Author Description

One of the world's greatest painters of nature and three leading natural history writers have collaborated to offer this spectacular introduction to the natural habitats of Massachusetts. From the barrier beaches, heathlands, and salt marshes of the Atlantic Coast, to the teeming vernal pools, red maple swamps, and grasslands of the interior, all the way to the forest and fens of the Berkshire highlands, the glories of these New England landscapes are lovingly celebrated.The book opens with the story of the "Founding Mothers," the no-nonsense Brahmin ladies who shamed their fashionable sisters into giving up feathered hats. Outrage at the slaughter that fed the millinery industry and a deep love of the natural world led to the forming of the Massachusetts Audubon Society and the birth of the conservation movement in New England. Each subsequent chapter presents a particular habitat, together with its characteristic mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, and plants, in gorgeous watercolors and a delightfully readable and expert text. In the final section, readers will learn where to find and enjoy each of these ecological and scenic treasures.