National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Southeastern States

National Audubon Society Field Guides

by National Audubon Society, Peter Alden, Gil Nelson

Filled with concise descriptions and stunning photographs, the National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Southeastern States belongs in the home of every resident of the Southeast and in the suitcase or backpack of every visitor.This compact volume contains: An easy-to-use field guide for identifying 1,000 of the state's wildflowers, trees, mushrooms, mosses, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, butterflies, mammals, and much more;A complete overview of the southeastern region's natural history, covering geology, wildlife habitats, ecology, fossils, rocks and minerals, clouds and weather patterns, and the night sky;An extensive sampling of the area's best parks, preserves, hiking trails, forests, and wildlife sanctuaries, with detailed descriptions and visitor information for 50 sites and notes on dozens of others.The guide is packed with visual information -- the 1,500 full-color images include more than 1,300 photographs, 13 maps, and 16 night-sky charts, as well as more than 100 drawings explaining everything from geological processes to the basic features of different plants and animals.For everyone who lives or spends time in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee, there can be no finer guide to the area's natural surroundings than the National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Southeastern States."

Genres: Nature, Reference, Field Guides, Travel, Nonfiction

448 pages, Hardcover

First published September 7, 1999

About the author

Incorporated in 1905, the National Audubon Society is a nonprofit conservation organization that uses education and advocacy to advance its mission to conserve and restore natural habitats of birds and wildlife in the United States and across the Americas. Audubon also produces bestselling descriptive field guides on a wide variety of nature-related topics.

Reviews

[Wendi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had my eye on this book for a while but put off buying it because i wondered how thorough it could be since it covers a huge area. When I came across it in a thrift store for far less than what these books cost new (which is rare) i snatched it up. I'm glad I did. It is lacking in some areas (for instance very few spiders listed), but the book is still impressive and for what it is I found it to be very informative.

The book covers Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

It's separated into three parts:

Part 1: Overview

Topography and Geology
Habitats
Conservation and Ecology
Weather
Night Sky

(I started browsing at the beginning, got hooked by the history then forced myself to temporarily stop so i could flip through the rest of the book and see what all is in it.)

Part 2: Flora and Fauna

Flora
Invertebrates
Vertebrates

Part 3: Parks and Preserves

Full list for each of the southeastern states


Anyone who enjoys hiking, camping, gardening, etc or even just exploring their own backyard should have this book on their shelf. It's also small enough to be carried around anywhere you go.

I do have to say after flipping through several National Audubon Society Field Guide's lately, this one being the oldest (published in 1999), I prefer the old format over the new one where all the photos are at the front with the info pages at the back, but that's just my personal preference.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Due to its climate and varied terrain, the southeastern United States may have the most varied natural life in the nation. And while it may now be the most populous quarter of the lower 48, the natural world is never far away. The National Audubon Field Guide is an excellent resource to keep close by for those who living and exploring in the southeast.

The book is divided into three main sections. The first covers an overview of the climate, the geography, the habitats and ecology of the south. The second covers the plant and animal life. And the third introduces some of the more significant parks and natural areas of the southeast.

The first great reason this book is valuable is the extensive color photographs and drawings of the different major types of native animal and plant species. The second great reason this book is valuable is its portability. The weekend hiker or boater, and the home gardener will equally appreciate the relative size of this book, as it can be easily thrown into a backpack for easy reference.

The book could do a better job of showing some of the non native plants and animals. Also, the plants and the animals are not indexed, which can make referencing them slower. The final section, which just introduces major parks in the southeast, could have been better with some introductory maps of major hiking and boating areas. That said, this is a fine guidebook that should be useful to anyone in the southeast who enjoys the outdoors.

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a Coastal Ecology major in Southeast GA on the border of FL and this guide is perfect. I take it hiking, kayaking, and on school field trips. It doesn't include every species in this area but it does a great job of highlighting all of the major species you will see. The pictures are excellent.

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Autographed by Peter Alden.
To Patti, Enjoy Nature, Sept 1999
My grandma Elsie world traveled with him, Family from Concord,MA. 01742 foever, like her.
May 2019 Reading 2008 edition the only change I can see are the last two pages.

[Charles Paxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this guide. It's compact and very useful for a great many of the things that my wife and I commonly encounter, it's also nice to browse through for things we haven't seen yet. We have one in the car and one in the house.

[_Ex_Libris_Animus_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thumbed through it, this is a guide not a novel so I'm not doing cover to cover but it's full of beautiful, clear pictures and tons of info that's quick and concise enough to navigate Nature while exploring it. Fun to do with kids on outdoor scavenger hunts