The Field Guide to Wildlife Habitats of the Eastern United States

by Janine M. Benyus

A noted outdoors expert and an acclaimed illustrator have banded together to create a stunning picture of the wildlife in the eastern half of the United States. Complete with observation tips.

Genres: Nature, Field Guides, Nonfiction, Reference

336 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 1989

About the author

Janine M. Benyus is an American natural sciences writer, innovation consultant, and author.

Benyus graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers University with degrees in natural resource management and english literature/writing. Benyus teaches interpretive writing, lectures at the University of Montana, and works towards restoring and protecting wild lands. She serves on a number of land use committees in her rural county, and is president of Living Education, a nonprofit dedicated to place-based living and learning.


Biomimicry

Benyus has authored six books on biomimicry, including Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. In this book she develops the basic thesis that human beings should consciously emulate nature's genius in their designs.
In 1998, Benyus co-founded the Biomimicry Guild, the Innovation Consultancy, which helps innovators learn from and emulate natural models in order to design sustainable products, processes, and policies that create conditions conducive to life. She is also President of the The Biomimicry Institute, a non-profit organization whose mission is to naturalize biomimicry in the culture by promoting the transfer of ideas, designs, and strategies from biology to sustainable human systems design.



Authored works

Biomimicry : Innovation Inspired by Nature by Janine M. Benyus, Sept. 1, 1997, (ISBN 0-06-053322-6)
Beastly Behaviors: A Zoo Lover's Companion by Janine M. Benyus and Juan Carlos Barbery (1990-now WL VA) (Oct 1993) (ISBN 0-201-62482-6)
Northwoods Wildlife: A Watcher's Guide to Habitats by Janine M. Benyus (Jul 1989) (ISBN 1-55971-003-9)
The Secret Language & Remarkable Behavior of Animals by Janine M. Benyus and Juan Carlos Barberis (Jan 10, 1998) (ISBN 1-57912-036-9)
The Field Guide to Wildlife Habitats of the Eastern United States by Janine M. Benyus (Jun 15, 1989) (ISBN 0-671-65908-1)
Wildlife in the upper Great Lakes Region a Community Profile (SuDoc A 13.78:NC-301) by Janine M. Benyus (1992)
Christmas Tree Pest Manual by Janine M Benyus (Jan 1, 1983)


Awards and honors

Women of Discovery Award (2006), WINGS WorldQuest
Rachel Carson Environmental Ethics Award
Lud Browman Award for Science Writing
Science Writing in Society Journalism Award
Barrows and Heinz Distinguished Lectureships
Design Futures Council Senior Fellow
[edit]See also

Reviews

[Ludmila · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are beautiful. I just felt like some of the information was inaccurate or outdated. Also, the tips for observing wildlife seemed more for a hardcore ex Navy Seal spy than for the interested amateur

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains a lot of useful information on wildlife habitats, specifically going into great detail in explaining the 20 different habitats found in the eastern United States. Various sources will give various different numbers of habitats for the same area, but this is an excellent place to start to study them. Included in each habitat description is a list of places to see that habitat by state, a list of characteristic plants, a wildlife locator chart plotting feeding areas against nesting areas, and a write-up on two or three typical inhabitants of the habitat. There is also a helpful chapter on observing wildlife that gives many good tips, a habitat key to help you decide what type of habitat you are observing, contact information for organizations involved in preserving habitat, and a lengthy bibliography.

I especially liked the plant lists and the wildlife locator charts. The charts are a very useful way to narrow down the possible locations of a particular critter of interest or to realize why that critter might be in that location within the habitat. I didn't find the "Where to see this Habitat" listings all that helpful, mostly because the list sticks to locations within the national parks systems only. For example for Pennsylvania, that meant only two habitats had listings for the state: River and Stream listed the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and Transition Forest listed the Allegheny National Forest. It doesn't mean that Pennsylvania only has these two habitats, rather it is a reflection of that fact that the state's national sites are more historic rather than natural. Connecticut and Rhode Island had listings under only one habitat each. It would have been nice to include state parks in these listings. I read the 1989 edition, meaning that the section on contact information is sorely in need of an update; it only included postal addresses and phone numbers. Hopefully future editions were revised to include websites and email addresses.

[Andrea]

Had the eastern guide but the western guide would be more fun.