Mindfulness in Texas Nature – (available June, 2024, from Texas A&M University Press)
Wouldn’t it be nice to take a walk through an old forest, taking time to notice the texture of tree trunks, the sunlight filtered through leaves, and the calls of birds? Maybe sit for a while beside a stream or wander through a big expanse of winter prairie with beautiful clouds stretching out to a far horizon. Mindfulness in Texas Nature takes you to such places and makes the case that walks in nature are not only beautiful, they provide benefits to the mind and body. In particular, the book outlines how the practice of mindfulness helps us step away from our internal distractions and experience nature in the here-and-now.
The early chapters, “Restoring a Connection with Nature,” introduce mindfulness and how it is practiced and then describe some of the incredible diversity of nature in Texas, from the high plains in the panhandle to the coastal prairies and beaches along the coast. That part of the book is a sort of toolbox for planning visits to places in nature and getting the most out of them once we have arrived. Destinations do not have to be big or remote; there are also wonderful opportunities for mindfulness and nature study in small parks or greenspaces close to home.
The second half of the book, “In the Field, Through the Seasons,” describes the author’s and photographer’s travels together to the Big Thicket National Preserve, LBJ National Grasslands, Big Bend National Park, the Nature Conservancy’s Clymer Meadow preserve, and other parks and preserves in the state. Each of those narratives includes descriptions of mindful experiences as well as observations of wildlife and natural history. The photos capture both the broad landscapes and intimate portraits of plants and animals.
Meghan is a photographer and naturalist with a particular interest in spiders and other invertebrates. I’m the author, but the book was a partnership between Meghan and me, both in the field and back home as we considered how to tell these stories in text and photos.
For more information about mindfulness in nature, see the Activities in Nature page. If you would like for me to talk with your group about the book, including places in nature and practicing mindfulness in those places, please use the Contact page.
The Wild Lives of Reptiles & Amphibians: A Young Herpetologist’s Guide (Texas A&M University Press, 2020)
This latest book was released in October 2020. It introduces young readers (and adults, too) to the natural history of reptiles and amphibians by telling the stories of various kinds of herps in the United States. Within those stories, readers learn how they hunt, move, defend themselves, find mates, and adapt to the places in which they live. There are chapters about how to get out in the field and look for them and how to stay safe. Conservation issues are discussed, too.
Herping Texas: The Quest for Reptiles and Amphibians (Texas A&M University Press, 2018)
The book Clint King and I wrote, Herping Texas: The Quest for Reptiles and Amphibians is available from your favorite bookseller, local or online. The book describes our travels to the different ecoregions of Texas, finding and photographing many of the state’s herp species and getting to know the refuges, wildlife management areas, parks, ranchland, and other places where they live.
I’m available to talk with groups about the herps of Texas, the stories that went into this book, and Texas ecoregions. I have lots of photos of herps and the places where they are found. If your group would like to contact me about such a presentation, please use the contact page.
Our Lives In Nature 