Wayside: A small boat, one vacant lot, a man by Kathryn MacDonald
These poems, both by design and content, are watercolours.
nature
a disobedient gathering: poems for plants who can’t stay put by Katherine Barrett
The poems have a casual swagger and impish play with their subjects.
40 Days and 40 Hikes: Loving the Bruce Trail One Loop at a Time by Nicola Ross
This book gives hikers concise one-page summaries of each loop, including maps, technical information about trail requirements, entrances and exits, interesting plants and animals to look for along the way. The accompanying text offers a well-researched recounting of the history, present circumstances and possible futures of the snake spine of land that rises through South-Central Ontario and is the Niagara Escarpment and of the Bruce Trail that follows it.
Throwback: Earthkeeping by Gary Saunders
Part poet, philosopher, scientist, and artist – Gary brings to mind the acronym STEAM.. when academia finally realized the importance of art to the scientific realm. He is definitely science and art in a wonderful blend.
Medicinal Perennials to Know and Grow
Some of my musings of late have been inspired by this rather practical little book which reminds us that flowers aren’t only there to be beautiful. Many of them offer health benefits and — best of all, as far as the lazy gardener in me insists — the flowers in these pages, perennials, keep coming up on their own, year after year.
Hazard, Home Evokes Nature’s Beauty and Vulnerability
In Hazard, Home, Christine Lowther offers 52 poems about the natural world and our relationship with it.
Wild Kin by Marlene Grand Maître
Running through many of the poems is a longing for connection with our “wild kin” of the title . . . At the same time, there is acknowledgement of a certain distance between humans and the fauna and flora surrounding us.
George: A Magpie Memoir, by Frieda Hughes
“He was a hectic, unprincipled bird, but it was impossible not to love him.” From poet and painter Frieda Hughes, a memoir of love, obsession, and feathers.
Tumblehome: One Woman’s Canoeing Adventures in the Divine Near Wilderness, by Brenda Missen
Missen’s descriptions of her wilderness experiences are authentic and sometimes even poetic . . . She also evokes a strong sense of mood and place.
Worth More Standing: Poets and Activists Pay Homage to Trees, Edited by Christine Lowther
. . . sure to resonate with nature lovers, particularly those who appreciate the beauty and mystery of trees.
Just Passing By Kamal Parmar
I started reading this collection of poetry by Kamal Parmar mid-morning, in the aftermath of a snowstorm. The snow was still falling gently outside, and I was seeking to delay my shovelling by tucking in with a slim collection of poetry. Enter Just Passing By, Parmar’s most recent collection of poetry, this time focused on …
The Zone: Rediscovering Our Natural Self by Rob Wood
The Zone is a timely read. Wood suggests that contemporary society, with its disconnect with nature and its emphasis on materialism, is in more need of the Zone than ever before.
Larder: Poems by Rhona McAdam
Rhona McAdam explores our relationship to the living world and challenges the constraints of contemporary poetry in her latest collection, Larder.
Field Notes on Listening by Kit Dobson
Field Notes on Listening is a response to our lack of connection to the land we call home, the difficult history of how many of us came to be here and what we could discover if we listened deeply to the world around us.
