A good observer of nature, walking, say, in an oak forest, may discern that some of the acorns on which he or she is treading are broken into little bits. After reading wildlife interpreter and photographer Paul Rezendes's guidebook to animal signs, that same observer will be able to tell which of those acorns have been split by human footsteps and deer hooves and which have been gnawed apart by squirrels--and by what species of squirrel. A wonderfully thorough, well-illustrated compendium, Rezendes's text covers a wide range of North American animal species, including rodents, hoofed animals, bears, raccoons, opossums, and members of the weasel, rabbit, dog, and cat families. He describes not only the signs these animals leave but also their ways of life throughout the year, and with an appropriately environmentalist purpose. "Ultimately," Rezendes writes, "tracking an animal makes us sensitive to it--a bond is formed, an intimacy develops. We begin to realize that what is happening to the animals and to the planet is actually happening to us." He's right, of course, but one need not take such a macrocosmic view of nature to take pleasure in, and learn from, this fine book. --Gregory McNamee



"If Thoreau's Concord neighbors led lives of quiet desperation, many people today rush through lives of frantic, noisy alienation. Paul Rezendes's book is about tracking, but also much more; it shows how to find your way home to the great web of life. For the woods walker, this book offers the key to a new kingdom."



"Better than any other field guide to tracking I've seen."



"Rezendes has produced a fascinating book filled with beautiful color photographs and detailed illustrations. Hunter and hiker alike will find this book helps them to see the world of nature with a more knowing and appreciative eye."



"This book is a step beyond a guide to tracking. The illustrations and photographs are superb, another world beyond traditional guidebooks on the subject."



"Better than any other field guide to tracking I've seen."



"Paul Rezendes's work reflects his commitment to living in concert with the planet and his breadth of knowledge and insight into animal tracks and sign. His book is a central resource to our environmental awareness program at Earthlands International."


Book Description
In this newly revised and updated edition of his highly acclaimed field guide, renowned nature photographer and tracking expert Paul Rezendes brings the fields and forests to life with his unique observations on North American wildlife and their tracks and sign. Illustrated with hundreds of his original photographs, Tracking & the Art of Seeing provides complete information on the behavior and habitat of over 50 animal species and shows you how to identify animals by their tracks, tail patterns, droppings, dens, scratches and other signs.


About the Author
Paul Rezendes is an internationally recognized photographer, tracked, and wildlife consultant whose work has appeared in numerous books and magazines, including his photography book Wetlands: The Web of Life. The author of The Wild Within, he lives in Athol, Massachusetts.

ANNOTATION

For everyone who has seen an animal's tracks in the snow or mud or sand and wondered what had made them, here is a book that will enable anyone to identify animal tracks and their "sign" droppings, claw marks on trees or shrubs, and digs or dens. More than 300 color and black-and-white photos.

FROM THE PUBLISHER