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A comprehensive book on Rowe Sanctuary, which sits strategically along the central Platte River near Gibbon, Neb., located at the nexus of the migration routes for up to 600,000 sandhill cranes each spring.
Features of the Rowe Sanctuary book include
For avian enthusiasts, from armchair observers to dedicated life-listers, this brilliant book from acclaimed National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore celebrates the beauty of all birds, great and small. This elegantly packaged celebration of birds from around the world unites incredible animal portraits from Joel Sartore's distinguished National Geographic Photo Ark project with inspiring text by up-and-coming birder Noah Strycker. It includes hundreds of species, from tiny finches to charismatic eagles; brilliant toucans, intricate birds of paradise, and perennial favorites such as parrots, hummingbirds, and owls also make colorful appearances. Everyone who cares about birds--from the family with a bird feeder outside the kitchen window to the serious birder with a life list of thousands--will flock to this distinctive and uplifting book.
A pair of piping plovers struggle to raise their young on a beach where humans and their influence threaten both parents and chicks. Biologists help out by erecting a protective exclosure and all survive. Readers learn the importance of habitat for wild animals.
Appreciate the Adornment of Birds with this paperback book by Stan Tekeila, a National Outdoor Book Award Honorable Mention recipient
Feathers--possible the most amazing body covering in the entire animal kingdom. No other covering does all that feathers do. From the delicate down that keep birds warm to the sturdy flight feathers that allow them to soar, these marvelous structures are something to admire. This book is filled with stunning, incomparable photos, and it promises to delight as it walks you through the world of feathers.
The state hosts boiling riverbeds, puzzling fossil beds, and sandstone toadstools, not to mention a now dormant sea of sand that once moved fast enough to dam rivers; and these Sand Hills could be on the march again as the global climate warms. Changing climate influenced much of Nebraska's geology, from the waxing and waning of continental glaciers to the extinction of some of Nebraska's former inhabitants. You'll discover badlands, braided rivers, fossil rhinos entombed in volcanic ash, and the largest dune field in the Western Hemisphere.
This overview of Nebraska history leads both visitors and residents on an in-depth tour of the state's past. Divided into five geographic divisions, the book follows roadways to all the well-known and many lesser-known points of interest. From early French and Spanish explorers to modern agriculture and the ongoing plight of Native Americans, the complete story of Nebraska unfolds here.
Where the eastern and western currents of American life merge as smoothly as one river flows into another is a place called Nebraska. There we find the Platte, a river that gave sustenance to the countless migrants who once trudged westward along the Mormon and Oregon trails. We find the Sandhills, a vast region of sandy grassland that represents the largest area of dunes and the grandest and least disturbed region of mixed-grass prairies in all the Western Hemisphere. And, below it all, we find the Ogallala aquifer, the largest potential source of unpolluted water anywhere.
These ecological treasures are all part of the nature of Nebraska. With characteristic clarity, energy, and charm, Paul A. Johnsgard guides us through Nebraska’s incredible biodiversity, introducing us to each ecosystem and the flora and fauna it sustains and inviting us to contemplate the purpose and secrets of the natural world as we consider our own roles and responsibilities in our connection with it.
In What It's Like to Be a Bird, David Sibley answers the most frequently asked questions about the birds we see most often. This special, large-format volume is geared as much to nonbirders as it is to the out-and-out obsessed, covering more than two hundred species and including more than 330 new illustrations by the author. While its focus is on familiar backyard birds—blue jays, nuthatches, chickadees—it also examines certain species that can be fairly easily observed, such as the seashore-dwelling Atlantic puffin. David Sibley's exacting artwork and wide-ranging expertise bring observed behaviors vividly to life. (For most species, the primary illustration is reproduced life-sized.) And while the text is aimed at adults—including fascinating new scientific research on the myriad ways birds have adapted to environmental changes—it is nontechnical, making it the perfect occasion for parents and grandparents to share their love of birds with young children, who will delight in the big, full-color illustrations of birds in action.
Make bird watching in Nebraska even more enjoyable! With Stan Tekiela’s famous field guide, bird identification is simple and informative. There’s no need to look through dozens of photos of birds that don’t live in your area. This book features 117 species of Nebraska birds, organized by color for ease of use. Do you see a yellow bird and don’t know what it is? Go to the yellow section to find out. Fact-filled information, a compare feature, range maps, and detailed photographs help to ensure that you positively identify the birds that you see.
These laminated pamphlet guides are easy to use and small enough to fit in your back pocket. There are 3 guides available: Sandhill Crane Display Dictionary, Nebraska Birds, and Nebraska Trees and Wildflowers.
I love you every day of all four seasons... for all you feel and do and share ..." A celebration of love and loving, from parent to child! I Love You...Unconditionally is the perfect book to share with a child, expressing the unconditional love offered by parent, grandparent, or caregiver, no matter what the child does or feels on any given day. Told through beautiful, original paintings of Sandhill Cranes as they care tenderly for their young from nest to migration, I Love You... Unconditionally creates a special moment of 'snuggle time' with your baby or child. The other neighbors of the Sandhill Crane habitat are present as well, to say 'Hi" to your child to help them learn about how we share our home and habitat with so many others in nature.The book includes brief educational text to help an older child understand the richness of the natural world we all share. Perfect for teachers, classrooms, early readers as well as pre-readers, and for all caregivers alike to open a child's eyes to the love felt for them, just as they are, and to the beauty around them!
How would you feel if you didn't have a name? This idea spurred Mary Henning and Bob Heiden to collaborate and create I Wish … I Had a Name, a 26-page illustrated children’s picture book. This is a story about a river that didn’t have a name. All of the animals that had names would come along and talk to the river. The story developed as the animals picked a name for the river. By the end of the book, all readers will cherish their own special names!
From serving as a tour guide for visitors who come to see the sandhill crane migration to monitoring the population count on a bluebird trail, from exploring the human settlements surrounding the Platte River to wading the river with biologists, Pfost immerses herself in the rhythm and life of the area. Along with Pfost’s personal experiences of the river, she explores the river’s history, the land- and water-use choices that were made decades ago and their repercussions that must now be mitigated if cranes—and other species—are to survive and flourish, and the legislative and scientific efforts to preserve the diverse species and their essential habitat.
This Nature Discovery Journal is perfect for young and old explorers. Tuck your journal inside the included 8” tote with 18” strap before you head out to explore. Then record your observations in the 6” x 5” brown paper journal There’s even room to store the leaves and flowers you collect in one of the journal’s six pockets. Before you know it, you will have a memorable record of all of your observations!
Recommended for ages 5 and up.
The Sibley Guide to Birds, second edition, brings the genius of David Allen Sibley to the world once again in a thoroughly updated and expanded volume that every birder must own.
Since its first publication in October 2000, the Kaufman Guide has been widely hailed as the best field guide to recommend to new birders. Everything about its compact size, straightforward layout, clear illustrations, detailed maps, and engaging text has been consciously designed to make the first steps in bird identification as easy as possible, so that beginners can get straight to the enjoyment of birds.
Accompanied by the stunning photography of Thomas D. Mangelsen, A Chorus of Cranes details the natural history, biology, and conservation issues surrounding the abundant sandhill crane and endangered whooping crane in North America. Author Paul A. Johnsgard, one of the leading authorities on cranes and crane biology, describes the fascinating social behaviors, beautiful natural habitats, and grueling seasonal migrations that have stirred the hearts of people as far back as medieval times and garnered the crane a place in folklore and mythology across continents.
Johnsgard has substantially updated and significantly expanded his 1991 work Crane Music, incorporating new information on the biology and status of these two North American cranes and providing abbreviated summaries on the other thirteen crane species of the world. The stories of these birds and their contrasting fates provide an instructive and moving history of bird conservation in North America. A Chorus of Cranes is a gorgeous and invaluable resource for crane enthusiasts, birders, natural historians, and conservationists alike.
This book is a softcover, 9" x 12", with 208 pages, 38 color photographs and 41 line art illustrations.
Featuring 100 species of birds from coast to coast this colorful guide helps kids identify and understand birds. The National Geographic Kids Bird Guide of North America will be both accessible and tons of fun. Fifty of the country's most popular birds will be laid out in stunning two-page spreads that will include information such as their range,the sounds they make, and the food they like to eat. Each profile will also include a cool or weird fun fact, and a feature called "A Closer Look," which digs deeper into one aspect of the bird's life (eating habits, bird songs, etc.). Each profile will also display a fact box with the bird's scientific name, weight, length, and wingspan.
Kids will also find tons of fun facts, bright and bold colors, full-color photographs, and layering of information that makes everything jump off the page. Birds will be organized by habitat, and habitat spreads will show where different birds live within each environment. The guide also explains all the basics that kids need to know about spotting birds. Features will include activities, such as how to build a birdhouse and how to build a bird feeder, sidebars highlighting fascinating info, lists, range maps, and much more. Conservation information, a find out more section, glossary, and index will add ample back matter to round out this book.
Take a look inside the lives of sandhill cranes with this informative little book put together by Rowe's former Education Director, Keanna Leonard, and volunteer Caryl McHarney. Private Lives of Sandhill Cranes focuses on crane behavior, but includes lots of interesting facts about sandhill cranes and cranes in general.
Birds, Nests and Eggs is a fun,informative take-along guide that will help children identify 15 birds. Kids will also learn how and where birds build their homes and all about their young. Plus the guide features activities that are fun and easy to do. There's also a seven-page scrapbook for drawings and notes. This guide invites young naturalists to spot wildlife. Safety tips are provided and interesting activities are sugested. Color illustrations enhance the presentation.
Paperback: 48 pages
Age Range: 5-10
Rising from sandbars on the Platte River with clarion calls, the sandhill crane (Grus canadensis) feels the urgency of spring migration. Elegant, noble, and spiritual, the sandhill crane is one of the most ancient of all birds. More than a half-million strong, flying in squadrons, these majestic creatures point northward to their Arctic and sub-Arctic breeding ranges.Theirs is an epic story of endurance through the ages.
With 153 stunning color photographs, On Ancient Wings presents sandhill cranes in their wild but increasingly compromised habitats today. Over the course of five years, Michael Forsberg documented the tall gray birds in habitats ranging from the Alaskan tundra to the arid High Plains, from Cuban nature preserves to suburban backyards. With an eye for beauty and an uncommon persistence, the author documents the cranes’ challenges to adapt and survive in a rapidly changing natural world. Forsberg argues that humankind, for its own sake, should secure the cranes’ place in the future. On Ancient Wings intertwines the lives of cranes, people, and their common places to tell an ancient story at a time when sandhill cranes and their wetland and grassland habitats face daunting prospects.
Cranes can soar with your support!