From the Hudson to the Taconics: An Ecological and Cultural Field Guide to Columbia County, New York

Featuring 36 discreet natural habitats in the Hudson Valley's Columbia County, and beautifully illustrated with over 750 full-color photographs, maps, graphs, tables, and charts, this easy-to-use Field Guide offers readers an in-depth look at the ecology, history, and cultural impact of natural habitats throughout the county and is the culmination of over two decades of research conducted by the staff at Hawthorne Valley's Farmscape Ecology Program and Hudsonia.

The Field Guide was designed to appeal to a wide audience of readers—from land stewards and scientists to hikers and backyard gardeners, from educators and policy makers to farmers and land managers—in short, anyone who inhabits, visits, or loves this landscape. The goal is that readers will discover resources within this book to deepen their relationship with this land and to better understand and appreciate the wild plants and animals who share it.

This engaging and highly informative companion for exploring the ecological and cultural fabric of a richly varied Hudson Valley landscape and environs provides the tools to recognize and get to know the 36 distinct habitats. Each chapter offers tables and descriptions highlighting the plant and animal species distinctive of that habitat, with beautiful photographic illustrations, habitat identification tools, and stewardship considerations.