Living in a world where warmer days, rising tides, and climate disasters are frequent headlines, Earth Day is more important and relevant than ever before. Below, eight new titles that shine a spotlight on the beauty and struggles of our home planet—and how we as a collective can better take care of it for centuries to come.
A Wing and a Prayer: The Race to Save Our Vanishing Birds
By Anders Gyllenhaal and Beverly Gyllenhaal
Inspired by breaking news in 2019 that nearly 3 billion birds in North America have vanished since the 1970s, husband-and-wife journalists Anders and Beverly Gyllenhaal set out on a year-long 25,000-mile journey across the Americas to investigate the initiatives and politics around saving bird species on the brink of extinction. Rather than just reporting on loss, A Wing and a Prayer is a call to action, documenting the efforts of birders and wildlife officers alike from Hawaii to Central Florida, the latter of which is where scientists discovered how to hatch the Florida grasshopper sparrows (currently down to its last 24 birds) in captivity, giving the dying species a chance to repopulate.
April 18, 2023
Capturing Nature: 150 Years of Nature Printing
By Matthew Zucker and Pia Östlund
Before there was photography, nature printing captivated creatives. The process of using impressions from the surface of natural objects such as leaves, flowers, and even snakeskins, to produce an image attracted author Matthew Zucker, who’s spent decades collecting and curating his extensive library. Now, Zucker presents this very collection as Capturing Nature, a combination of 13,000 striking images spanning 120 seminal works from journals and manuscripts from 1733 to 1902.
April 25, 2023
Fen, Bog and Swamp: A Short History of Peatland Destruction and Its Role in the Climate Crisis
By Annie Proulx
The second work of nonfiction by acclaimed writer Annie Proulx takes us into the world of fens, bogs, and swamps. Proulx examines the crucial role of the wetlands in preserving the environment through their ability to store carbon emissions, while taking readers on a historical journey, starting with 16th-century English fens to modern times where these lands are being destroyed for profit. From Russia’s Great Vasyugan Mire to Canada’s Hudson Bay Lowlands, Proulx reminds us just how important wetlands are in the fight against climate change.
June 27, 2023
Unseen Beings: How We Forgot the World Is More Than Human
By Erik Jampa Andersson
Reaching beyond science, Erik Jampa Andersson considers new ways of thinking about climate change through philosophy and religion. Believing that data and documentaries have clearly not inspired humanity to make an impactful change, he offers a unique and new viewpoint to help readers rethink not just nature but the nature of our existence on Earth. Andersson discusses how and why we constructed a human-centric worldview, examines nonhuman intelligence, how religious traditions treat ecology, and the connections between human and environmental health. This title will spark conversation, encouraging each one of us to think deeper.
May 30, 2023
Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden
By Camille T. Dungy
The likening of Camille T. Dungy’s journey to diversify her garden to her position as a Black family living in a predominantly white community in Colorado is at the heart of this story—a powerful fusion of nature writing and environmental justice. The metaphorical messaging is a way to explore the key theme that is the threat of homogeneity. Dungy focuses on the necessity of cultivating diversity for the future of our planet, not just for species, but for intersectional language and cultures as well.
May 2, 2023
Alexis Rockman: Oceanus
By Robert Ballard, Christina Brophy, James T. Carlton, Helen M. Rozwadowski, and Nari Ward
Artist Alexis Rockman’s panoramic painting Oceanus—a 8x24-foot watercolor study of marine life—serves as the throughline and the anchor for this rich 160-page volume. Equally ethereal and sublime, Rockman’s works (in addition to Oceanus, 10 large watercolors as well as photographs documenting his artistic process are interspersed through the pages) are accompanied by essays from leading scholars about oceanic and maritime history.
April 18, 2023
Garden Style: A Book of Ideas
By Heidi Howcroft and Marianne Majerus
Whether an experienced or amateur gardener, inspiration abounds in this biophilic catalog. There are more than 600 images from award-winning garden photographer Marianne Majerus, accompanied by thoughtful text from landscape architect Heidi Howcroft. There is no topic left uncovered as Howcroft explains design tools, planting styles, how to adapt to location and climates, water elements, edible plants, and indoor variations.
April 25, 2023
Life on the Rocks: Building a Future for Coral Reefs
By Juli Berwald
For city dwellers, the significance of our deteriorating coral reef systems can often be too easily overlooked. In Life on the Rocks, Juli Berwald (PhD in ocean science and science writer for The New York Times and Nature) showcases why they should matter to us all. Berwald shares how coral reefs are a microcosm of our planet—home to numerous ecosystems and protective barriers for our coasts. Part documentary, part autobiography, Berwald interweaves stories and research from global scientists and activists who are fighting to save coral reefs with her personal battle at home, as she helps her daughter struggling with mental illness.
April 4, 2023
A Wing and a Prayer: The Race to Save Our Vanishing Birds
By Anders Gyllenhaal and Beverly Gyllenhaal
Inspired by breaking news in 2019 that nearly 3 billion birds in North America have vanished since the 1970s, husband-and-wife journalists Anders and Beverly Gyllenhaal set out on a year-long 25,000-mile journey across the Americas to investigate the initiatives and politics around saving bird species on the brink of extinction. Rather than just reporting on loss, A Wing and a Prayer is a call to action, documenting the efforts of birders and wildlife officers alike from Hawaii to Central Florida, the latter of which is where scientists discovered how to hatch the Florida grasshopper sparrows (currently down to its last 24 birds) in captivity, giving the dying species a chance to repopulate.
April 18, 2023
Capturing Nature: 150 Years of Nature Printing
By Matthew Zucker and Pia Östlund
Before there was photography, nature printing captivated creatives. The process of using impressions from the surface of natural objects such as leaves, flowers, and even snakeskins, to produce an image attracted author Matthew Zucker, who’s spent decades collecting and curating his extensive library. Now, Zucker presents this very collection as Capturing Nature, a combination of 13,000 striking images spanning 120 seminal works from journals and manuscripts from 1733 to 1902.
April 25, 2023
Fen, Bog and Swamp: A Short History of Peatland Destruction and Its Role in the Climate Crisis
By Annie Proulx
The second work of nonfiction by acclaimed writer Annie Proulx takes us into the world of fens, bogs, and swamps. Proulx examines the crucial role of the wetlands in preserving the environment through their ability to store carbon emissions, while taking readers on a historical journey, starting with 16th-century English fens to modern times where these lands are being destroyed for profit. From Russia’s Great Vasyugan Mire to Canada’s Hudson Bay Lowlands, Proulx reminds us just how important wetlands are in the fight against climate change.
June 27, 2023
Unseen Beings: How We Forgot the World Is More Than Human
By Erik Jampa Andersson
Reaching beyond science, Erik Jampa Andersson considers new ways of thinking about climate change through philosophy and religion. Believing that data and documentaries have clearly not inspired humanity to make an impactful change, he offers a unique and new viewpoint to help readers rethink not just nature but the nature of our existence on Earth. Andersson discusses how and why we constructed a human-centric worldview, examines nonhuman intelligence, how religious traditions treat ecology, and the connections between human and environmental health. This title will spark conversation, encouraging each one of us to think deeper.
May 30, 2023
Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden
By Camille T. Dungy
The likening of Camille T. Dungy’s journey to diversify her garden to her position as a Black family living in a predominantly white community in Colorado is at the heart of this story—a powerful fusion of nature writing and environmental justice. The metaphorical messaging is a way to explore the key theme that is the threat of homogeneity. Dungy focuses on the necessity of cultivating diversity for the future of our planet, not just for species, but for intersectional language and cultures as well.
May 2, 2023
Alexis Rockman: Oceanus
By Robert Ballard, Christina Brophy, James T. Carlton, Helen M. Rozwadowski, and Nari Ward
Artist Alexis Rockman’s panoramic painting Oceanus—a 8x24-foot watercolor study of marine life—serves as the throughline and the anchor for this rich 160-page volume. Equally ethereal and sublime, Rockman’s works (in addition to Oceanus, 10 large watercolors as well as photographs documenting his artistic process are interspersed through the pages) are accompanied by essays from leading scholars about oceanic and maritime history.
April 18, 2023
Garden Style: A Book of Ideas
By Heidi Howcroft and Marianne Majerus
Whether an experienced or amateur gardener, inspiration abounds in this biophilic catalog. There are more than 600 images from award-winning garden photographer Marianne Majerus, accompanied by thoughtful text from landscape architect Heidi Howcroft. There is no topic left uncovered as Howcroft explains design tools, planting styles, how to adapt to location and climates, water elements, edible plants, and indoor variations.
April 25, 2023
Life on the Rocks: Building a Future for Coral Reefs
By Juli Berwald
For city dwellers, the significance of our deteriorating coral reef systems can often be too easily overlooked. In Life on the Rocks, Juli Berwald (PhD in ocean science and science writer for The New York Times and Nature) showcases why they should matter to us all. Berwald shares how coral reefs are a microcosm of our planet—home to numerous ecosystems and protective barriers for our coasts. Part documentary, part autobiography, Berwald interweaves stories and research from global scientists and activists who are fighting to save coral reefs with her personal battle at home, as she helps her daughter struggling with mental illness.
April 4, 2023
- BOOK COVER IMAGES COURTESY OF THE PUBLISHER
