Lyanda Lynn Haupt

A delight for devoted birders, curious nature lovers, and casual backyard watchers alike, from two beloved local talents Fresh, experiential personal essays featuring more than 70 Pacific Northwest birds by a New York Times bestselling author Vibrant, colorful illustrations by an award-winning Northwest artist Accessible natural history with a focus on conservation Among the Birds is an enchanting celebration of the Pacific Northwest's birds, brought to life by New York Times-bestselling author and naturalist Lyanda Lynn Haupt. Readers join Haupt on a wandering journey through the region's avian world, drifting intuitively among species, much like you encounter birds on a neighborhood amble, forest trail, or windy shoreline. More than 70 feathered residents and seasonal visitors make an appearance, connected through experience, memory, and the serendipity of daily life outdoors. Haupt's signature voice--lyrical, curious, gently humorous, and deeply observant--infuses each vignette with delight and insight. She blends personal moments with natural history, offering a closer look at the habits, habitats, and captivating quirks of birds such as Steller's Jay, Anna's Hummingbird, Merlin, Black Oystercatcher, American Dipper, Caspian Tern, and many more. Acclaimed artist Justin Gibben's richly detailed illustrations blend realism and whimsy to highlight each bird's distinct personality--and perfectly complement Haupt's stories to spark wonder, cultivate attentiveness, and remind us of our role in caring for the wild lives that thrive alongside us.

NATIONAL BESTSELLERIn Rooted, cutting-edge science supports a truth that poets, artists, mystics, and earth-based cultures across the world have proclaimed over millennia: life on this planet is radically interconnected. Our bodies, thoughts, minds, and spirits are affected by the whole of nature, and they affect this whole in return. In this time of crisis, how can we best live upon our imperilled, beloved earth?Award-winning writer Lyanda Lynn Haupt's highly personal new book is a brilliant invitation to live with the earth in both simple and profound ways-from walking barefoot in the woods and reimagining our relationship with animals and trees, to examining the very language we use to describe and think about nature. She invokes rootedness as a way of being in concert with the wilderness-and wildness-that sustains humans and all of life.In the tradition of Rachel Carson, Elizabeth Kolbert, and Mary Oliver, Haupt writes with urgency and grace, reminding us that at the crossroads of science, nature, and spirit we find true hope. Each chapter provides tools for bringing our unique gifts to the fore and transforming our sense of belonging within the magic and wonder of the natural world.

An inspiring meditation on the intersection of science, nature, and spirit that shows readers how to deepen their connection to the natural world.Science. Nature. Spirit. They do not, need not, and should not overlap completely. But at that center where they do intersect? When we stand in that singular, curving triangle looking upon our troubled, beloved earth? At that crossroads there is intelligence, and sacredness, and wildness, and grace. There is clear-sighted hope in a time of despair. There is resistance. There is joy.In this beautiful, thoughtful, and inspiring book, ecophilosopher, naturalist, and award-winning author Lyand Lynn Haupt offers serious invitation to ecological consciousness and action - a swift and beautiful manual inspiring readers to stand in a new way for the natural world. With Haupt's own changing and growing perceptions as a life-long student of nature as a through-line, FROG CHURCH offers an antidote to the plagues of modern life based in science, spirituality, and nature.In this mystifying time of climate upheaval that affects the earth so dramatically, people are afraid and uncertain of where to turn, where to direct their inborn love of nature. FROG CHURCH delivers much-needed solace while inspiring readers to engage with the wild earth in new ways. The intertwining of science, nature, and spirit shows readers how to get grounded and move forward on our beloved, imperiled world.

A charming story of Mozart and his pet starling, along with a natural history of the bird.

On May 27th, 1784, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart met a flirtatious little starling in a Viennese shop who sang an improvised version of the theme from his Piano Concerto no. 17 in G major. Sensing a kindred spirit in the plucky young bird, Mozart bought him and took him home to be a family pet. For three years, the starling lived with Mozart, influencing his work and serving as his companion, distraction, consolation, and muse. Two centuries later, starlings are reviled by even the most compassionate conservationists. A nonnative, invasive species, they invade sensitive habitats, outcompete local birds for nest sites and food, and decimate crops. A seasoned birder and naturalist, Lyanda Lynn Haupt is well versed in the difficult and often strained relationships these birds have with other species and the environment. But after rescuing a baby starling of her own, Haupt found herself enchanted by the same intelligence and playful spirit that had so charmed her favorite composer. In Mozart's Starling, Haupt explores the unlikely and remarkable bond between one of history's most cherished composers and one of earth's most common birds. The intertwined stories of Mozart's beloved pet and Haupt's own starling provide an unexpected window into human-animal friendships, music, the secret world of starlings, and the nature of creative inspiration. A blend of natural history, biography, and memoir, Mozart's Starling is a tour de force that awakens a surprising new awareness of our place in the world.

"It's a great country, but never trust it, son. It's beautiful but it's treacherous."Adam Ross had seen the way his country could destroy a man. Growing up in the Australian outback in the first half of the twentieth century with no formal education, no parents and no one to love him, he learned to fend for himself. But when he forms an unlikely friendship with Jimmy, who works in the Opal mines, his luck begins to change. The land that stole Adam's father gives him an opportunity to start anew. Armed with determination and ambition, Adam treks west to carve himself an empire. However, success doesn't come easy and Adam, a man who spent much of his life devoid of love, soon finds himself caught between two women. Torn between his love for his cold-hearted wife and his mistress, Adam must make decisions about his future and the type of man he wants to be.

In THE URBAN BESTIARY, acclaimed nature writer Lyanda Lynn Haupt journeys into the heart of the everyday wild, where coyotes, raccoons, chickens, hawks, and humans live in closer proximity than ever before. Haupt's observations bring compelling new questions to light: Whose "home" is this? Where does the wild end and the city begin? And what difference does it make to us as humans living our everyday lives? In this wholly original blend of science, story, myth and memoir, Haupt draws us into the secret world of the wild creatures that dwell among us in our urban neighborhoods, whether we are aware of them or not. With beautiful illustrations and practical sidebars on everything from animal tracking to opossum removal, THE URBAN BESTIARY is a lyrical book that awakens wonder, delight, and respect for the urban wild, and our place within it.