The Finders
Series of Field Guides
The Finders series from Nature Study Guild Publishers includes 22 guides to identifying native plants and animals of the United States and Canada. These 4"x6" pocket-sized books are intended to be used in the field. They are illustrated with black-and-white line drawings and one accent color. The plant books are all dichotomous keys. See FAQs about our plant books for more about the key format.
For information about ordering by mail or with a purchase order, please email us at naturebooks@worldnet.att.net The Finders series includes books for several regions of North America.
Books for the Pacific Coast Region . . . and for U.S. and Canada East of the Rockies
Books for the Rocky Mountains and Great Basin . . . and the Southwestern Deserts
Our new Finder book for star
gazers:Constellation
Finder
Books for the Pacific Coast region
Pacific Coast Tree
Finder: a Pocket Manual for Identifying Pacific Coast Trees, by Tom
Watts. Second edition. The classic key to identifying native trees of the
Pacific Coast region. Second edition updated to reflect changes in the accepted
names of trees; conforms to the University of California's Jepson Manual.
Key identifies native trees, and some commonly introduced non-natives, by their
leaves and needles. Covers the Pacific Coast region from Baja to British
Columbia, from the western slopes of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada to the
coast. (In the deserts of Southern California, use the Desert
Tree Finder. To the east, use the Rocky Mountain
Tree Finder.) Includes range maps and information about habitat.
ISBN-13 978-0-912550-27-5, ISBN-10 0-912550-27-9, 64 pages, $3.95. Buy
It
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Pacific Coast Berry
Finder: a Pocket Manual for Identifying Native Plants with Fleshy Fruits
by Glenn Keator, PhD, illustrated by Jeanne C. Koelling. Dichotomous key
identifies plants with fleshy fruits (pomes, drupes, aggregates, accessory
fruits, or true berries in botanical language). Includes the familiar plants
that we think of as berries, like Raspberry or Wild Grape, but also many other
plants with fleshy fruit, such as Ceanothus, Junipers, Prickly Pear, and Yucca.
(Many of the plants identified have fruit that is known or suspected to be
poisonous. This is not a guide to edible plants.) Covers California, Oregon
and Washington, and would also be useful in BC, although the range maps stop at
the border. Includes all native genera and some naturalized ornamentals.
ISBN-13 978-0-912550-02-2, ISBN-10 0-912550-02-3, 64 pages, $3.95. Buy
It
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$35.55. Buy
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Redwood Region
Flower Finder, A Guide to Identifying Wildflowers of the Coastal Fog Belt of
California by Phoebe Watts, illustrated by Sarah Watts. Second edition.
Dichotomous key identifies wildflowers that grow within the range of the
Redwood tree, Sequoia sempervirens, which grows in the coastal fog belt
along the Pacific Coast from central California to southwest Oregon. Within
that range includes flowers of the shady forest, forest edges, and open, sunny
areas. Illustrated with line drawings that clearly show important features of
plant structure for accurate identification.
For this new edition, scientific names and plant families updated to conform
with The Jepson Manual.
ISBN-13 978-0-912550-25-1, ISBN-10 0-912550-25-2, 64 pages, $3.95. Buy
It
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Pacific Coast Fish:
A Guide to Marine Fish of the Pacific Coast of North America by Ron
Russo, illustrated by Ann Caudle. Compact guide to marine fish. Put it in your
tackle box to identify what you catch, or read at home for information about
the biology of fish, the marine food chain, and distribution of fish species.
Detailed black-and-white illustrations of the fish, plus egg cases of sharks
and skates, and shark teeth. Covers the waters off the Pacific Coast, from the
Bering Straits to Cabo San Lucas (the southern tip of Baja California.)
ISBN-13 978-0-912550-19-0, ISBN-10 0-912550-19-8, 112 pages, $5.75. Buy
It
Special: Save on Pacific Coast Fish with imperfect covers. These copies have a cosmetic flaw--white speckles where covers stuck together because of a coating problem--but of course they're perfectly useable. $3.00 while supplies last (save $2.75.) Buy It
Pacific Intertidal
Life : A Guide to Organisms of Rocky Reefs and Tide Pools of the Pacific Coast
by Ron Russo, illustrated by Pam Olhausen. The book to take tidepooling.
Field guide to the plants and animals that live in tide pools and on rocky
reefs along the Pacific Coast, from Alaska to Baja California. Describes
intertidal ecology, intertidal zones, and the survival strategies of the
fascinating creatures that live there, such as limpets, abalones, sea slugs,
anemones, sea urchins, crabs, algae, and sea stars (starfish). Illustrated with
line drawings.
ISBN-13 978-0-912550-10-7, ISBN-10 0-912550-10-4, 64 pages, $3.95. Buy
It
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Pacific Coast Bird
Finder: A Pocket Guide to some frequently seen birds by Roger J.
Lederer, Ph.D, illustrated by Jacquelyn S. Giuffre. An introduction to common
species of California, Oregon, and Washington, and how they live, organized by
the habitats where the birds are most likely to be seen. Illustrated with line
drawings.
ISBN-13 978-0-912550-04-6, ISBN-10 0-912550-04-X, 64 pages, $3.95. Buy
It
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nine, $35.55. Buy
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Pacific Coast Fern Finder by Glenn Keator, PhD, and Ruth M.
Heady, illustrated by Valerie R. Winemiller. Dichotomous key to native Pacific Coast
ferns and fern relatives, including clubmosses, spikemosses, quillworts and
horsetails. Covers California, Western Oregon and Washington, and Southwestern
BC. Explains parts of the fern, and fern life cycles. Illustrated with line
drawings.
ISBN-13 978-0-912550-13-8, ISBN 0-912550-13-9, 64 pages, $3.95. Buy
It
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Pacific Coast
Mammals: A Guide to Mammals of the Pacific Coast States, Their Tracks, Skulls,
and Other Signs by Ron Russo, illustrated by Pam Olhausen. Guide to
identifying mammals of the Pacific Coast states, whether you've seen the animal
itself, or come across tracks, droppings, or other clues it has left behind.
Includes tracks and prints, skulls, dental formulas (useful if you find a jawbone
or skull) a chart of animal silhouettes, scat (droppings), and a key to other
signs, such as chew marks, burrows and dens. Illustrated with detailed line
drawings. Includes range maps and a bibliography. Covers California, Oregon,
and Washington state. (Originally published as Mammal Finder.)
ISBN-13 978-0-912550-16-9, ISBN-10 0-912550-16-3, 96 pages, $4.75. Buy
It
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Pacific Coast favorites set: One each of our most popular Finders for the region: Pacific Coast Tree Finder, Pacific Coast Bird Finder, Pacific Intertidal Life, and Pacific Coast Mammals, $16.60 if purchased separately. $13.95 for the set. Buy It
Pacific Coast Finders set: One copy each of the Finders books
for the Pacific Coast region (8 books): $34.20 if purchased separately; $29.95
for the set.Buy
It
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Books for East of the Rockies
Tree Finder,
by May Theilgaard Watts, is the classic key to identifying trees by their
leaves and needles. (Originally published under the title Master Tree
Finder.) Covers native and commonly introduced trees of the U.S. and
Canada east of the Rockies and north of Florida. Line drawings point out
important features of plant structure. This is the one to put in your pocket
and take for a walk in the woods.
ISBN-13 978-0-912550-01-5, ISBN-10 0-912550-01-5, 64 pages, $3.95. Buy
It
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It
Winter Tree Finder:
A Manual for Identifying Deciduous Trees in Winter, by May Theilgaard
Watts and Tom Watts. Key to identifying deciduous trees in the winter (when
they've lost their leaves) by examining twigs and other features. Describes
parts of the twig and their function. Line drawings show twigs, buds, fruits,
shape, habitat, and range of trees. Covers US and Canada east of the Rocky
Mountains, except Florida.
ISBN-13 978-0-912550-03-9, ISBN-10 0-912550-03-1, 64 pages, $3.95. Buy
It
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Track Finder
by Dorcas S. Miller, illustrated by Cherie Hunter Day. Guide to mammal tracks
of eastern US and Canada. Includes key to print shapes, key to track patterns,
discussion of scat and other signs, habitat information, range maps, and
drawings of the animals and their tracks. For identifying tracks in mud or
snow. A favorite of young naturalists.
ISBN-13 978-0-912550-12-1, ISBN-10 0-912550-12-0, 64 pages, $3.95. Buy
It
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Fern Finder: A
Guide to Native Ferns of Central and Northeastern United States and Eastern
Canada by Anne C. Hallowell and Barbara Hallowell, illustrated by Anne
C. Hallowell. Second edition. Dichotomous key to native ferns of US and Canada
east of the Rockies. For the second edition, author Barbara Hallowell has
updated range maps, based on information gathered over the past 20 years, and
updated fern names. As with all our dichotomous keys, a lot of information has
been packed into this little book. You won't find another field guide to ferns
that approaches Fern Finder in usefulness and accuracy without
costing, and weighing, a lot more.
ISBN-13 978-0-912550-24-4, ISBN-10 0-912550-24-4, 64 pages, $3.95. Buy
It
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Berry Finder: A
Guide to Native Plants with Fleshy Fruits for Eastern North America by
Dorcas S. Miller, illustrated by Cherie Hunter Day. Identifies plants with
fleshy fruits, including natives and some cultivated species that have become
established in the wild. Includes many native shrubs and vines. (Many of these
plants have fruits that are known or suspected to be poisonous. This is not a
guide to edible plants.) Covers U.S. and Canada east of the Rockies, except
southern Florida. Most useful in late summer and fall when ripe berries are
present.
ISBN-13 978-0-912550-22-0, ISBN-10 0-912550-22-8, 64 pages, $3.95.Buy
It
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It
Flower Finder: A
Guide to Identification of Spring Wild Flowers and Flower Families by
May Theilgaard Watts. Dichotomous key to spring wildflowers of US and Canada east
of the Rockies and north of the Smokies. Like our other flower guides, it keys
first to the family and then to individual species. Explains botanical terms
used to describe flower parts. Illustrated with author's line drawings.
ISBN-13 978-0-912550-00-8, ISBN-10 0-912550-00-7, 64 pages, $3.95. Buy
It
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Bird Finder: A
Guide to Common Birds of Eastern North America by Roger J. Lederer,
illustrated by Roger C. Franke. An introduction to common species and how they
live, organized by the habitats where the birds are most likely to be seen.
Illustrated with line drawings.
ISBN-13 978-0-912550-18-3, ISBN-10 0-912550-18-X, 64 pages, $3.95. Buy
It
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Visit Dr. Lederer's website www.ornithology.com
to learn more about birding.
Life on Intertidal
Rocks: A Guide to Marine Life of the Rocky North Atlantic Coast by
Cherie Hunter Day. Identifies plants and animals (Kelp, Sea Anemones, Sea
Slugs, Crabs, and Starfish, and many more) that live in the intertidal zone of
the rocky Atlantic Coast, from Rhode Island north to the Bay of Fundy. The
granite bedrock of this glacier-scoured coast forms a habitat with many places
for living things to hide. The twice-daily rise and fall of the sea creates the
intertidal zone, extending from the splash zone, which gets wet from wave
splash at high tide, but is never under water, to the lower zone, which is
exposed only during the most extreme low tides. Organisms that live here endure
many stresses, including winter cold and ice, alternating exposure and
submersion, pollution, and the danger of being ripped away by waves during a
storm. This book will help you identify organisms that live in and on
tidepools, rocks, pilings, and wharves, and understand how they survive.
Illustrated with the author's clear and detailed line drawings.
ISBN-13 978-0-912550-15-2, ISBN-10 0-912550-15-5, 64 pages, $3.95. Buy
It
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Winter Weed Finder:
A Guide to Dry Plants in Winter by Dorcas S. Miller, illustrated by
Ellen Amendolara. Key identifies native and naturalized herbs (non-woody
plants) and ferns by their dry structures that remain in late fall and winter,
such as pods, seed capsules, burrs, and dried flowers. Covers northcentral and
northeastern US (from about N. Carolina north and Minnesota east) and
southeastern Canada. Illustrated with line drawings.
ISBN-13 978-0-912550-17-6, ISBN 0-912550-17-1, 64 pages, $3.95. Buy
It
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It
Winter Finders set: One copy each of Winter Tree Finder, Winter Weed Finder, and Track Finder, $11.85 if purchased separately; $10.65 for the set. Buy It Scroll up for descriptions of these books.
East-of-the-Rockies Finders set: One copy of all the Finders books for east of the Rocky Mountains (nine books): $35.55 if purchased separately; $31.95 for the set. Buy It Scroll up for descriptions of these books.
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Books for the Rocky Mountains & Great Basin
NEW EDITION! Rocky Mountain Tree Finder
Second Edition, by Tom Watts and Bridget Watts.
Key to identifying native trees by their leaves and needles across the Mountain
West, from the Canadian Rockies south to the mountains of Arizona and New
Mexico, and Black Hills west to the Cascades. Includes a dramatic variety of
life zones and trees, from the narrow spires of fir and spruce in the subalpine
zone, to the short, tough pinyon and juniper of the plains, or upper Sonoran,
zone. New in this edition: Names updated, metric measurements added, range maps
extended to include Canada.
ISBN 978-0-912550-29-9, 64 pages, $3.95 Buy
It
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SALE
Rocky Mountain Tree Finder by Tom Watts, first edition.
ISBN-13 978-0-912550-05-3, ISBN-10 0-912550-05-8, 64 pages, $3.95 $2.50 Buy
It
(supplies are very limited)
Rocky Mountain
Flower Finder: A Guide to Wildflowers Found Below Tree Line in the Rocky
Mountains by Janet L. Wingate, PhD. Key to identifying wildflowers of
the Rockies that grow at altitudes where trees grow, including the foothill,
montaine, and subalpine zones. Keys to families and then individual species.
Includes information about habitat and range, and a glossary of terms used to
describe flowers and leaves. Illustrated with the author's very clear and
helpful line drawings.
ISBN-13 978-0-912550-20-6, ISBN-10 0-912550-20-1, 128 pages, $5.75. Buy
It
Save 15%: Five copies of Rocky Mountain Flower Finder for
$24.44. Buy
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Mountain State
Mammals: A Guide to Mammals of the Rocky Mountain Region by Ron Russo,
illustrated by Barbara Downs. Covers wild mammals of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming,
Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. Includes charts of footprints,
droppings (scat), skulls, jaws, a key to nests, burrows, dens, mounds and
depressions, and a key to chew, scratch, and browse marks and other signs of an
animal's passing. For every species, there are drawings of its skull, tracks,
scat, range, and the animal itself, and information about life cycle and
behavior.
Click here to see some illustrations
from this book.
ISBN-13 978-0-912550-21-3, ISBN-10 0-912550-21-X, 136 pages, $6.75. Buy
It
Rocky Mountains Finders Set (1 copy each of Rocky Mountain Tree Finder, Rocky Mountain Flower Finder, and Mountain State Mammals) $14.95 for the set ($16.45 if purchased separately.) Buy It Scroll up for descriptions of these books.
A Book for the Southwestern Deserts
Desert Tree Finder
by May Theilgaard Watts and Tom Watts, is a key to identifying trees of the
deserts of California, Arizona, and New Mexico. Shows habitat and distribution
of native trees and some commonly introduced non-native trees that survive in
the harsh climate of the deserts and desert hills, where rainfall is too sparse
to support pine trees.
ISBN-13 978-0-912550-07-7, ISBN-10 0-912550-07-4, 64 pages, $3.95. Buy
It
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What is a dichotomous key?
A dichotomous key leads you through a series of questions about the plant
you're trying to identify. Each question makes you chose between two
possibilities (dichotomous means dividing in two), and each choice brings you
closer to the name of the species. Key guides encourage close observation of
plant structures and help you learn which plants are closely related to each
other. Many educators believe dichotomous keys are the best tools for learning
to identify plants. Read FAQs
about our plant books for more about key guides.
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Excerpts from Reading the Landscape of America
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