This handbook takes the concept and format of a standard field guide in a new direction. It is designed for anyone interested in nature, explores the natural world through a series of observations based on general themes including - relationship of size and shape, adaptations, distribution patterns, behaviour, and diversity of life forms. Readers will learn about plants, animals, and habitats, as they discover the pleasure of understanding organisms and patterns in the environment. All naturalists will appreciate the different approach of the Handbook, even those whose interest in the natural world is just beginning to develop. Naturalists who are already well versed in one group of organisms will find new explanations and patterns for their favourite group, as well as new patterns all around them that they had previously overlooked.