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Nature Walks Around Vancouver
"in her new book, Cousins, takes us on 35 of the most pleasurable walks to be found in and around Vancouver, telling us something about the plants, birds and animals that can be seen along way ... this book will also tell you where to find king gentians, what's underneath a mushroom, why a dipper bobs its head and why the existence of an ice-age fish called the Salish sucker is no precarius."
172 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 14, 2024
I didn't read this book so much as 'went through it'. But, I read chunks of it along the way.
Things I appreciated in this book:
>Cousins' deep understanding of the natural features of the region
>the highlighting of special features (flora, fauna, fungi, vistas, etc.) for each walk
>that the entire region was covered, with choices throughout the Lower Mainland
>the walks include a variety of different ecosystems
>the walk summaries at the start of each walk's description (length, terrain, etc.)
>that Cousins writes accurately of the local ecology, but in such a beautiful, lyrical way
>there are walks for every season, and Cousins notes which are OK for year-round and which better for certain times of year
>tips for observing and being safe around wild animals
>Cousins considers special audiences such as children and wheelchair users
>the detailed descriptions both of how to navigate the walk and what to keep an eye out for along the way
Drawbacks for me:
>Some descriptions contain information such as 'go between the Sitka spruce and red cedar near the NE corner of the parking lot
-I know what these trees look like, but suspect many readers would not
>some of the walks are only accessible if you have a car
-seriously, I have found google maps will do its best to get me place even if it means a good walk to and from the nearest transit stop, but for a few of these walks, even google maps couldn't do it except by car
-I know this is not the fault of the author, but it is frustrating nonetheless
Pendantic:
>snakes are VENOMOUS rather than poisonous
>the use of 'manmade' when people of all genders were almost certainly involved in the construction of the discussed feature
-and really, we have so many words (like 'constructed', 'artificial', 'human-made', etc. that could be used more accurately instead)
I borrowed this book from the library, so sadly must return it soon. I have, however, added it to my 'to buy' list when I again have money for books or someone wishes to gift one to me.
Things I appreciated in this book:
>Cousins' deep understanding of the natural features of the region
>the highlighting of special features (flora, fauna, fungi, vistas, etc.) for each walk
>that the entire region was covered, with choices throughout the Lower Mainland
>the walks include a variety of different ecosystems
>the walk summaries at the start of each walk's description (length, terrain, etc.)
>that Cousins writes accurately of the local ecology, but in such a beautiful, lyrical way
>there are walks for every season, and Cousins notes which are OK for year-round and which better for certain times of year
>tips for observing and being safe around wild animals
>Cousins considers special audiences such as children and wheelchair users
>the detailed descriptions both of how to navigate the walk and what to keep an eye out for along the way
Drawbacks for me:
>Some descriptions contain information such as 'go between the Sitka spruce and red cedar near the NE corner of the parking lot
-I know what these trees look like, but suspect many readers would not
>some of the walks are only accessible if you have a car
-seriously, I have found google maps will do its best to get me place even if it means a good walk to and from the nearest transit stop, but for a few of these walks, even google maps couldn't do it except by car
-I know this is not the fault of the author, but it is frustrating nonetheless
Pendantic:
>snakes are VENOMOUS rather than poisonous
>the use of 'manmade' when people of all genders were almost certainly involved in the construction of the discussed feature
-and really, we have so many words (like 'constructed', 'artificial', 'human-made', etc. that could be used more accurately instead)
I borrowed this book from the library, so sadly must return it soon. I have, however, added it to my 'to buy' list when I again have money for books or someone wishes to gift one to me.
Displaying 1 of 1 review