There’s no doubt something magical about being surrounded by the plants and trees or hearing the crunch of gravel under your shoes. In BC, there’s no shortage of opportunities to experience nature and explore its role in connecting us with our inner well-being and the natural world. Whether through memoir, poetry, or reflective nonfiction, these books remind us that reconnecting with nature can also be a form of healing the essential relationship between ourselves, the planet, and our communities. We hope each of these picks inspires you to get out in nature!
Nature-First Cities by Cam Brewer, Herb Hammond, and Sean Markey (UBC Press)
Nature belongs in cities, but how do we put nature first without pushing people aside? Drawing on science, real-world case studies, and decades of experience, Nature-First Cities is a practical framework that reimagines how integrating nature into cities can restore ecosystems, improve health, and address climate and social inequality. Perfect for students, urban planners, activists, and anyone passionate about the future of building cities that thrive with nature, not at its expense.
Out Now!
The Road to Appledore: Or How I Went Back to the Land Without Ever Having Lived There in the First Place by Tom Wayman (Harbour Publishing)
Tom Wayman’s The Road to Appledore is a rewarding read that traces his move from Vancouver to BC’s Slocan Valley, blending humour and insight as he reflects on decades of rural life. From bear cubs in the kitchen to defending a water system and growing his own food, Wayman’s stories capture the mishaps, joys, and transformations of living close to nature. If you’ve ever thought about what it would be like to transition from urban life to living off the land, this biography will be both surprising and delightful.
Out Now!
The Middle by Stephen Collis (Talonbooks)
Written amid wildfires and atmospheric rivers, The Middle extends Stephen Collis’s investigation of threatened climate futures into a poetics of displacement and wandering. The second book in a trilogy, this book focuses on the human-plant relationship, using shared quotes and ideas like seeds spreading across texts—mirroring how plants and animals are moving across the Earth due to global warming. Collis offers readers an opportunity to deeply reflect on current and historic ecologies that are shaping urgent environmental issues.
Out Now!
Get Outside! by Leah Payne (Orca Book Publishers)
We know that spending time in nature is good for us, but why? Get Outside! explores the important relationship between people and nature. The book provides fun ideas and actions young people can take to reconnect with nature in their everyday lives including nature-based hobbies or ideas for outdoor projects. It asks big questions, like, are humans part of nature or separate from it? And do all people have equal access to nature? By discussing global issues such as the climate crisis and environmental racism, the book shows us that, by questioning our disconnect from the natural world, we can build a stronger bond with nature by learning to care for it—and letting it care for us in deeper, more meaningful ways.
Out Now!
Journeys to the Nearby: A Gardener Discovers the Gentle Art of Untravelling by Elspeth Bradbury (Ronsdale Press)
Told over the course of four seasons, this is an inspiring book about the beauty in the small moments of discovery. With gentle humour and a warm, intimate and conversational style, author Elspeth Bradbury invites the reader to join her as she ventures out to see the world as it resides in her own backyard. Enriched by her elegant pen-and-ink drawings, this is a beautiful book for travellers, gardeners and those looking for solace in our overwhelming fast-paced digital world.
Out Now!
Parade of Storms by Evelyn Lau (Anvil Press)
In Parade of Storms, award-winning poet Evelyn Lau turns her attention to weather, shaped by the climate crisis and pandemic isolation. With storms and disasters invading both headlines and daily life, weather—both environmental and emotional—is the center of this poetry collection. Alongside these themes, Lau also revisits familiar subjects from her past work, including relationships, the body, aging, illness, and memory.
Out Now!
Plant Attack! The Fascinating Ways Flora Defends Itself by Erin Silver (Orca Book Publishers)
In Plant Attack! explore 15 different plants and the unique, and sometimes bizarre, ways they defend themselves from predators, including from humans. While plants can’t scream or run away from danger, many have developed surprisingly cool and courageous ways to keep themselves safe from pesky bugs, hungry animals and even large-clawed crabs. Discover the characteristics of various plants such as the corpse flower’s rotting smells to the touch-me-not balsam that explodes, flinging anything that touches it through the air and their human-like defence mechanisms to predators. For readers both young and young at heart, Plant Attack! reminds us that plants and humans might be more alike than we think.
Out Now!