If you often find yourself pausing on a hike to wonder what that plant or tree might be, California Plants is just the book for you! Organized by habitat (including grasslands, forests, marshes, and coastal areas), Matt Ritter’s book is accessible for all levels of knowledge. Also available at the Natural Bridges, Wilder Ranch, Seacliff and Santa Cruz Mission ParkStores.
Birds of the West: An Artist’s Guide
If you’re curious about birds and interested in learning more about them from an artistic angle, this is the book for you! Covering sketching, watercolor, printing, and other mediums, as well as a wide variety of common birds and habitats, there’s something to learn on every page of this gem.
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Birds accompany us in our daily lives with their songs, flashes of bright color, and energetic activity. Even people who don’t consider themselves birders notice them; from urban wetlands to wilderness trails, we follow the sound of a distant twitter or song.
Award-winning artist Molly Hashimoto captures birds through different media, from quick sketches with pen and wash to more carefully planned block prints. Each medium has a unique way of revealing different avian qualities–elegant lines or imposing silhouettes, a delicate bill or brilliant plumage. In Birds of the West, Molly shares this range of artwork as a way to encourage readers, whether artists or not, to observe more closely the feathered friends around us. Through her art and words, she explores specific Western habitats providing the natural histories of birds typically found in each, as well as intimate personal encounters and inspiring passages from others. And she teaches painting, drawing, and printmaking methods throughout the book with technique sidebars designed for all levels of experience.
Banana Slug Pencil
Everyone loves a banana slug! Grab one of these charming yellow Banana Slug pencils for your next sketching session or your math homework. Designed locally by a State Parks Interpreter!
Plants of the Coast Redwood Region
This classic, locally-beloved field guide is an excellent resource for the Santa Cruz area. Bring it along on your next hike in the Forest of Nisene Marks, Butano, or Henry Cowell, and see how many plants you can identify!
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This book is a field guide to plants commonly found in the coast redwood forests. Full color photographs of each plant are accompanied by descriptive and informative text. Wildflowers are grouped by color, which helps to simplify identification of the plants. Interesting information regarding edible plants, and the many uses Native Americans made of the plants is also included.
The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling
This comprehensive, beautiful book contains everything you need to get started with Nature Journaling.
Never drawn before? That’s OK! John Muir Laws is an incredible teacher, and his detailed, step-by-step instructions will have you sketching realistic poppies, birds, and leaves before you know it.
This book also includes great information on art and journaling supplies & techniques, and how to think like a naturalist and an artist.
This is a book that will open up your world for years and years to come.