“Guide” Someone This Christmas
Are you looking for a good last minute present for any nature lover, hunter or angler on your shopping list? I’ll give you a two-word suggestion that will be appreciated by almost anyone who likes the outdoors — field guides. If you are already familiar with field guides, you know that those two words aren’t a single gift suggestion, but rather a multitude of suggestions that fit varied gift-giving budgets. The same gift idea can be used over and over, year after year, with never a hint of repetition or boredom.
Field guides are doorways into the world of nature. Each one opens into a different room that houses a neatly categorized group of organisms or objects in the natural world. While the study of migration, ecology, natural history or evolution might seem more glamorous, each of those studies begins with identification, and that is what field guides are made for.
I own nearly 40 field guides of various subjects, publishers and copyright dates. While this might seem like a staggering number to some, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that other Daily Herald readers have larger collections than I do.
Field guides are resources, and owning them makes me a resource for other people. For example, I didn’t know the name of a pretty orange spider that one of my TAHS biology students brought in during November, but I sure knew how to look it up. In time, your gift will turn its receiver into a resource, too.
There are many different field guides on the market. I guess the word “many” is an understatement — a search on barnesandnoble.com under “field guides” and “science and nature” turned up over 3,500 offerings. How’s that for a selection?
Each guide covers a single topic or several related topics, such as reptiles and amphibians. Some are very general, covering a wide topic such as wildflowers, while others are specific, such as one that I own about wild orchids. Field guides also cover minerals, fossils, stars and planets. While the choices might be overwhelming, it is hard to go wrong with any field guide carrying the name Audubon or Peterson. You can trust their accuracy.
There are at least 15 standard books in the Audubon Field Guide Series. Their topics include birds, butterflies, trees, wildflowers, rocks and minerals, and others. They are all-color and use an all-photographic format. Each measures 4 by 7 1/2 inches and has an imitation leather cover.
The Peterson Field Guide Series is more extensive and includes nearly 50 different guides. Most of the Peterson guides use paintings, such as “Eastern Birds,” or a combination of paintings and drawings, such as “Wildflowers of Northeastern/North-central North America.” Some, such as “A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants of Eastern and Central North America,” use drawings and color photographs. Each book measures 41/2 by 71/4 inches.
Specific field guides are also offered for beginners or are specially tailored for youngsters. These include: “Sibley’s Birding Basics” (about $10), “Peterson First Guide to Birds of North America” (around $6) and “Birds,” one of the National Audubon First Field Guide Series (under $10). Several years ago I bought three nice Audubon Pocket beginner’s guides. The colorful books included one each about trees, wildflowers and birds, and they were packaged as an inexpensive boxed set.
According to Barnes and Noble, the current number one best selling field guide is the relatively new “The Sibley Guide to Birds” ($21). In fact, various guides about birds dominate the top 20 best selling guides, with about half of the total. A few others about insects, trees, mushrooms, planets and butterflies are also best sellers.
I own the Sibley guide (Copyright 2000) and it is excellent, but because it contains birds for all of northern Mexico, the United States and Canada, it would probably overwhelm most beginners. A better guide might be one that targets eastern North America.
Book stores in Altoona or State College and discount chains handle some field guides and give you a chance to examine them before you make a purchase. Prices range from “The Tree Finder” for $3.95 to some for over $50. Websites display a larger selection, but it is probably too late to order on line this year.
Consider giving a field guide to someone this holiday season. There’s one to fit almost every interest, ability level, and age. Your gift might open a whole new world for the person on the receiving end and facilitate a lifetime of learning. They fit any pocketbook, too, and as an added bonus, they sure are easy to wrap!
Mark Nale can be reached at MarkAngler@aol.com
