If 2020 has left you or your loved ones craving stunning horizons, forests, and waters, you’re not alone. In British Columbia, we have access to some of Canada’s most stunning landscapes and natural wonders — and though we’re not travelling quite as far from home these days, we’re lucky that these gorgeous getaways are still accessible. Local authors have a trove of books to spark new outdoor hobbies, to root us in place, and to celebrate the natural world.
In the Sky
- Field Notes from an Unintentional Birder by Julia Zarankin (Douglas & McIntyre)
- Birding for Kids: A Guide to Finding, Identifying, and Photographing Birds in Your Area by Damon Calderwood, Donald E. Waite (Heritage House Publishing)
- Show Me the Honey: Adventures of an Accidental Apiarist by Dave Doroghy (TouchWood Editions)
For residents of the West Cost, most of the time our preoccupation with the sky begins and ends with, “Do I need an umbrella today?” However, as these three books demonstrate, there are entire hobbies built around the lives of tiny creatures flitting through the air. Julia Zarankin brings us a memoir on how the hobby of birding changed her life in Field Notes from an Unintentional Birder, while Birding for Kids gives practical advice on how to safely introduce young people into the hobby. And lest we forget the tiniest (and mightiest) sky-travellers upon which we rely, Dave Doroghy explains the trials, pitfalls, and ultimate rewards of starting out with beekeeping as an absolute amateur in Show Me the Honey.
In the Water
- Spirits of the Coast Edited by Dr. Martha Black, Dr. Lorne Hammond and Dr. Gavin Hanke with Nikki Sanchez (Royal BC Museum)
- Seaweed, An Enchanting Miscellany by Miek Zwamborn, Translated by Michele Hutchison (Greystone)
- Gilly the Ghillie: More Chronicles of a West Coast Fishing Guide by David Giblin (Heritage House Publishing)
Waterways are integral to BC identity, and the source of much of our industry, art, and fascination. The ocean in particular is a place of leisure, complexity, and mystery. Dive under the surface and discover all the wonder of the life below the waves with these three books. Spirits of the Coast is an artistic, ecological, and cultural history of the orca that centres this iconic animal in the myth, imagination, and ecosystem of British Columbia. Seaweed, An Enchanting Miscellany explores the diversity of the titular plant, from both biological and cultural perspectives. Finally, Gilly the Ghillie takes readers on a fishing trip to remember, detailing all the quirks and adventures BC fishers experience each day.
On Land
- Little Owl: All Natural Series by Britta Teckentrup (Orca Book Publishers)
- Takaya: Lone Wolf by Cheryl Alexander (Rocky Mountain Books)
- What Bears Teach Us by Sarah Elmeligi (Rocky Mountain Books)
We share this province with a multitude of iconic North American great fauna, from bears and eagles to cariboo. There is more than good reason to preserve and protect these natural neighbours for future generations, as these three books tell. Little Owl, part of the All Natural Series of board books, introduces young children to the natural world around them on 100% recycled paper, with environmentally friendly inks. Takaya: Lone Wolf details author Cheryl Alexander’s time documenting the life of Takaya, the lone wolf of the Salish Sea. Finally, Sarah Elmeligi, along with photographer John E. Marriott, takes readers into the secret life of bears, delving into the beauty and mystery of this fascinating animal.
Where We Fit In
- Converging Waters: The Beauty and Challenges of the Broughton Archipelago photography by Daniel Hillert, text by Gwen Curry (Rocky Mountain Books)
- British Columbia in Flames: Stories from a Blazing Summer by Claudia Cornwall (Harbour Publishing)
- Deep and Sheltered Waters by David R. Gray (Royal BC Museum)
Humans share a complex relationship with the natural world around us. For settlers especially, we tend to position ourselves as separate from nature even as we rely on it for our health, wellbeing, and continued existence. These three books somewhat de-centre the human from the story of the natural world, and show how inextricably linked humanity is to nature. In gorgeous photography, Converging Waters explores space and place outside of strict human definition. Deep and Sheltered Waters, on the other hand, shows how space informs human activity and settlement. Finally, British Columbia in Flames reminds us that the disasters that befall the natural world are our disasters, whether we want them to be or not.
The beautiful scenery of British Columbia has provided artistic inspiration for its residents for countless years. If you have a nature-lover on your holiday list this year, consider one of the above books to satisfy their craving to get out among the trees and under the open sky.