THE VERMONT WEATHER BOOK by David Ludlum

Vermont is fortunate to have its own weather book, which offers us background history, a month-by-month review of historic weather events, explanations of unusual weather events and extremes, a survey of historic storms by type, and a discussion of weather watching around the state. The first edition was published in 1985, and a second edition adds highlights from 1986-1994. This is an altogether useful and interesting book that I have read cover to cover and still refer to frequently. Its only shortcoming is the absence of an index, which I’m hoping some good weather-person might add in a third edition, along with more highlights since 1994.

The Vermont Life Guide to Fall Foliage by Charles W. Johnson and Gale Lawrence

My fourth book has had two lives. I wrote the original version at the invitation of VERMONT LIFE. They wanted to offer the tourists who come to Vermont to see our fall foliage an attractive little introduction to fall color, and I wanted to offer teachers, students, and other beginning naturalists a useful introduction to Vermont’s most colorful trees. My dual-purpose booklet was popular enough that VERMONT LIFE decided to expand it into a more substantial book about fall as a season. The new edition, written largely by Vermont’s recently retired State Naturalist, Charles Johnson, who is a good friend of mine, includes most of my original text plus quite a bit of additional information. It also offers color photographs in addition to the original line drawings.

WETLAND, WOODLAND, WILDLAND: A Guide to the Natural Communities of Vermont by Elizabeth H. Thompson and Eric R. Sorenson

This recently published (2000) book provides an overview of Vermont’s geology, describes the biophysical regions of the state, explains critical concepts of ecology, and gives detailed descriptions of 80 natural community types currently recognized in Vermont. Gale Lawrence, author of this Web site, edited the entire manuscript, and Libby Walker Davidson, illustrator of this Web site, produced the exquisite pen-and-ink drawings of the natural communities. It is truly a collaborative effort that included the Vermont Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, many of Vermont’s best botanists, ecologists, and field naturalists—plus those of us who believe in them. Because for each of the community types it includes a list of characteristic plants, animals, statewide distribution, and examples to visit, it is a valuable resource for everyone who’s interested in Vermont.