Ontario Nature Guide

by Krista Kagume

The Ontario Nature Guide lets you discover the wondrous diversity of nature that lies right outside your front door. Covering every inch of Ontario's incredibly varied landscape, this book teaches you to identify 382 species of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish, invertebrates, trees, shrubs, herbs, grasses and ferns: * Colour illustrations of each species * Native uses of plants * Animal behaviour * Ecology and range * Similar species cross-referenced * Colour maps showing ecoregions, parks and nature areas across Ontario.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction, Reference, Field Guides, Science

224 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2008

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Krista Kagume's 2008 Ontario Nature Guide is a delightfully simple but still more than sufficiently detailed colour-coded reference of close to four-hundred plants (herbs, shrubs, trees, grasses), mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish and invertebrates that are endemic to Ontario (allowing readers, allowing nature enthusiasts from about the age of ten or so onwards to discover the wondrous diversity of nature that can be found not only in rural but also in many metropolitan areas of the province).

So the beginning of Ontario Nature Guide in a very user-friendly manner identifies each of the 382 nature subjects to be covered and described by Kagume in a pictorial table of contents (name, image, relevant page numbers). And nicely descriptively, for every entry, for every plant and animal being showcased in Ontario Nature Guide, Krista Kagume provides a realistic full colour illustration of the focused on species and a succinctly enlightening description of both it and also of its habit. But furthermore (and thus in my humble opinion hugely increasing the reading and educational value of Ontario Nature Guide), there equally exist interesting sections in Ontario Nature Guide on the four seasons (on spring, summer, autumn and winter), how the eco-regions of Ontario function by having Kagume show and describe the diversity of these natural regions and how they encompass a dramatic variety of landscapes within each region (and with Krista Kagume in Ontario Nature Guide also listing top wildlife viewing sites in Ontario and including the locations of provincial and national parks such as Algonquin Provincial Park, Pukaskwa National Park, Bruce Peninsula National Park, Quetico Provincial Park, Polar Bear Provincial Park, and Lake Superior Provincial Park to name just a few examples and which of course and for me also makes Ontario Nature Guide a good and handy tome to take along whilst travelling through, whilst exploring the ecosystems of Ontario). And finally, but in my opinion hugely importantly, unlike far too many such nature guides, at the back of Ontario Nature Guide, Krista Kagume provides an extensive glossary, a bibliography and an index (which truly is the proverbial icing on an already delicious reading cake for me, and considering that Kagume has penned similar nature guides on the Great Lakes, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, I am bien sûr going to be assuming that these will be similarly excellent in scope and equally include the same extensive back matter as does Ontario Nature Guide).

Thus and yes indeed, anyone (young and old) interested in identifying and learning about the different species of wildlife and plants of Ontario should most definitely find Ontario Nature Guide handy, useful as well engagingly educational, and with the combination of Krista Kagame's text and the nicely detailed accompanying pictures being both an aesthetic pleasure and also very helpful for visual identification purposes. Ontario Nature Guide is of course a basic introduction, but it provides readers with an excellent overview and an appreciation of the natural beauty of Ontario, from its many lakes and rocky shorelines to its teeming flora and fauna, and with Kagume's commentaries also clearly emphasising the importance of plants and animals to each area’s ecosystems (and that of course, if more detail and information is wanted or required, the excellent bibliographical materials makes this nicely easy, so that Ontario Nature Guide is also a perfect starting off point for further study and research). So yes, five solid stars for Ontario Nature Guide and as such also very highly and enthusiastically recommended!

[Mackenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is amazing I take it with me all the time and whatever I see is in that book. I have seen a wood frog and a brown water snake plus a stinkpot. I identified them all with this book.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the Ontario Nature Guide. The book is, overall, well organized, clearly laid out, has beautiful illustrations for each species, and has a good amount of information without being overwhelming. I liked how each section started with an introduction explaining the commonalities of species within that group -- for example, things all mammals have in common -- before going on to the individual species. I also appreciated that traditional uses of the plants and trees were included; however, I really wish that instead of having repeated generic references to "some Native people..." that instead particular nations were included, as Indigenous traditions are many and diverse.

[Cecille Gagne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I probably will read this many more times as there is alot of information in this small book. I will definitely be trying to identify animals and plants around me in the future.