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© WindStar Wildlife Institute
Choosing & Using
Field Guides
You’ve made the
decision to learn more
about nature, to move
past the generalities of
“pine trees" and
“songbirds" and learn
the specific names of
various species, as well
as something about
their life cycle and their
place in your habitat.
How do you begin.
U
nless you are lucky enough
to have a mentor who will
take you into the woods and
share years of accumulated
knowledge with you, it is likely
that you are going to turn to
field guides for help. The number
and variety of these guides on
the market today is
astounding.
This wealth of information is
certainly wonderful, but it can
also be overwhelming. The trick
is not in finding a guidebook, but
in finding the right guidebook for
your needs and your learning
style.
Finding a Field Guide
Finding field guides is as easy
as a trip to the local bookstore
or library.
If you travel, you will often find
books geared specifically to
each geographical area, and
these can add a lot of interest
to your trip.
Nature centers are a good
source of guides, wildlife
magazines suggest many mail-
order sources, and most large
