The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada John Muir said that “when we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe”- My first summer in the Sierra. Even if we first go out to look at birds, we find a whole community of plants, insects, mushrooms and other organisms all interacting with each other. The Sierra Nevada hosts a rich diversity of species. This field guide allows everyone to more deeply appreciate and enjoy this treasure. As the population of California grows, it will only become more important that people understand, respect, and love this biodiversity. I have created an easy to use, fully illustrated (2,710 original watercolor paintings), pocket size guide to over 1,700 species found in the Sierra Nevada. The guide was rigorously field tested and reviewed by educators, naturalists, and scientists throughout the country. The final book is co-published by Heyday Books, a wonderful non-profit press in Berkeley, and the California Academy of Sciences.
Read published reviews. Read discussions in blogs: Sierra Club, Boingboing, Chris Blanc’s Blog, Chris Coldewey Online, Jakedog, Left of the Altar, Futuratronics, Art Predator, See the September 29th, 2007 interview on KRON TV. See slideshow of presentation to CNPS in Monterey Please contact me order your signed copies of the guide. View Sample Pages.
Sierra Birds: A hiker’s guide The draft of the bird section of the guide was so enthusiastically received (the reviewers did not want to part with their drafts) that we published it separately as a stand alone book. It is remarkably easy to use and is now carried by everyone from environmental educators to back country rangers. The first thing that most people notice about birds is color and size rather than subtle field marks. This inspired me to create a unique organizing system that assumes no prior birding knowledge on the part of the reader. Color-coded keys eliminate the time-consuming frustration of thumbing randomly through a guide, and a cross-index is also included for more advanced birders. All this in a format that is simply organized, lightweight, and small enough to tuck inside a pocket.
Please contact me order your signed copies of the guide.
The Laws Pocket Guide Set: San Francisco Bay Area The abundance of the Bay Area’s natural life at your fingertips: This set of habitat guides makes plant and animal identification fun and easy. The box set contains four user-friendly foldout guides and is small enough to tote along in a pocket, yet durable enough to weather abuse at the bottom of any backpack. The waterproof and tearproof foldout guides in the set display the plant and animal species commonly found in these four San Francisco Bay Area habitats: At the beach and on the bay, Near creeks, rivers, and ponds, On grassy hills and in fields, Among the oaks and pines.
Artfully rendered and designed for convenient use outdoors, whether on a windy day at the beach or a rainy hike in a redwood forest, The Laws Pocket Guides are the perfect companion for any hike, any age group, and any outdoor adventure in the Bay Area. Please contact me order your signed copies of the guide set.