This month’s selection

The JLT Natural History Society Book Club will meet at 3:30 pm on Monday, April 28 to discuss A Year in Paradise, by Floyd Schmoe.

In midwinter 1920, Floyd Schmoe and his bride struggled up Mount Rainier on snowshoes on a long-delayed honeymoon. As the new caretakers at Paradise Inn, they would be alone in a towering world of snow and ice and incomparable beauty, until the plows arrived to free them on the fourth of July. So began a long love affair with Mount Rainier. And here is Floyd Schmoe’s account of it; a delightful and informative portrait of a mountain through the seasons of the year.

Through his personal narrative, Schmoe writes of many things that combined to cast a spell on him: the shy mountain goat, the reproductive processes of trees and plants, techniques of climbing, the habits of glaciers and volcanoes, the curious fact of a mouse being found at very high altitude, the peculiarities of tourists — and much more. This is a book for anyone drawn to the mysteries of the high country.

The author was the first naturalist for Mount Rainier National Park and a two-time nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Please contact Pat at jltnatural@saveland.org for location and details.

This event was attended by nine people.

The JLT Natural History Society Book Club will meet at 3:30 pm on Monday, March 17, to discuss Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West, written by Stephen Ambrose.

This 1996 biography of Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition is based on journals and letters written by Lewis, Clark, Thomas Jefferson and many others. The book outlines the expedition in detail, including the route, interactions with Native Americans, scientific discoveries, wildlife and landscape. The expedition, and Lewis’s life as a whole, is placed within the broader context of Jefferson’s presidency, the opening of the American west, and early Indian Policy. The text is supplemented by maps and illustrations, including some drawn by Lewis himself.

Please contact Pat at jltnatural@saveland.org for location and details.

This meeting was held at Sirens in Port Townsend. Seven people participated.

The JLT Natural History Society Book Club will meet at 3:30 pm on Monday, February 24 to discuss Passage to Juneau, by Jonathan Raban.

With the same rigorous observation (natural and social), invigorating stylishness, and encyclopedic learning that he brought to his National Book Award-winning Bad Land, Jonathan Raban conducts readers along the Inside Passage from Seattle to Juneau. The physical distance is 1,000 miles of difficult and often treacherous water, which Raban navigates solo in a 35-foot sailboat. But Passage to Juneau also traverses a gulf of centuries and cultures: the immeasurable divide between the Northwest’s Indians and its first European explorers– between its embattled fishermen and loggers and its pampered new class. Along the way, Raban offers captivating discourses on art, philosophy, and navigation and an unsparing narrative of personal loss.

“A work of great beauty and inexhaustible fervor.” —The Washington Post Book World

For directions and RSVPs, please contact Pat at JLTnatural@saveland.org

The Natural History Society Reading Group will meet from 3:30 – 5:00 on Monday, January 27 to discuss Wolves in the Land of Salmon, by David Moscowitz.

For RSVPs and directions, please email Pat:  jltnatural@saveland.org

Wolves in the Land of Salmon is nature writing at its best. Vivid imagery and a sense of wonder bring the text alive and help the reader understand exactly what it means to be a wolf. David Moskowitz’s training as a wildlife tracker gives him insider knowledge he generously shares with the hope that with greater understanding comes new perspective.

“Using vivid illustrations, maps, scientific research, and field observations, Moskowitz describes his experiences tracking wolf populations throughout the Pacific Northwest. He outlines the evolutionary history, cultural significance, geographic dispersal, and hunting habits of wolves, and examines threats to wolf populations and future directions in wolf conservation. The results are a comprehensive overview of wolves and their interactions with humans and broader ecosystems. An essential read for anyone wishing to gain a deeper understanding of how ecological, political, and geological trends can lead to the decline or restoration of species and their habitats.” (Library Journal)

“This wide-ranging survey about wolves of the Pacific Northwest offers something for both the specialist and the curious layperson. Moskowitz doesn’t offer advice, but instead seeks to evenhandedly discuss human perceptions of and interactions with wolves.  Maps orient the reader to the location of packs while beautiful photographs enliven the tale and line drawings illustrate key points. Residents of the Pacific Northwest will appreciate the specificity of this work, but any fans of wolves or wildlife biology will find this of interest.” (Publishers Weekly)

November selection

Meet the author!

The Natural History Society Reading Group will meet at 3:30 to 5:00 pm, on Monday, November 25 to discuss Closer to the Ground, by Dylan Tomine. We’re delighted that local author/naturalist Tomine will join us for this meeting!

For RSVPs and directions please email Janell:  jjelliffe@gmail.com

This compelling, masterfully written tale follows Dylan Tomine and his family through four seasons as they hunt chanterelles, fish for salmon, dig clams and gather at the kitchen table, mouths watering, to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Closer to the Ground captures the beauty and surprise of the natural world—and the ways it teaches us how to live—with humor, gratitude and a nose for adventure as keen as a child’s. It is a book filled with weather, natural history and many delicious meals.

“…an eloquent chronicle of a likable family’s attempt to live a more nature-centric life…Tomine writes with respect and humor…refreshingly unsanctimonious…a lovely homage to the oldest seductress around: Mother Nature.” —The Washington Post