Nature Writing

Why would a middle-aged businessman who had never even spent the night outdoors, attempt to hike the entire Appalachian Trail? Bill Walker, a former commodities trader in Chicago and London, and an avid walker, had developed a virtual obsession to hike this historic 2,175 mile footpath in one hiking season. In the spring of 2005 he set off from his home state of Georgia, hoping to make it to Mount Katahdin in northern Maine before the arrival of winter.

This time our intrepid explorer hikes the breathtaking 186 miles of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. A stunning and dramatic landscape of soaring rocky clifftops and sprawling white sands. Join him as he encounters a plethora of amazing wildlife from peregrine falcons to razorbills, from seals to wild ponies. Not to mention the dashed impressive bracing vistas and stormy seas, of course.

A lifelong traveler, riding on a train from Long Beach to New Orleans, Louisiana, at age one—in the middle of World War II, to a 520-mile pilgrimage trek on the Camino de Santiago in his mid-70s—the author describes many ways he has grown internally as a result of his travels and bonding with nature.

John Scott hiked the 2,160-mile Appalachian Trail to celebrate his life. As a teenage boy in 1970s Scotland, he was fascinated by US politics and culture. John explores this fascination as he hikes through 14 states, from Georgia to Maine. Over miles and months, he realises it is the land and people which now captivate him. To the Woods is a walk through a man's life.

Journey back to a time to the Muskoka of small family cottages through the stories of what it was like to spend your vacations at a family cottage on Mary Lake near Huntsville and other places in the Muskoka.

Kathrin Heckmann ist "Fräulein Draußen", Deutschlands bekannteste wandernde Bloggerin. Ihre Leidenschaft fürs Draußensein wurde eines Tages so groß, dass sie ihren Job als Marketing-Managerin aufgab und beschloss, das Wandern und Reisen zu ihrem Beruf und Alltag zu machen. Dabei müssen es aber nicht die höchsten Gipfel oder die weitesten Wege sein. Unterwegs sein, frei sein, glücklich sein ist das, was ihr wirklich wichtig ist. Und das sucht und findet "Fräulein Draußen" auf einer 1.000 km langen Fernwanderung in Australien genauso wie auf einem Kurztrip nach Brandenburg.

I can move only with the aid of barrels of anti-inflammatory gel, sticking plasters, and real ale anesthetic. Martin and I descend from hours of walking to the small town of Middleton-in-Teesdale. I walk, stiff-legged, into the campsite office, and a plump, middle-aged woman looks up from her desk and can see the old timer is in trouble.

Take a walk in the park. Or explore a forest, gorge, campground, even a historic site. Spend a week or a weekend. Go biking, hiking, fishing, boating, hunting or cross-country skiing. Or just relax and enjoy the most beautiful scenery in the West! This is a guide to the state and the national parks throughout California, the wildlife refuges, nature and bike trails, historic sites, facilities and activities at each site, and contact information. Nearly 100 state parks are described, six national parks, plus 28 other points of interest.

Five generations of Marnie O. Mamminga's family have been rejuvenated by times together in Wisconsin's Northwoods. In a series of evocative remembrances, Mamminga takes us to Wake Robin, the cabin her grandparents built in 1929 on Big Spider Lake near Hayward, on land adjacent to Moody's Camp. Along the way, she preserves the spirit and cultural heritage of a vanishing era, conveying the heart of a place and the community that once gathered there.

Discover Pacific Grove in a delightful new way—on foot! In these minutes, we'll explore walks, hikes, and rambles taking you along the shoreline bluffs overlooking Monterey Bay and the Pacific Ocean and into our wild and woodsy urban forests. Not just another trail guide, Pacific Grove at Your Feet is teeming with local legend and lore presented in a breezy, friendly style. Ride the Ghost Rails, stroll with Steinbeck, meet the Mambo whales, and feel the damp sand between your toes on a special low-tide walk.

Tales of Tahitian Waters describes Grey's fishing expeditions to the Tahitian Islands during 1928, 1929, and 1930, in which he claims to be the first big-game fisherman to fish these waters. He came to the area after having passed nearby on other fishing trips. Hearing accounts of there being marlin that were 30 feet long and sharks that measured 50 feet in length, he became determined to pursue these fish and add to his many fishing records. It was here where he describes catching a marlin weighing 1,040 pounds. The catch was recorded as the first 1,000-pound fish ever caught.

Cathy has captured the drama of her Everest climbs, her passion for the challenge of climbing mountains, and her love for wild places in this story of her four attempts on the mountain. Cathy tries to answer the question of why, if climbing Everest can be so dangerous, people still want to do it.

Fuelled by a degree of mid-life crisis and the need to escape, albeit temporarily, the dull routine of modern life, David and Rob set out to walk from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, taking in French villages, beautiful scenery, and one of the most spectacular mountain ranges in Europe. Just about perfect – if you can put aside the inevitable conflict, drama, and unexpected tedium that results from two men spending over seven solid weeks in each other’s company!

Whether he's chasing sailfish in Panama or hunting dove and quail deep in Mexico, Gordon England pursues outdoor sports with a passion for the biggest and best. In this collection he catches huge dolphin in the Exumas, races motocross through woods both on and off the trails, hunts ducks in brutal Texas snow and ice, hooks hopelessly large blue marlin in Nassau, and gets lost at sea in a monstrous Gulf of Mexico storm.

As one of the world’s leading field biologists, George Schaller has spent much of his life traversing wild and isolated places in his quest to understand and conserve threatened species - from mountain gorillas in the Virunga to pandas in the Wolong and snow leopards in the Himalaya. Throughout his celebrated career, Schaller has spent more time in Tibet than in any other part of the world, devoting more than thirty years to the wildlife, culture, and landscapes that captured his heart and continue to compel him.

In 2008, Lynn Barber's passion for birding led her to drive, fly, sail, walk, stalk, and sit in search of birds in 25 states and three provinces. Traveling more than 175,000 miles, she set a 21st century record at the time, second to only one other person in history. Over 272 days, Barber observed 723 species of birds in North America north of Mexico.

A journey from source to sea. Blending fact and fiction, history and hearsay. An ode to the River Exe. From deepest Exmoor to the sea at Exmouth, the Exe courses through vibrant bustling cityscapes and remote moorland wilderness alike, shaping lives and landscapes as it does so. The river has a million tales to tell. These are a few of them.

Weil weniger so viel mehr bedeuten kann: Minimalistisch leben im Wohnmobil. Mein Haus, mein Auto, mein Boot - wer hat, der kann, und wer nichts hat, zieht in den Caravan? Das mag früher so gewesen sein, und noch immer ist das Leben in einem Wohnwagen eher ungewöhnlich und verhältnismäßig günstig. Doch die Idee von Marion Hahnfeldt ist eine andere. Nämlich herauszufinden, was man im Leben wirklich braucht. Kommt man noch klar ohne den üblichen Komfort? Reichen sieben Quadratmeter, wenn es früher mal 95 waren?

Sir Peter Scott had a truly incredible life. He was the only son of legendary explorer Captain Scott. His godfather was J. M. Barrie, and he was married to Elizabeth Jane Howard. He also represented Great Britain and Northern Ireland at sailing in the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, winning a bronze medal. He founded the Wildfoul and Wetlands Trust and also helped to found the Worldwide Fund for Nature. This is a beautiful and timely re-discovered book, perfect for those who are interested in preserving our planet.

The cycle of day and night and the cycle of seasons are two familiar natural cycles around which many human activities are organized. But is there a third natural cycle of importance for us humans? Nature's Third Cycle discusses the fascinating science behind the sunspot cycle, and gives an insider's perspective of this cutting-edge scientific research from one of the leaders of the field.