Books To Inspire
Outdoor Books To Inspire
Keeping A Nature Journal: Deepen Your Connection With The Natural World All Around You by Clare Walker Leslie
This lovely step by step guide, originally published in 2000 is a wonderful step into a more observant and connected life. Through drawings, prompts and tutorials on how to draw what you see, this book is great for a nature lover, looking to deepen their connection with the world around them. Readers have called it an instruction manual for mindfulness, helping one to draw what they see and take the time to notice. Others rave saying it is like yoga but with a pencil and paper, it is no surprise that this book is in its 3rd edition.
Rewild Yourself: 23 Spellbinding Ways To Make Nature More Visible by Simon Barnes
This lovely book is a quick and light read, which in my opinion makes its tenants hit home even more. Simon has outlined 23 ways to connect ourselves back to the wild world, we have all forgotten our roots, and Simon believes that if we take the time to look and listen, a world nearly forgotten will make itself visible.
The Nature Connection by Clare Walker Leslie
Inspired by the best seller "Last Child In The Woods" By Richard Louv who wrote about "nature deficit disorder" parents and teachers across the nation have been looking for ways to combat this. Clare Walker Leslie found a creative way to inspire kids, teachers and parents to get outside. In her book "The Nature Connection" Leslie outlines creative exercises for children of all ages. With activities that encompass each season kids, parents and teachers are able to get outside and learn more.
Nature Fix by Florence Williams
In this book Florence Williams explores the benefits of a walk in the woods, the emotional and biological response humans have when we spend time in the outdoors. This book is a true inspiration, chock full of knowledge, well told stories and explained scientific data. Each reader comes away from reading this book with the urge to strengthen their own connection with the natural world.
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Robin Wall Kimmerer, a citizen member of the Potawatomi Nation, and a botanist, focuses on embracing the fact that plants and animals are our oldest teachers in this book. In this book Kimmerer reveals our reciprocal relationship with all living things, how the land can heal us, and how we can heal the land. Through poetic personal stories and cultural folklore Kimmerer walks each reader through what wild spaces mean. This book will change your life and the way that you look at the world.
Last Child In The Woods By Richard Louv
A groundbreaking book outlining how today’s children are suffering from "Nature-Deficit Disorder" and what we can do to combat this. In this book Louv outlines the obstacles placed in front of parents, and children who want to play outside. Through storytelling, and insightful interviews Richard Louv reveals causes and solutions to the growing separation between us and nature.
Walden By Henry David Thoreau
Even though Walden is 150 years old, the tenets of Thoreau’s memoir still ring true. This memoir is Thoreau’s account of a simple and connected life in nature. With deeply inspiring words of wisdom Thoreau details his life while living at Walden Pond, and his personal philosophy. Readers have raved about this book, saying they can barely get through one page without annotating and highlighting nearly every sentence.
Local: A Search For Nearby Nature And Wildness By Alastair Humphreys
In this book, trail blazer and world traveler Alastair Humphreys searches for adventure in his own backyard. Humphreys searches his local area and creates a map, detailing the adventures that he finds. Detailing the impact and importance of curiosity, Humphreys has created an inspirational resource. Local serves as a call for each of us to embrace where we live, and to really get to know the place we call home. Alastair has inspired many of his readers to create their own maps and find adventure in their own backyards.
Nature By Ralph Waldo Emerson
In this Essay, Emerson puts forth the tenets of transcendentalism. Transcendentalism is the literary movement that emphasizes the goodness of both people and nature. Emerson states that time spent in the woods makes everyone return to a child-like state. Many readers feel deeply moved by Emerson's writing, saying they are forever changed and that they now look at the world differently. Finding inspiration in these pages is the easiest thing to do.