Granting a teen the gift of ecological knowledge and a basic environmental background is essential to their survival. A good well rounded foundation for ideas and creative thinking only helps us all and can be a lot of fun in the process. Here are a few of the hottest new books out on ecology and the environment. Maybe one will inspire a teen in your world.
“The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Desire” by Richard Preston. It is the story of a botanist and a rich boy climbing to the tops of the very oldest and tallest trees on earth. Though they climbed the trees for different reasons they had much of the same experience of discovery. A world of salamanders and rat like animals whose feet had never touched the ground. Mushrooms and lichens that they’d never seen. A whole ecosystem in the treetops. Find joy and tears as this group of flawed young people discover a whole knew world. Who would of thunk it, a compelling page turner and a science book too.
“The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth” by Pulitzer Prize winning author E.O. Wilson. This Alabama boy turned Harvard professor has not lost his southern gift for storytelling. In a series of letters to a southern Baptist preacher he makes the case that they need to work together to save creation no matter how it has come to exist. A beautiful and painless introduction to tiny ecosystems which work with other tiny ecosystems forming ever larger ecosystems. Great read with inspiring ideas.
“Wetlands” William Mitsch and James Gosselink, the new updated version of the classic wetlands ecosystems bible. Up to date research statistics are made easily digestible as they sit along side breathtaking pictures of the world’s wetlands. Covering in intimate detail wetlands in every corner of the world. There is a section on the different kinds of wetlands, structural definitions and management suggestions. Highly touted by land management and environmental scientists world wide as the best book on Wetlands ecology ever. Teens will be happy to find an interactive website that is an ongoing part of the book.
“Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things”. by McDonough and Braungart. Here are a couple of guys who claim if we want to be environmentally conscience that we have to change the way we do things from the ground up. They introduce a new line of thinking to environmental solutions. True believers in the incorporation of sound economic and environmental decision making in one basket not as separate entities. Food for thought for the young scientists and entrepreneurs of tomorrow.
Teens got to have projects and here’s a fun and practical book to get them started “Solar Energy Projects for the Evil Genius” From vehicles to flashlights there are more than fifty projects to get the juices flowing. Even I could understand the instructions. All the parts for the projects listed are easy to obtain and most are not too costly. Bring out the inventor in a teen near you. Warning they may move into the garage but at least you will know where they are.
