Great Smoky Mountains National Park Pocket Guide and Journal

This publication about America's most visited national park includes information guaranteed found in no other guidebook.Author Jeremy Lloyd has worked as a naturalist and wilderness guide in Great Smoky Mountains National Park for ten years. Rich in natural and cultural history about the Smokies, it contains useful information for both first-time and well-seasoned visitors. A resource of great variety, it is full of interactive activities for students and wanderers alike to help each one better connect with this special place. Wildlife viewing tips appear alongside details about old-growth forests, reptiles and amphibians, and the park's six forest types. Checklists are included for commonly seen wildflowers and trees.A section on birds provides mnemonics to help the novice birder identify calls. "Nature By the Seasons" lists the natural goings-on in the Smokies every month of the year. Another section highlights the achievements and contributions made by park luminaries such as Horace Kephart,a park co-founder, and Arthur Stupka, the park's first naturalist. In still another section, a timeline of important dates of the park's history is provided, as well as a list of issues that are affecting the park, such as air quality, exotic species and habitat loss.The second half of the Pocket Guide shifts focus to the individual and invites the reader to reflect on his or her place in nature. Tips are provided for honing one's observation skills, and prompts are given for a variety of reflective writing activities. Over thirty blank pages, both lined and unlined are available for sketching and journaling. Most alluring about this book are the beautiful illustrations by Joey Heath.Spiral binding and 6 x 4½ in. size allows for easy transport into the field. The publisher, Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, is a residential environmental education center located within the heart of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.To learn more visit www.gsmit.org