Celebrate the Great Outdoors with These Books

by Donna Huber

There are several days this month that celebrate the great outdoors: National Gardening Day (April 14), Earth Day (April 22), and Arbor Day (April 24). I would also point out that April is Stress Awareness Month, and enjoying the outdoors can lower your stress levels by lowering cortisol and increasing dopamine. Here are a few books that might inspire you to get outside this month.

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GUIDES

The Everyday Naturalist by Rebecca Lexa

Have you ever passed a flower on your walk or noticed a bird in your yard and asked, I wonder what that is called? This book gives great tips on how to start identifying the plants and animals that you see every day. I also liked the examples of how she records her sightings. Read my full review.

Buy The Everyday Naturalist at Amazon

The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan

If you are into birds, this is a must-read book. I learned so much about birds by reading her nature journal entries. As I search for how I want to organize my own nature journal, I loved that we got to see some of the actual pages. I also loved that she pointed out that she took some art classes to improve her bird drawing techniques. Read my full review.

Buy The Backyard Bird Chronicles at Amazon

ESSAYS

The Best American Science and Nature Writing by Susan Orlean

This collection of essays are informative in an easy-to-access way. They are written like essays you would find in the The Atlantic or The New Yorker. They are meant for a non-science audience so if you want to learn more about the world around you, check out this collection. Read my full review.

Buy The Best American Science and Nature Writing at Amazon

Near the Forest, By the Lake: Discovering Nature Close to Home by Angela E. Douglas

This is also written as a collection of nature essays. If you live in New York, then you will read about places close to home. But even if you don't live in New York, you can gather inspiration from the discoveries Douglas makes in natural areas near her. It made me think about natural areas around me that I could visit. Read my full review.

Buy Near the Forest, By the Lake at Amazon

Earth Almanac: A Year of Witnessing the Wild, from the Call of the Loon to the Journey of the Gray Whale by Ted Williams

One last collection of essays to recommend. They are short essays (micro-essays). If you are short on time, but still want to do something to celebrate, you can quickly read one of these essays. Unlike Douglas's book. this one isn't limited to a geographic area and covers a wide range of topics. Read my full review.

Buy Earth Almanac at Amazon

GARDENING

The Thirty Minute Gardener by Greg Loades

If you don't think you have time to garden, think again. Loades breaks down garden "chores" that can be done in thirty minutes a day. You don't even need a yard to garden; containers on your balcony or patio count! Read my full review.

Buy The Thirty Minute Gardener at Amazon

The Creative Vegetable Gardener: 60 Ways to Cultivate Joy, Playfulness, and Beauty along with a Bounty of Food by Kelly Smith Trimble

Speaking of not having a yard or large acreage, Trimble provides a lot of ideas of how you can garden in non-traditional ways - from patio pots, to window sill herbs, to mixing flowers and vegetables to get past HOA rules against vegetable gardens. Read my full review.

Buy The Creative Vegetable Gardener at Amazon

MINDFULLNESS

Mindful by Nature: The Inner Work of Being Outdoors by Tim Drake and Jason Hamilton

I spent a lot of time last fall and winter reading about Forest Bathing and nature-based mindfulness. This is a great book to get you started, as they provide concrete activities for you to try. Also, their stories of connecting what they observe in nature with what is going on in their lives may also give you perspectives to consider. Read my full review.

Buy Mindful by Nature at Amazon

Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness by Qing Li

Qing Li is considered the father of Forest Medicine. He holds medical degree and conducts research on how forest bathing and being outdoors affects us physically. If you want to know about the science (without being overly sciencey) behind forest bathing then this is the book to pick up. There are also tips on incorporating forest bathing into your life so that you can also reap the health benefits.

Buy Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour. 

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