Nature on the Doorstep

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What to expect

Nature on the Doorstep reveals the simple pleasures of paying attention to the natural world in one’s own backyard over the course of a year.

Angela Douglas shares the joys and curiosities of a decidedly ordinary patch of green in upstate New York cultivated through the art of “strategic neglect"―sometimes taking a hand to manage wildlife, more often letting nature go its own way.

From the first flowers of spring and the fireflies of high summer to a hoarding chipmunk in the fall and cardinals singing in the winter, Douglas shows us the magic of welcoming unexpected plant life and animal life into one’s backyard. Along the way, she weaves intimate observations of wildlife with morsels of natural history; a surprise visit from a Cooper’s hawk, for instance, prompts reflection about why bird eye colors vary.

A paean to the richness we find when we stop to look and let be, Nature on the Doorstep celebrates the role humble backyards play both in conservation efforts and in an expanded appreciation of the living world.

Critics Review

  • “With these delightful letters about an unexceptional garden that yet teems with life, Douglas shows us how to see the ordinary anew. Even those well versed in natural history will find something to learn in this book.”

    Susan Fox Rogers, author of Learning the Birds

  • “Brings to life the rarely noticed wonders of a backyard wilderness. Through Angela E. Douglas’s keen eyes, we see anew even the most familiar creatures, from crows to crickets. They all have stories to tell, and Douglas’s wit and sensitivity make her a delightful interpreter.”

    Nancy Lawson, author of The Humane Gardener

  • “Bursting with insight, sensitivity, and warm, wry humor, these letters vividly bring to life the memory of how nature on our doorstep became the inspiration and therapy that kept so many of us going through a global pandemic that plunged each of us into our own tiny world.”

    Ian Owens, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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