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A Year with Nature: An Almanac
A Year with Nature is an almanac like none you’ve ever combining science and aesthetics, it is a daily affirmation of the extraordinary richness of biodiversity and our enduring beguilement by its beauty. With a text by herpetologist and natural history writer Marty Crump and a cornucopia of original illustrations by Bronwyn McIvor, this quirky quotidian reverie gazes across the globe, media, and time as it celebrates date-appropriate natural topics ranging from the founding of the National Park Service to annual strawberry, garlic, shrimp, hummingbird, and black bear festivals.
With Crump, we mark the publication of classics like Carson’s Silent Spring and White’s Charlotte’s Web , and even the musical premiere of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake . We note the discovery of the structure of DNA and the mountain gorilla, the rise of citizen science projects, and the work of people who’ve shaped how we view and protect nature—from Aristotle to E. O. Wilson. Some days feature US celebrations, like National Poinsettia Day and National Cat Day; others highlight country-specific celebrations, like Australia’s Wombat Day and Thailand’s Monkey Buffet Festival, during which thousands of macaques feast on an ornately arranged spread of fruits and vegetables. Crump also highlights celebrations that span borders, from World Wildlife Conservation Day to International Mountain Day and global festivities for snakes, sea turtles, and chocolate. Interweaving fascinating facts on everything from jellyfish bodies to monthly birth flowers with folkloric entries featuring the Loch Ness Monster, unicorns, and ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian mythology, the almanac is as exhaustive as it is enchanting.
A Year with Nature celebrates the wonder and beauty of our natural world as we have expressed it in visual arts, music, literature, science, natural history, and everyday experience. But more than this, the almanac’s vignettes encourage us to contemplate how we can help ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy the landscapes and rich biodiversity we so deeply cherish.
With Crump, we mark the publication of classics like Carson’s Silent Spring and White’s Charlotte’s Web , and even the musical premiere of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake . We note the discovery of the structure of DNA and the mountain gorilla, the rise of citizen science projects, and the work of people who’ve shaped how we view and protect nature—from Aristotle to E. O. Wilson. Some days feature US celebrations, like National Poinsettia Day and National Cat Day; others highlight country-specific celebrations, like Australia’s Wombat Day and Thailand’s Monkey Buffet Festival, during which thousands of macaques feast on an ornately arranged spread of fruits and vegetables. Crump also highlights celebrations that span borders, from World Wildlife Conservation Day to International Mountain Day and global festivities for snakes, sea turtles, and chocolate. Interweaving fascinating facts on everything from jellyfish bodies to monthly birth flowers with folkloric entries featuring the Loch Ness Monster, unicorns, and ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian mythology, the almanac is as exhaustive as it is enchanting.
A Year with Nature celebrates the wonder and beauty of our natural world as we have expressed it in visual arts, music, literature, science, natural history, and everyday experience. But more than this, the almanac’s vignettes encourage us to contemplate how we can help ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy the landscapes and rich biodiversity we so deeply cherish.
- GenresNonfictionScienceNature
384 pages, Hardcover
Published November 11, 2018
8 people are currently reading
149 people want to read
About the author
Marty Crump
11 books15 followersMarty Crump is a behavioral ecologist who works with tropical amphibians in the areas of parental care, reproduction, territoriality, cannibalism, and tadpole ecology. She has published several books on her research and experiences in tropical areas such as Costa Rica, Brazil, Chile, and Argentina. One of these books, In Search of the Golden Frog (University of Chicago Press, 2000) chronicles her unique experiences in Costa Rica's Monteverde Cloudforest, where she collected data on the now extinct Golden Toad highlighted in this module. She acted as a mentor to the authors of this module, since her research is invaluable when profiling the Golden Toad species. Marty received her Doctorate degree from the University of Kansas in 1974 and is currently an adjunct professor at Northern Arizona University.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 8, 2019
This book is amazingly interesting and it's a shame to read it all in one go. Rather than a library copy it would be great to have my own so I could read each day's entry on its date and thus savor the information. A great idea, also for a gift to someone who loves science and/or nature.
March 2, 2019
oh, hello, first 5-star read of 2019.
January 1, 2020
Each day features a nature-related passage focusing on plants and animals, natural history, commemorative days and holidays such as Save a Spider Day and International Respect for Chickens Day, historic figures such as naturalists and scientists, and events with a connection to the natural world. Lots of interesting information and facts from a wide range of sources. A helpful bibliography is included in this fascinating work that encourages us to contemplate nature everyday in the myriad ways we encounter it.
December 31, 2019
How I discovered this book:
Browsing Barnes and Noble
What I Liked:
Short passages to read each day that informed, intrigued, surprised and delighted
I loved learning about other cultures
What I didn’t like:
Not good for all ages. This would be better as a family book with little kids in mind.
Not consistent in presented views
Recommend for:
12+
Nature lovers
Animal lovers
Anthropologists
Summary of review:
I came across this at Barnes and Nobles and I am glad I did. It’s a fun, interesting, educational, and enlightening book filled with short paragraphs for each day of the year. I thought it would be a fun thing to do every morning at the breakfast table with the kids but unfortunately it was not all rated G. I understand this book was not intended for kids, but I would have appreciated it if it was at least written with kids in mind so that everyone of all ages could appreciate and learn about nature every day! The unfortunate fact that I had to read alone instead of including my little ones is one of the reasons of why I gave 4 stars. Another reason is that some of the days weren’t coherent or they just did not conclude as well as it could have. And finally, obviously some of it comes off a little preachy instead of balanced. And the problem when one preaches too much is that hypocrisy is hidden within. For example, one day she is writing about how ALL species deserve to live and then a few days later she writes about how it’s a good thing rats die. That’s the problem with being preachy, there’s no proper balance. You can’t say all animals deserve the right to live because that in and of itself is impossible! How would carnivores survive? But putting eating habits aside, even the simple killing for ones benefit. That is a tight rope to walk because I agree humans take that to an extreme, but at the same time, in order for species survival sometimes the end of one’s life is needed to protect another. Again, a tight rope to walk, but something to be cautious of when writing absolutes.
Browsing Barnes and Noble
What I Liked:
Short passages to read each day that informed, intrigued, surprised and delighted
I loved learning about other cultures
What I didn’t like:
Not good for all ages. This would be better as a family book with little kids in mind.
Not consistent in presented views
Recommend for:
12+
Nature lovers
Animal lovers
Anthropologists
Summary of review:
I came across this at Barnes and Nobles and I am glad I did. It’s a fun, interesting, educational, and enlightening book filled with short paragraphs for each day of the year. I thought it would be a fun thing to do every morning at the breakfast table with the kids but unfortunately it was not all rated G. I understand this book was not intended for kids, but I would have appreciated it if it was at least written with kids in mind so that everyone of all ages could appreciate and learn about nature every day! The unfortunate fact that I had to read alone instead of including my little ones is one of the reasons of why I gave 4 stars. Another reason is that some of the days weren’t coherent or they just did not conclude as well as it could have. And finally, obviously some of it comes off a little preachy instead of balanced. And the problem when one preaches too much is that hypocrisy is hidden within. For example, one day she is writing about how ALL species deserve to live and then a few days later she writes about how it’s a good thing rats die. That’s the problem with being preachy, there’s no proper balance. You can’t say all animals deserve the right to live because that in and of itself is impossible! How would carnivores survive? But putting eating habits aside, even the simple killing for ones benefit. That is a tight rope to walk because I agree humans take that to an extreme, but at the same time, in order for species survival sometimes the end of one’s life is needed to protect another. Again, a tight rope to walk, but something to be cautious of when writing absolutes.
January 12, 2019
This is a book you need to have your own copy of to sit beside your recliner or bed and read one little entry a day. Lots of interesting tidbits.
November 12, 2019
This book was not nearly as interesting as I wanted it to be...
December 31, 2019
A daily dose of nature, delightfully illustrated--what an enjoyable way to spend the last year!
April 22, 2020
Not for me. Not what I expected. I put it down. Sorry!! (Oh the guilt.)
Want to read
August 7, 2025This would be a great book to read everyday of the year.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews