Exploring Nature in Illinois: A Field Guide to the Prairie State [Paperback]

Loaded with full color photographs and evocative descriptions,Exploring Nature in Illinoisprovides a panorama of the state's overlooked natural diversity. Naturalists Michael Jeffords and Susan Post explore fifty preserves, forests, restoration areas, and parks, bringing an expert view to wildlife and landscapes and looking beyond the obvious to uncover the unexpected beauty of Illinois's wild places.
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From the colorful variety of birds at War Bluff Valley Audubon Sanctuary to the exposed bedrock and cliff faces of Apple River Canyon,Exploring Nature in Illinoiswill inspire readers to explore wonders hidden from urban sprawl and cultivated farmland. Maps and descriptions help travelers access even hard-to-find sites while a wealth of detail and photography offers nature-lovers insights into the flora, fauna, and other aspects of vibrant settings and ecosystems. The authors also include diary entries describing their own impressions of and engagement with the sites.
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A unique and much-needed reference,Exploring Nature in Illinoiswill entertain and enlighten hikers, cyclers, students and scouts, morning walkers, weekend drivers, and anyone else seeking to get back to nature in the Prairie State.

"The definitive guide to Illinois wildlife."--The News-Gazette


"Very well done!Exploring Nature in Illinoisis an enjoyable read providing vivid descriptions of Illinois's special natural places. . . . [Jeffords and Post] know these areas well [and] highlight the history, natural character and resource management--all of which helps the reader develop a better understanding of each place. . . . I look forward to taking their challenge and venturing out throughout the state to listen, look, hike, photograph, paddle and explore Illinois's wild places."
--Elizabeth Jones, Assistant Manager, Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge

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