There is a secret world within New York City, a universe of creatures great and small living side-by-side with the Big Apple's Homo sapiens. The five boroughs sit atop one of the most naturally rich sites in North America, directly under the Atlantic migratory flyway, at the mouth of a 300-mile-long river, and on three islands - Manhattan, Staten, and Long. New York just might be the most biologically diverse city in temperate America.
Leslie Day, a New York City naturalist, reveals this amazing world in her "Field Guide to the Natural World of New York City". Combining the stunning paintings of Mark A. Klingler with a variety of photographs and maps, this book is both beautiful and informative. Conveniently divided into sections for animals, plants, mushrooms, and geology, this is a complete guide for the urban naturalist - from tips on identifying the city's flora and fauna to maps showing the nearest subway stop. Here is your personal guide to the real wild side of America's largest city.
Leslie Day is an environmental and life science educator at The Elisabeth Morrow School and an adjunct faculty member at Bank Street College of Education. Mark A. Klingler is a scientific illustrator trained at Carnegie Mellon University and Pennsylvania Academy of the Arts. His work has appeared internationally in major scientific journals and popular magazines, as well as museums and art forums across the country.
I have lived in New York City for all my professional life, even as most of the research I do for my books takes me to exotic locations such as Antarctica, Alaska, Patagonia, and the Great Barrier Reef. However, as Leslie Day's wonderful book informs us, the five boroughs of New York can be as interesting and exotic as that of any place on earth. You don't need a fancy research vessel - just a field guide, a sturdy pair of shoes, a Metrocard, and a desire to see the life teeming in our midst. Welcome to the Big Apple (Malus sylvestris gigas). - Richard Ellis, author, artist, and research associate at the American Museum of Natural History "An indispensable guide both to the natural history of New York and to the multitude of nature that continues to thrive in the city all around us." - Kevin Baker, author Paradise Alley, Dreamland, and Strivers Row"