Backyard and Beyond: A Guide for Discovering the Outdoors

by Edward Duensing

A how-to guide for the weekend naturalist that is a practical owner's manual for your local woods.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction

264 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1992

Reviews

[hhhhhhhhh · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the first chapter, I've learned how to walk silently in the woods, how to suppress a sneeze, how to intensify your sense of smell, and how to "imitate the chatter of a squirrel gnawing on a nut". Best line so far, out of context or in: "Nothing will betray you more than your face and hands." It would be a fantastic epigraph for a poem!

[Corey Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice little primer on being an amateur naturalist. Topics include tracking, watching animals and birds, and basic forest ecology. The title is a little deceptive because it goes well beyond the backyard.