Father Nature: Fathers as Guides to the Natural World

by Paul S. Piper, Stan Tag (Editor)

How do you thank the person who gave you a vantage from which to see the world? This question is more than the opening statement of Father Nature: Fathers as Guides to the Natural World - it is the resounding theme that runs through each of the essays in this tribute to fathers and fathering and to nature, the connection that ties them both together. The nineteen personal essays in Father Nature explore the fierce love between fathers and their children and the ultimate need to express this love through nature. There are stories of fathers who take their children fishing, hiking, ice skating, and berry picking, as well as stories about the significance of birds and animals, tidepools, rivers, and tree houses. Beneath each story lies an even greater lesson: Like nature, fatherhood can be difficult, terrifying, and challenging in ways that may never be fully understood. Editors Paul Piper and Stan Tag divide Father Nature into three distinct sections. Fathers contains essays by sons and daughters recounting the ways their fathers shaped their lives and perceptions of nature. The essays in Fathers and Fathering describe the transition from being a son to becoming a father. Final

202 pages, Paperback

First published April 16, 2003