The Wild Year: A Field Guide for Exploring Nature All Around Us

by Kristyna Baczynski

An illustrated guide to exploring nature, one surprising season—and plant—at a time.

Whether you’re an avid nature lover or newly discovering the world outside your door, you’ll find information and inspiration in this beautifully illustrated pocket companion. Organized by season, its colorful pages are brimming with wondrous wildflowers and plants to discover as you wander, forage, and explore—from alder, foxglove, and fireweed to mistletoe, yarrow, and many more. 
 
Artist Kristyna Baczynski blends writing, research, and illustrations that celebrate more than ninety plant specimens, drawn in detail for identification, along with historical, scientific, and folkloric information highlighting the unique backstory and beauty of these everyday natural wonders. You’ll also find checklists, foraging tips, and room for field notes and sketches.
 
Take your daily neighborhood walk or weekend hike to the next level with this vibrant and irresistible guide.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction, Art, Gardening, Environment

160 pages, Paperback

Published October 11, 2022

Reviews

[Sara]

This book was extremely cute!! It had a good mix of identifying information and fun facts about the plant and the reason behind the names. I also liked that it provided both the common and scientific name for every plant. Since the book is not in colour, I liked to look up each plant after I read about it, but that was a personal preference and not necessary :)

[Jay Semeniuk]

such an easily digestible foraging book, images are gorgeous!!!

[Janelle]

Loved this little book...easy to read and understand with charming illustrations!

[Lauren Dollins]

Wildly resourceful if you’re a wanderer who captures reference images during a nature walk to eventually consult your plant app afterwards in order to do identify your natural dwellings. This book would be more useful if you live in the Northeast of the US (as most of the plants referenced are native to Western Europe and the northern region of the states).

[Lexi]

I like the pretty drawings and the fun facts!!!

[Nadia]

A lovely illustrated field guide of various plants, flowers, trees, and fungi growing all around through all the seasons.

[Bette]

I am trying to read each section for the season so so far I have only read winter but now I want to go out looking for these plants!

[Abeer Arain]

This book is a delight! There are several ways to enjoy it. You can read it for fun and appreciate the humorous illustrations, or you can research each plant online to gain botanical knowledge. Another approach is to contemplate each plant and reflect on the magnificence of the Almighty, Who created everything with such perfection. There are millions of plants, each with a multitude of benefits, and the Creator of all is One, Allah Almighty! SubhanAllah.

[Lizzytish]

Cute book about different plants with interesting facts and lore. Detailed illustrations make it easy to identify plants.

[ledaevie3]

I picked it up not realizing it was Europe based. Cool nonetheless