CHECK IT OUT

With Earth Day right around the corner, why not trade the corporate

world for the natural one and set your sights on saving the planet?

If you’re serious about environmental consciousness, check out Daniel

Chiras’ “The Natural House” to explore options for building a habitat

that is economical, energy-efficient, nontoxic and nourishing to the

soul. In addition to learning how to construct a house out of log, stone

or other natural materials, find information about Earth-friendly

finishes, passive heating and cooling techniques, and ways to generate

electricity from wind, sunlight and water in this informative guide.

Beyond your own homestead, look for ways to “stimulate hope for more

joyful living, healthier families and more contented, centered lives” in

“The New Agrarianism.” In this collection of fiction and nonfiction,

editor Eric Freyfogle culls kernels of wisdom about ways to reinstate the

health of the land and maintain bonds between people and place.

You’re bound to have more respect for Mother Nature after reading

“Wild Solutions.” Maintaining that even mosquitoes play a critical role

in the grand design (they are a source of food for birds and pollinate

some orchid species), Andrew Beattie and Paul Ehrlich explain why

biodiversity is “money in the bank” in their cogent work about nature’s

ingenuity.

From legendary Harvard biologist Edward Wilson comes another

meditation on the splendors of the biosphere and how we are endangering

them in “The Future of Life.” Using an imaginary conversation with Henry

David Thoreau at Walden Pond to launch his just-published manifesto, the

two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner combines an eloquent plea for a global

land ethic with strategies to ensure life. In the process, he explores

the multifaceted bases of environmentalism and shows how new conservation

methods can ensure long-term economic well-being.

If you’re still not convinced of nature’s magnificence, perhaps you’ve

neither been to the Back Bay recently nor seen Art Wolfe’s “The Living

Wild.” In his stunning work, the preeminent wildlife photographer

emphasizes the interdependence between creatures and their environments

with photographs that portray animals in their natural habitats. The

images clearly convey his message: We cannot save animals without

preserving the places they inhabit.

When you’re ready to get outdoors to connect with the environment in a

tangible way, turn to “Hands-On Nature” for dozens of field-tested,

experiential activities. While designed as a guide for educators,

parents, camp counselors and Scout leaders, the new revision of this

popular book is a fine manual for anyone interested in unmasking the

magic that lies within insects, grasses, frogs, forests and flowers.

* CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public

Library. This week’s column is by Melissa Adams, in collaboration with

Steven Short. All titles may be reserved from home or office computers by

accessing the catalog at www.newportbeachlibrary.org.