John Muir Laws

Updated for the first time in twenty years with completely redrawn birds and more, the classic and remarkably easy-to-use guide for identifying birds in the Sierra Nevada.John Muir Laws began his lifelong project of connecting people to the natural world when he noticed that novice birders often distinguish birds by color and size rather than by family, genus, and species. Inspired by his observation, he created a guide to Sierra birds that assumes no prior birding knowledge on the part of the reader. The guide became the most popular of its kind, used frequently by local birders and visitors alike. Now updated for the first time in twenty years, The Laws Field Guide to Sierra Birds—originally published as Sierra Birds: A Hiker’s Guide—features fully redrawn color illustrations throughout.Color-coded keys eliminate the time-consuming frustration of thumbing randomly through a guide, and a cross-index is also included for more advanced birders. All this in a format that is simply organized, lightweight, and small enough to tuck inside a pocket. Featuring more than 200 species, The Laws Field Guide to Sierra Birds is a friendly, invaluable resource for anyone seeking to identify birds in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

"A feast of marvelous photography." —National Parks Traveler This beautifully produced deep dive into Yosemite National Park features stunning photography by Robb Hirsch and fascinating natural history from knowledgeable contributors. Yosemite is like nowhere else on Earth.Within its vast expanses are spectacular granite mountains, glacially carved valleys, thundering waterfalls, delicate meadows, grand trees, and charismatic wildlife. From his years of exploring and studying California's Sierra Nevada, Robb knows that understanding natural processes can thoroughly enhance a visitor's connection to the landscape. In this book, Robb provides that enriching experience by calling on experts to contribute insights into the natural wonders on view. The images and essays work together to draw readers into a deeper relationship with their favorite national park. The book features essays by these Sierra Nevada luminaries: John Muir Laws, on "Wonder, Beauty, and Nature" Tim Palmer, on rivers Greg Stock, on geology James McGrew, on the role of art in Yosemite Brock Dolman, on the water cycle Sarah Stock, on bird diversity Rob Grasso, on the Yosemite toad Kurt Menning, on fire ecology Beth Pratt, on pikas Dan Webster, on wildflowers Karen Amstutz, on Tuolumne Meadows Nathan Stephenson, on giant sequoias Adonia Ripple, on the importance of Yosemite Pete Devine, on the remarkable properties of leaves Robb’s passion is the ongoing search for the “Wow!” that can be found in every acre of Yosemite National Park—and that passion comes through in each of his photographs. The result is a breathtaking book that will dazzle, enlighten, and inspire a deep appreciation for the nature of Yosemite.

The first-ever comprehensive book devoted to helping educators use nature journaling as an inspiring teaching tool to engage young people with wild places.In their workshops, John Muir Laws and Emilie Lygren are often asked the how-tos of teaching nature journaling: how to manage student groups in the outdoors, teach drawing skills (especially from those who profess to have none), connect journaling to educational standards, and incorporate journaling into longer lessons. This book, expanding on the philosophy and methods of The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling puts together curriculum plans, advice, and in-the-field experience so that educators of all stripes can leap into journaling with their students. The approaches are designed to work in a range of ecosystems and settings, and are suitable for classroom teachers, outdoor educators, camp counselors, and homeschooling parents.Full-color illustrations and sample journal pages from notable naturalists show how to put each lesson into practice. Field-tested by over a hundred educators, this book includes dozens of activities that easily support the Common Core and the Next Generation Science Standards—and, just as important, it will show kids and mentors alike how to recognize the wonder and intrigue in their midst.

This beautifully produced deep dive into Yosemite National Park features stunning photography by Robb Hirsch and fascinating natural history from knowledgeable contributors. Yosemite is like nowhere else on Earth.Within its vast expanses are spectacular granite mountains, glacially carved valleys, thundering waterfalls, delicate meadows, grand trees, and charismatic wildlife. From his years of exploring and studying California's Sierra Nevada, Robb knows that understanding natural processes can thoroughly enhance a visitor's connection to the landscape. In this book, Robb provides that enriching experience by calling on experts to contribute insights into the natural wonders on view. The images and essays work together to draw readers into a deeper relationship with their favorite national park. The book features essays by these Sierra Nevada luminaries: John Muir Laws, on "Wonder, Beauty, and Nature" Tim Palmer, on rivers Greg Stock, on geology James McGrew, on the role of art in Yosemite Brock Dolman, on the water cycle Sarah Stock, on bird diversity Rob Grasso, on the Yosemite toad Kurt Menning, on fire ecology Beth Pratt, on pikas Dan Webster, on wildflowers Karen Amstutz, on Tuolumne Meadows Nathan Stephenson, on giant sequoias Adonia Ripple, on the importance of Yosemite Pete Devine, on the remarkable properties of leaves Robb’s passion is the ongoing search for the “Wow!” that can be found in every acre of Yosemite National Park—and that passion comes through in each of his photographs. The result is a breathtaking book that will dazzle, enlighten, and inspire a deep appreciation for the nature of Yosemite.

Naturalist John Muir Laws has adapted his painted-from-life flower illustrations from The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada into a lightweight yet durable guidebook to the area's florae.From sprawling fields of showy hillside poppies, lupines, and paintbrushes in the foothills to orchids, lilies, and primroses in the higher meadows of our national parks, the Sierra Nevada is one of the premier wildflower destinations in California. Sierra Wildflowers includes the most common species that you will encounter, with fully updated common and scientific names. Flowers are organized by color and shape, making identification easy for flower enthusiasts of all experience levels.

Gold Medal, 2016 Foreword INDIES Book AwardsThe best-selling, ultimate guide to nature drawing and journaling!A potent combination of art, science, and boundless enthusiasm, this art instruction book from John Muir Laws (author of The Laws Guide to Drawing Birds) is a how-to guide for becoming a better artist and a more attentive naturalist. In straightforward text complemented by step-by-step illustrations, dozens of exercises lead the hand and mind through creating accurate reproductions of plants and animals as well as landscapes, skies, and more. Laws provides clear, practical advice for every step of the process for artists at every level, from the basics of choosing supplies to advanced techniques. While the book’s advice will improve the skills of already accomplished artists, the emphasis on seeing, learning, and feeling will make this book valuable—even revelatory—to anyone interested in the natural world, no matter how rudimentary their artistic abilities.

John Muir Laws's guide to drawing birds is itself winged, soaring between a devotion not only to art but also to the lives, forms, and postures of the birds themselves. Here, artistic technique and the exquisite details of natural history intertwine, and drawing becomes the vehicle for seeing. As Laws writes, "To draw feathers, you must understand how feathers grow, overlap, and insert into the body. To create the body, you must have an understanding of the bird’s skeletal structure. To pose this skeleton, you must be able to perceive the energy, intention, and life of the bird." This how-to guide will perfect the technique of serious artists but also, perhaps more importantly, it will provide guidance for those who insist they can’t draw. Leading the mind and hand through a series of detailed exercises, Laws delivers what he promises: that "drawing birds opens you to the beauty of the world." An Audubon Book. More journaling titles by John Muir Laws: The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and JournalingHow to Teach Nature JournalingThe Laws Sketchbook for Nature Journaling

In this groundbreaking and meticulously field-tested guide, the rich variety of Sierra life—trees, wildflowers, ferns, fungi, lichens, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, mammals, and insects—comes alive."There are lots of Sierra field guides, some specialized, some general, but this is the best both for beauty and usefulness." —Kim Stanley RobinsonEasy-to-use features include:Intuitive organization, color tabs, and simple keysSimilar-looking species side by sideOver 2,800 full-color illustrationsRange maps of species that are otherwise difficult to distinguishIndex of common and scientific namesLightweight and compact—ideal for backpackingImpressively detailed and comprehensive, the guide includes:More than 1,700 speciesDescriptions of behavior, adaptations, and interactions between speciesSpecies and topics not found in most guides, including aquatic life, spiders and webs, plankton, plant galls, bark beetle galleries, animal tracks and evidence, seasonal star charts, weather patterns, and cloud formations