Winter Reading & Watching List

 

There's nothing better than curling up in front of the fire with a cup of coffee and a good book (or a bowl of popcorn and a great movie). These titles, recommended by our very own Janet Allen, are sure to help these cold winter nights fly by. Happy reading - and viewing!

Noah’s Garden: Restoring the ecology of our own back yards by Sara Stein
Stein describes her experience creating a “beautiful” landscape only to discover that the creatures she had enjoyed had gradually disappeared. She and her husband set about “un-gardening” to recreate the native ecosystems that support life.

Bringing Nature Home: How you can sustain wildlife with native plants by Doug Tallamy
Based on his research at the Univ. of Delaware, Tallamy explains why native plants are so important for preserving biodiversity and — equally important — why it’s essential that our own home and institutional landscapes play a role.

The Living Landscape: Designing for beauty and biodiversity in the home garden by Rick Darke and Douglas Tallamy
Tallamy teamed with a prominent landscape architect to offer a view of what constitutes a living landscape that is also a beautiful landscape. Indeed, this book addresses the very idea of a beauty different from that of our current lawn-dominated landscapes.

Dirt! The Movie at dirtthemovie.org You read that right: a movie about dirt! More accurately, it’s about soil, but the title reflects the friendly tone of the movie. It’s an enjoyable tour of the main issues regarding this essential, though generally unappreciated, ingredient for life on earth. It can be purchased or rented online.

Symphony of the Soil at symphonyofthesoil.com As the New York Times said, “Unfolding with gentle joy and an unexpected beauty, this ode to the miracle of the Earth’s topmost layer gives us a newfound respect for the ground beneath our feet.” This documentary was chosen by the UN to celebrate its International Year of Soils and can be purchased or rented.

The Cornell Lab Bird Academy at academy.allaboutbirds.org Courses, interactive features, videos, and articles, much of which is free. Topics include Bird ID, Conservation, Feathers, Songs + Calls, and Evolution. You can learn everything from birding basics to college level ornithology.

Doug Tallamy's Plant Natives presentation at tinyurl.com/Tallamy-presentation Not ready to read one of Tallamy’s books? This one-hour presentation includes his main ideas and might inspire you, just as his presentations have inspired thousands of others!