Library/Useful Links

Library

The following are books and websites that have been recommended by Master Naturalists from various chapters.
If you would like to add something to the list contact the Web Master on the "Contact" page.

Previous Meetings (Zoom Lectures)

Lecture: Making Maple Syrup
Broadcast: 02/15/2023
Lecture Link

Lecture: Twin Cities Coyote & Fox Project
Broadcast: 01/18/2023
Lecture Link

Recommended Books

The Forager Chefs Book of Flora: Recipes and Techniques for Edible Plants from Garden, Field and Forest
Alan Bergo, July 2021

Minnesota Underground: A Guide to Caves & Karst, Mines & Tunnels
(2nd Edition)
Greg Brick & Doris Green, 2019

The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling
John Muir Laws, 2018

Desert Solitaire
Edward Abbey, 1985

Last Child in the Woods
Richard Louv, 2005

Mind of the Raven: Investigations & Adventures with Wolf-Birds
Bernd Heinrich, 2007

Interpretation: Making a Difference on Prupose
Sam H. Ham, 2013

The Lake Superior Agate
Scott F. Wolter, 1994

Amazing Agates: Lake Superiors Banded Gemstones
Scott F. Wolter, 2010

The Forest Unseen: A Year's Watch in Nature
David Haskell, 2013

Braiding Sweetgrass
Robin Wall Kimmerer, 2015

Half Earth
Edward O. Wilson, 2017

The Sixth Extinction
Elizabeth Kolbert, 2015

Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden
Gilbert L. Wilson, 1987

Keeping a Nature Journal
Clare Walker Leslie and Charles E. Roth, 2000

The Estrogen Effect: How Chemical Pollution is Threatening Our Survival
Deborah Cadbury, 2000

Black Tide: The Devastating Impact of the Gulf Oil Spill
Antonia Juhasz, 2011

The Arbornaut: Life Discovering "The Eighth Continent in the Trees Above Us"
Meg Lowman, 2021

The Leaf Detctive: "How Margaret Lowman Uncovered Secrets in the Rainforest" (young readers)
Heather Lang, 2021

The Palmetto Book: Histories & Mysteries of the Cabbage Palm
Juno Miller, 2021

Winter World: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival
Bernd Heinrich, 2003

Homemade for Sale: How to Set Up and Market a Food Business from Your Home Kitchen
Lisa Kivirist and John Ivanko, 2015

Nature Printing with Herbs, Fruits, and Flowers
Laura Donnelly Bethmann, 1996

Subterranean Twin Cities
Dr. Greg Brick, 2009

The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring
Richard Preston, 2008

A Love Affair with Birds
Sue Leaf, 2013

Portage: A Family, A Canoe, and the Search for the Good Life
Sue Leaf, 2015

The Beauty of Banded Agates
Michael R. Carlson, 2002

Minnesota Caves:
History and Lore
Dr. Greg Brick, 2017

For Love of Lakes
Darby Nelson, 2011

Silent Spring
Rachel Carson, 1962

The World Without Us
Alan Weisman, 2008

The Hidden Life of Trees
Peter Wohleben, 2016

Tracks & Sign of Insects & Other Invertebrates: A Guide to North American Species
Charley Eiseman & Noah Charney, 2010

The Nature Book
Marianne Taylor, 2014

No Student Left Indoors: Creating a Field Guide to Your Schoolyard
Jane Kirkland, 2009

Mussel Freshwater Propagation and Restoration
Matthew A. Patterson, 2018

The Insect Crisis: "The Fall of the Tiny Empires that run the World"
Oliver Milman' 2022

Training and Information Available for Downloads

Minnesota Forest Pest First Detector
Minnesota DOT Noxious Weed Guide
DNR Restore Your Shore
DNR Rare Species Guide
USACOE Wetland Plants and Communities of MN & WI
BWSR Training Classes
EPA Watershed Academy
Flowers-Academic Biology Guide
MPCA TMDL Training
Wildlife Governance Principals
Winter Tree ID Pocket Guide
Winter Tree Key
Woodland Stewardship

Free Guide Downloads-NEW!

Cornell Lab of Ornithology-Shorebird Guide-NEW!
Pollinators and the Great Sunflower Project
Prairies of Minnesota Landowner Handbook
Mulberry Identification Guide-Purdue University
Bird Photography Tips-Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Creating a Garden for Birds-Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Warbler ID Guide-Cornell Lab of Ornithology
DNR-Minnesota Bird Songs

Advanced Webinars

Minnesota Plants: A Webinar Series
Originally aired May 7th through September 10th, you can catch up on the webinars you missed. This series featured a new plant topic every week. You need to go to the website listed below and click on the Zoom Link.
https://sites.google.com/umn.edu/mn-plant-spotlight-series/home#h.1djf746o3q6c

Astronomy Program

Astronomy Links:
Make Your Own Sky Wheel Directions
NASA Kepler & K2 Citizen Science
International Astronomical Union-Astronomy Research
Sky & Telescope-List of Citizen Science Projects
Zooniverse-Star Notes
East Central Minnesota Astronomy Club
Make Your Own Star Wheel
SkyView Map for Android and iPhone (Download)
Lynch and the Stars (Mike Lynch Website)
Tips for Spotting the Northern Lights in Minnesota

FaceBook Links and Videos

Be a Turtle Hero
Be at Turtle Hero-Shovel Method

Cool Apps (Free for Download)

PlantNet
Identifies any plant by photographing it.
MNSight
Explore Minnesota's statewide topographic datasets.
Skyview Lite
Brings stargazing to everyone!

Volunteering from Home

Here are some online volunteering opportunities that you can do from the comfort and safety of your own home. Don't forget to log your hours on the Main MNat Website for credit.

iTree
Tree identification for the casual user from the USDA Forest Service where you can identify trees, with tip and tricks for designing and evaluating trees and tree growth.

E-Bird
Discover a new world of birding. Presented by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, this app helps you find more birds, share your discoveries, and keep track of your bird lists.

Herpmapper
This app was designed to gather and share information about reptiles and amphibian observations across the planet.

Mysterious Mulberries
The U of M Extension Office is seeking help through iNaturalist to identify both Red Mulberry Bushes (Native) and White Mulberry Bushes (Non-Native). Learn about how to identify and report them through a short video.

Pesky Plant Trackers
Contribute to effective control of noxious weeds in Minnesota. You need to sign up for the newsletter. Online training begins in June.

Zooniverse
This website contains numerous research projects in several areas, including biology, climate, nature, and space studies, that you can participate in.

Cedar Creek: Eyes on the Wild
Also connected with Zooniverse, this project specifically deals with fauna in the Cedar Creek Reserve.

Nature's Notebook
Set up an account, watch a quick video, and then start discovering and documenting nature near you!

iNaturalist
A great way to connect with nature and share your observations from the natural world.

CoCoRahs
Help the Minnesota State Climatology Office monitor climate change, such as rainfall, drought, flooding, and snow. On the left hand side of the homepage under "Main Menu," click on "Join CoCoRahs" and then click on the United State flag, and then you will be directed to an Observer Member Signup Page. At the present time they are seeking urgent volunteer help in Rainfall Monitoring.

Smithsonian Digital Volunteers
The Smithsonian is looking for volunteers to help them transcribe documents and scientific records from their various collections to make them available online to the general public.

Bee Lab
The U of M Bee Lab and Bee Squad are offering a Free Pollinator Outreach Tool Kit to share with educators in Minnesota. If you are interested in obtaining this unique kit, please click on the link on this web page and fill out the application form. There are a limited number of kits.