Follow biologist Derek Madden as he explores some of California's most diverse ecosystems.
 Most often associated with rich farmland, bountiful orchards, spreading cities, irrigation channels, and well-traveled highways, California's Great Central Valley and nearby Sierra Nevada Foothills have long hosted abundant, varied, and often surprising plant and animal life.
 Meet the pickleweed, which survives in intensely alkaline soil by concentrating the salty water on the tips of its branches; lentinus, a hairy-capped mushroom called ''train wrecker'' because it decomposes railroad ties; the river otter, which has nearly one thousand hairs per square inch of skin; and hundreds of other miracles that carry on their ancient lives in a much-changed environment.
 Overflowing with fanciful yet accurate illustrations, Magpies and Mayflies delves deep into the natural world of the Central Valley and Foothills.

Magpies And Mayflies: An Introduction To Plants And Animals Of Central Valley And Sierra Foothills

History

Madden, Derek

Charters, Ken

Snyder, Cathy

Americas

Great Valley Books

California’s San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys and the nearby Sierra Nevada Foothills are host to abundant, varied, and often surprising plants and wildlife. This fully illustrated guide pairs over seven hundred meticulous line drawings with descriptions of the birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, fishes, invertebrates, plants, and fungi that make the Central Valley and Foothill Regions their home. Like a ranger-led nature walk, each species receives a lively overview; readers will learn about freshwater jellyfish, mushrooms that decompose railroad ties, handstanding spotted skunks, salt-shedding pickleweed―not to mention insects. Every write-up not only contains fun facts but also conveys a sense of the complex connections and interactions that sustain life in a unique place. Previously published as Magpies and Mayflies (Heyday, 2005), The Naturalist’s Illustrated Guide to the Sierra Foothills and Central Valley features an attractive new cover, updated scientific and common names, and a full interior redesign.

The Naturalist's Illustrated Guide to the Sierra Foothills and Central Valley

Madden, Erinn

Heyday

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Books by Madden, Derek