NATURALLY CURIOUS won the 2011 National Outdoor Book Award in the Nature Guidebook Category.
Here's NOBA's review:
is a marvelous new nature guide. And quite naturally, it's by Mary Holland, one of the East's most seasoned naturalists. She's also something of a Renaissance woman: educator, advocate, columnist, and photographer… What makes this guide stand out is the way it's organized. Starting in March, with the first signs of spring, it covers the changes in the natural world, on a month to month basis. You can't go wrong with this guidebook. It's one that you'll use over and over—naturally."
"What a wonderful book! It's a guided tour of the noteworthy natural happenings
of each month, tying together everything from maples to mayflies to moose. If
you're curious about the natural world, you'll find a wealth of information and
insight here to carry you through the year. —David Sibley, author of The
Sibley Guide to Birds and The Sibley Guide to Trees
"If the camera had been invented in Thoreau's day, this is the book he
would have created himself."—W.D. Wetherell, author of The Smithsonian
Guide to Natural America
"In one volume, Mary Holland offers an encyclopedia of nature in New
England—really, the Northeast—lavishly illustrated and rich in fact and lore.
You know she knows the fauna and flora of which she writes, because this patient
and experienced observer has documented what she's seen with more than 700 of
her own splendid photographs. Birds, mammals, plants, fungi, reptiles, amphibians,
insects, even the Fairy Shrimp of vernal pools, are not only described, but
discussed. It's like wandering the woods, fields, and marshes with a knowledgeable
naturalist at your side. If you love nature, you'll keep this book close at
hand, and enjoy it often."—Jack Sanders, author of The Secrets of
Wildflowers and The Internet Guide to Birds and Birding
Are you ready for a black fly bite to get graphic, for a barred owl's call to take on new meaning, and for the life cycle of the eastern newt to suddenly seem complex, beautiful, and intricately bound to the subtle patterns of mysterious underwater landscapes and damp forest floors? Naturalist Mary Holland's new book Naturally Curious promises a walk in the woods will never be the same. Holland leads you through the New England seasons out-of-doors—through the sun, rain, and snow; along roadsides and wetlands; above underground burrows and under treetop nesting sites. With just a turn of the page you'll suddenly know more about the creatures that frequent your backyard or the pond you visit every summer than you ever thought possible. Naturally Curious perfectly melds practical field guide with informal nature literature, providing you the remarkable opportunity to sit back, relax, and learn something fascinating about the natural world around you.