Oh, the garden—who doesn’t love the riot of colours with vibrant red roses, delicate pink peonies, lush green ferns and the smell of new herbs? Caring for the natural world can be therapeutic, providing a sense of calm and purpose or even an opportunity for change and renewal. Whether you’re curious about plant biology and the environment, or if you just enjoy learning about new species and expanding your plant knowledge, we have book picks for every type of green thumb!
The Coastal Forager’s Cookbook by Robin Kort (TouchWood Editions)
The Coastal Forager’s Cookbook by Robin Kort features 40 recipes showcasing foraged ingredients from the Pacific Northwest. Kort, a chef and seasoned West Coast forager with Swallow Tail Supper Club, combines simplicity and innovation in her cooking. Her recipes span wild mushrooms, seaweed, fish, molluscs, flowers, and evergreen tips, organized by season. Influenced by Japanese, Italian, and Spanish cuisines, the book presents dishes like evergreen ice cream, halibut with fermented birch, and wild green cannelloni. Throughout, Kort shares childhood memories, travel anecdotes, plant identification tips, and sustainable foraging practices. Illustrated with sketches and vibrant photography, this cookbook is a stunning addition to any kitchen, celebrating the rich edible bounty of the Pacific Northwest.
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Wildlife Weekends in Southern British Columbia: Day and Multi-day Trips from Vancouver for Wildlife Viewing by Roy Jantzen (Rocky Mountain Books)
Wildlife Weekends is a guidebook to southern British Columbia’s diverse wildlife, featuring 20 species-focused chapters. It directs readers to viewing sites within a six-hour drive from Vancouver, complete with trails and amenities. Each chapter explores local ecosystems, blending natural history, Indigenous knowledge, scientific research, and wildlife expert stories. Emphasizing ethical viewing and climate change impacts, the book highlights species like killer whales, Vancouver Island marmots, and Canada darner dragonflies. Whether observing hummingbirds in Princeton or bald eagles near Harrison, Wildlife Weekends aims to inspire appreciation, conservation, and rewilding efforts throughout the region.
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The Prairie Gardener’s Go-To for Herbs by Janet Melrose, Sheryl Normandeau (TouchWood Editions)
In the ninth book of the Guides for Prairie Gardeners series, seasoned gardeners Sheryl Normandeau and Janet Melrose address all aspects of growing and enjoying herbs. From containers to raised beds, they offer advice on selecting healthy plants, nurturing seedlings, soil care, watering techniques, managing aggressive varieties like mint, pest control, and overwintering tips. They also share methods for storing and using herbs, including drying, freezing, and creating infused oils, vinegars, and butters. The final chapter highlights herbs for various purposes, such as insect repellents, butterfly and hummingbird attractors, edible flowers, and herbal teas. If you’ve ever stood in the produce section of the grocery store trying to pick out the least wilty of those little plastic containers of herbs, you’ll understand the appeal of growing your own.
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Taking Care of Where We Live by Merrie-Ellen Wilcox, illustrated by Amanda Key (Orca Book Publishers)
Humans have significantly altered our environment over centuries through deforestation, damming rivers, urbanization, and pollution of air, water, and soil. In Taking Care of Where We Live, readers explore global restoration projects, such as Pakistan’s Ten Billion Tree Tsunami and Colombia’s Green Corridors. They also discover practical steps to support local ecosystems, like learning about local land and history, planting native species, and controlling invasive ones. By combining our efforts, we can heal some of the planet’s ecological wounds and promote healthier ecosystems for the future.
Available September 17, 2024
Hazard, Home by Christine Lowther (Caitlin Press)
Hazard, Home is a tribute to both wonder and grief for Earth’s inhabitants and systems. With admiration for the land holders (trees) and inhabitants of the rainforest, wetlands and oceans of her home, former Tofino Poet Laureate Christine Lowther delves into the pressing issues of urbanization, climate change, and loss of biodiversity while expressing her deep concern for those feathered, furred, webbed, and rooted. Hazard, Home is set apart from traditional nature poetry by its decolonial lens which pays tribute to stolen lands as well as displaced people and cultures. Through her evocative writing, Lowther inspires us to celebrate the beauty of nature while recognizing the urgent need for change.
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Get Outside! by Leah Payne (Orca Book Publishers)
We know spending time in nature is good for us, but why? Get Outside! How Humans Connect with Nature explores the important relationship between people and nature. It asks big questions such as: are humans part of nature or separate from it? and do all people have equal access to nature? By discussing global issues such as the climate crisis and environmental racism, the book shows us that, by strengthening our relationship with the natural world, we can learn how to take care of the environment and to let the environment take care of us too.
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lettuce lettuce please go bad by Tiziana La Melia (Talonbooks)
lettuce lettuce please go bad is a transformative work that blends composting with poetry, urging change and renewal. Drawing from compost’s role in enriching soil and life, the book explores divination, herbal healing, lunar cycles, and personal experiences of stress and grief. It weaves together ancestral farming practices with contemporary reflections on migration, labour, colonization, and food systems. Through a poetic exploration of vegetables, fruits, and food as metaphors for complex emotions and situations, La Melia challenges notions of value and advocates for a return to love to address personal and collective challenges.
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