of her beautiful, beguiling book The Wonder of Mushrooms. The review highlights fungi’s curious nature—more closely related to animals than plants, with 150,000 species, fewer than 10% producing the mushrooms we recognize. It praises the book’s hybrid of poetry and prose, its gorgeous illustrations alternating between close-ups and forest scenes, and its whimsical metaphors, such as mushrooms resembling “a gnome in a hat” or stinkhorns seeming “sprung from a faraway planet.” The review also celebrates the book’s coverage of fungi’s grandeur and longevity, from the massive honey mushroom colony in Oregon to centuries-old fairy rings in France, as well as practical uses in food, dyes, pharmaceuticals, and environmental technologies. Ultimately, The Wonder of Mushrooms is described as “an informative, charming introduction to the kingdom of fungi.”
So, who is this gift for? It’s for the nature lover, the gardener, the artist, the scientist, and the poet. It’s for the hiker who always stops to marvel at a strange mushroom on the trail. It’s for the curious mind that delights in learning something new. It’s for that person who seems to have everything. The Wonder of Mushrooms is more than an object—it’s an experience.
This season, give a gift that truly keeps on giving. Give the gift of wonder.
Exciting New Nature Books from Stan Tekiela: Birds, Nature Smart, and Field Guides to Reptiles and Mammals!
Renowned naturalist and author Stan Tekiela is launching several new books—perfect for exploring the Midwest and beyond. Get the scoop on these upcoming releases, including the latest addition to the Kids’ Guide to Birds series, Nature Smart, Reptiles & Amphibians of the Midwest Field Guide, and two from the Mammals series.
Kids’ Guide to Birds Series: Now Featuring Virginia!
Stan’s popular Kids’ Guide to Birds series expands this season with the Kids’ Guide to Birds of Virginia, releasing in October 2025. This series is beloved for making bird-watching fun and accessible for young explorers and their families.
What’s New in the Virginia Edition:
86 of the most common and important Virginia birds
Organized by color for quick-and-easy identification
Full-color photographs and a full page of information for each species
Field marks, range maps, and Stan’s cool facts
Fun activities like building birdhouses and making bird food
With the addition of Virginia, even more families can enjoy bird-watching adventures and learn about their state’s feathered friends.
Introducing Nature Smart
Nature Smart: Midwest: Discovering the Natural World Around You will captivate readers with its immersive exploration of the Midwest’s prairies, wetlands, and woodlands. Stan’s engaging, science-based storytelling and practical advice make this book a must-have for families, educators, and anyone eager to become a more mindful naturalist.
Key Features:
Multisensory approach to nature exploration
Activities and tips for all ages
Focus on Midwest ecosystems and conservation
Inspires curiosity and environmental stewardship
Nature Smart: Midwest is the perfect starting point for anyone wanting to see nature through new eyes and become an active participant in environmental preservation.
Reptiles & Amphibians of the Midwest Field Guide
Releasing in June 2026, the Reptiles & Amphibians of the Midwest Field Guide is your essential companion for identifying turtles, snakes, lizards, frogs, toads, and other reptiles and amphibians across the Midwest.
Highlights:
Over 130 species found in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin
Organized by group and size for quick, accurate identification
Full-color photographs, including variations, bellies, and juveniles
Detailed range maps and croaking charts
Stan’s Notes with fascinating facts and natural history
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced fan of herpetology, this new series will help you confidently identify and appreciate the Midwest’s diverse reptile and amphibian life.
Who is Stan Tekiela? Stan Tekiela is a leading naturalist, wildlife photographer, and author of over 190 field guides and nature books, specializing in North American wildlife.
What makes Stan Tekiela’s field guides unique? Each guide features user-friendly organization, full-color photographs, detailed range maps, and practical tips for accurate identification—making them ideal for beginners and experts alike.
Are these guides suitable for families and children? Absolutely! Each series is designed for accessibility, with clear language, engaging photos, and practical tips for all ages.
Why Choose Stan Tekiela’s New Nature Books?
Expertise: Decades of experience as a naturalist and wildlife photographer
Region-Specific: Focused on the Midwest and Virginia, plus many more
Visual Learning: Stunning, accurate photography and easy-to-read maps
Family-Friendly: Activities, fun facts, and clear organization for all ages
Get Ready to Explore with Stan Tekiela
Don’t miss out! Whether you’re planning a family hike, a solo adventure, or a classroom project, Stan’s new guides will help you discover and identify the amazing wildlife of your region. Pre-order today, share this post with fellow nature lovers, and subscribe for more updates on the best new field guides and nature books!
As the air grows crisp and shadows lengthen, thoughts naturally turn to Halloween. It’s a time for carving pumpkins, watching horror movies, and telling spooky stories. But what if the most terrifying tales aren’t fictional? What if the scariest monsters are the ones lurking in America’s own backyards, documented in historical records and whispered about for generations?
This Halloween, it’s time to go beyond the slasher films and fictional ghouls by diving into the chillingly authentic world of American folklore. A compelling series of narrative nonfiction books offers a unique and deeply unsettling way to celebrate the spooky season. Titles like Monsters of the Pacific Northwest,Ghosts of the Wild West, and Ghostly Tales of Pennsylvania bring these legends to life.
More Than Just Myth: The Power of True Stories
What makes these books the ultimate in Halloween reading? They’re real. Each story is grounded in meticulously researched accounts, eyewitness interviews, and historical documents. The experience goes beyond simply reading about a monster; it allows readers to step into the encounter through the eyes of the person who lived it.
The terror of Jess, a deputy sheriff who comes face-to-face with a Sasquatch in the Cascade Mountains, is brought to life. The panic of a family in 1950s Kentucky as small, metallic-skinned beings terrorize their farmhouse feels immediate and real. These aren’t just campfire tales; they are documented events that blur the line between reality and the paranormal, making the fear all the more potent. From the dreaded Mothman of West Virginia to the elusive Caddy of the Pacific Coast, these stories tap into a primal fear of the unknown that is frighteningly close to home.
A Haunting for Every Hometown
One of the most compelling aspects of this series is its regional focus. With books dedicated to the misty forests of the Northwest, the sprawling plains of the Midwest, and the haunted hollows of the South, there’s a collection filled with legends from every corner of the country.
With titles including Monsters of the Midwest,Monsters of the South, and Ghosts of the Wild West, readers can explore the cryptids and ghosts that define local lore. Hearing about the Beast of Bray Road in Wisconsin or the chilling legend of the Bunny Man in Virginia transforms a familiar landscape into a place of mystery and dread. Reading about a haunting that happened just a few towns over is a uniquely terrifying experience that no Hollywood movie can replicate.
The Perfect Spooky Season Companion
As collections of short, narrative-driven accounts, these books are perfect for the Halloween season. A chilling tale of the Wendigo can be read aloud at a bonfire, the story of the Lake Worth Goatman can be shared at a Halloween party, or one can simply curl up under a blanket and journey through the haunted history of Eastern State Penitentiary.
This Halloween offers an opportunity to experience a different kind of fear—one rooted in the authentic, the documented, and the profoundly mysterious. These meticulously researched and masterfully told stories can become a new Halloween tradition. After all, the most enduring monsters are the ones that might actually be real.
To some, mushrooms are an afterthought. They’re the humble topping on a pizza, a simple side sautéed in butter, or a background player in a sauce. But these fascinating fungi hold the key to a hidden culinary universe, one packed with savory richness, incredible health benefits, and gourmet potential.
Mushrooms: 50 Tried & True Recipes by Julia Rutland is not just another cookbook—it’s an essential guide that elevates this often-overlooked ingredient to the star of the show. This book champions mushrooms, and it’s an absolute must-have for every modern kitchen.
Your Expert Guide into the World of Fungi
In the world of food, there are few more qualified than Julia Rutland. With more than 25 years of experience in the food and publishing industries, Julia is a seasoned professional whose expertise has been honed in the test kitchens of Southern Living and as a senior food editor for Coastal Living. As a professional food stylist and the author of more than a dozen cookbooks, Julia possesses a deep, practical knowledge of cooking principles and a passion for creating recipes that are both beautiful and foolproof for the home cook. Her membership in Les Dames d’Escoffier, a prestigious organization of women leaders in food, further cements her status as an authority in her field. Julia’s recipes are meticulously tested, thoughtfully crafted, and destined for success.
More Than Recipes: A Mushroom Education
What sets Mushrooms apart is its holistic approach. Julia understands that great cooking starts with great understanding. The book opens with a fascinating journey into the very nature of mushrooms, revealing that these organisms are biologically more closely related to animals than to plants. The book contains:
Mushroom Varieties: Go beyond the familiar button, cremini, and portobello. Julia demystifies exotic and wild varieties like lion’s mane, chanterelles, maitake, and king oyster, detailing their unique flavor profiles and best uses.
Practical Kitchen Tips: Learn professional secrets to selecting the freshest mushrooms at the market, the best methods for storage to prolong their life (hint: it’s not a plastic bag), and how to clean them properly without making them soggy.
Mushroom Nutrition: Discover why mushrooms are considered a superfood. They are low in calories but packed with essential nutrients like potassium, selenium, and vitamin D. Julia highlights the incredible health benefits, including their potential to boost immunity, support brain health, and lower the risk of chronic diseases.
A Feast of 50 Meticulously Tested Recipes
At its heart, Mushrooms is a celebration of flavor, and the 50 recipes within are a testament to the ingredient’s incredible versatility. This cookbook is for everyone from a devoted carnivore, a seasoned vegetarian, or someone simply looking for healthy recipes.
Comfort Food Classics: Indulge in hearty, soul-warming dishes like Mushroom Bourguignon, a rich Creamy Mushroom Casserole, or a classic Beef-and-Mushroom Stroganoff.
Innovative Plant-Based Meals: Prepare to be amazed by plant-based alternatives that will fool even the most dedicated meat-eaters. Recipes like Lion’s Mane Mushroom “Crab“ Cakes; Portobello “Bacon,” Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwiches; and King Oyster “Scallops” showcase Julia’s culinary genius.
Elegant Appetizers and Mains: Impress your guests with sophisticated dishes like Roasted Mushroom Crostini with Herbed Ricotta, Chicken-Mushroom Tetrazzini, or a show-stopping Mushroom-and-Spinach Lasagna.
From savory soups and stews to gourmet vegetarian entrées and one-pan chicken dinners, this collection unlocks deep, umami-rich flavors in every meal.
Why Mushrooms Belongs on Your Shelf
Julia Rutland’s Mushrooms is more than a cookbook; it’s a comprehensive resource that will fundamentally change the way people cook. It contains the knowledge of a botanist, the techniques of a professional chef, and the inspiration of a true food lover. It’s a guide to making meals more delicious, more nutritious, and infinitely more interesting.
Ruby-throated hummingbird male, taken in central Minnesota
Bird migration is still one of nature’s most interesting-yet-mysterious events. On the surface, migration seems rather simple and straightforward, but if you stop and take a detailed look, you will see it offers every shade of complexity possible.
There are over 11,000 species of birds, and about 40% partake in some form of migration. Migrations range from simple elevational changes for species that live in the mountains, to short-distance movements to avoid unfavorable weather, to long-distance trips to warm climates to escape winter, to the granddaddy of them all—migration from one end of the Earth to the other. Right away, you can see there is more to migration than perhaps you thought.
In the 1800s, we didn’t understand much about migration. We thought it was impossible for a tiny bird to navigate over great distances and endure huge physical demands, so we said it was impossible and we came up with our own ideas to explain the unexplainable. It was thought that hummingbirds had to migrate on the backs of geese, in order for them to escape winter. We also said that some birds dove down to the bottom of ponds and overwintered in the mud. These kinds of theories now seem preposterous and outlandish. Yet at the time, they were accepted as fact.
In the 1900s, we started to develop new ways to study birds. Some of the earliest attempts to track migration involved catching a bird and tying a brightly colored ribbon on its wing, in hopes of being able to find the bird again during winter. This wasn’t very efficient, and one had to have an idea of where the bird stayed for the winter already to make this work.
When transistors were invented in the 1940s, the breakthrough made small electronics possible. By the end of the 1900s, small devices were used to track the migration of free-flying birds. This was the beginning of our better understanding of bird migration, but it was just the tip of the migration iceberg.
In just the past few decades, so much new—and almost unbelievable—information about bird migration has completely turned our understanding of migration upside down. Today, there are many ways to track migrating birds. One of these migration tracking tools is a website called Bird Cast from Cornell Lab. It can be found at www.birdcast.org. All you need to do is put in your county and state; then, each day during the migration season, you can see how many birds passed over your county on the previous night.
There is a ton of information available to anyone who is curious about what is going on with migration. In addition to the tally of birds migrating through your county, there is also information about what time they migrated, the timing of each nightly flight, along with flight direction and altitude. The site also has a list of the expected species that should be migrating.
For example, as I write this, 97,400 birds passed over my county last night, and at one given moment last night, 36,400 birds were in flight, traveling SSW at 14 mph, at an altitude of 600 feet, all at one time. In order to gather all this data, Bird Cast uses data from the national network of weather surveillance radars (NEXRAD). Sophisticated algorithms and machine-learning models are applied to the radar data to separate weather, such as precipitation, from biological signals (the birds). It then analyzes the strength of the radar signals to estimate the number of birds that are flying. Just like with weather, the data is used to give migration forecasts to predict nocturnal bird migration for the next few nights.
We sure have come a long way in our understanding of bird migration, unlocking some of the most mysterious natural events of nature. However, no doubt, there is so much more we don’t understand about bird migration, and we will surely learn more in the years to come. Until next time…
Stan Tekiela is an author / naturalist and wildlife photographer who travels extensively to study and capture images of wildlife. He can be followed on www.instagram.com and www.facebook.com. He can be contacted via his website www.naturesmart.com.
