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"Prize-winning poet and naturalist Charles Hood shares his passion for the Golden State with a series of roadside adventures centered on essential habitats, from the redwoods to the desert. Focusing on the accessible and the everyday, this book provides an overview of the plants, birds, snakes, bugs, rocks, and trees that make California such a unique collection of habitats. Lively style and an ability to provide clear historical context help make this entertaining yet educational. As readers increase their "landscape literacy," even a regular commute to work can become a chance to enjoy the surprise and mystery of the natural world"--
About the author
Charles Hood is a poet and naturalist. The author of over twenty books, he has been a factory worker, a ski instructor, a dishwasher, and a nature guide in Africa. Nature study has taken him across all fifty of the US states and to eighty countries, from New Guinea to Borneo to the South Pole. Along the way he has been lost in a whiteout in the Himalayas, contracted (and survived) bubonic plague, and published more than seven hundred photographs. His titles with Timber Press include
Wild LA, a field guide to reptiles and amphibians, and a guide to the best roadside hikes in California. Jane Goodall wrote the foreword to his book
Wild Sonoma, and his essay collection,
A Salad Only the Devil Would Eat, was named the Nonfiction Book of the Year by the editors of Foreword book review. He lives in the Mojave Desert with two kayaks, two mountain bikes, two dogs, and five thousand books.
Summary
Explore some of California’s most exquisite landscapes with this accessible hiking guidebook featuring descriptions of the flora, fauna, and ecology hikers will discover along the trail.
See the oldest trees in the world—and the tallest. Meet earthquake-loving fish, lively island foxes, and endemic birds. Visit the saltwater homes to sea otters and a desert basin where the water is even saltier.
In California’s Best Nature Walks, Charles Hood reveals the golden state’s unique ecosystems, guiding you through 32 spectacular natural areas, with advice on deciphering the terrain. All are within easy walking distance of the road. This is an essential companion for road-trippers, outdoor enthusiasts, and day hikers—no cleated boots or trekking poles necessary.
Locations include the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, McConnell Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, Olmsted Point at Yosemite National Park, Fossil Falls, Camp Roberts Rest Area along Highway 101, Scorpion Anchorage at Channel Islands National Park, Vasquez Rocks Natural Area, and more!
Foreword
Charles Hood shares simple hikes that explore some of California's most exquisite landscapes, with descriptions of the flora, fauna, and ecology hikers will discover along the trail.
