Robert Finch (1) (1943–)

The True Message of NATURE is, unless they are asking for help in some way,
to simply LEAVE THE ANIMALS ALONE!

Three of the best reasons to keep reading the 908 many exciting and informative pages
are Barry Lopez (excluding the hunting) and The Narwal,
Gilbert White and his Timothy Turtle,
and the inspiration of Robert Michael Pyle.

Oddly, the chronology opens on a sad note with felling an ancient Oak and the death of its raven.

It would be welcome to see this gone...
And just start with Timothy the Tortoise and earthworms so critical to soil and Life!

Vivid description of Ivory Billed Woodpecker follows, along with The Marten and the Hedgehog.

Horrors of collection for dissection are covered, as well murdering, "Struggling in mortal agony" for sport.
Thanks again, Audubon and Washington Irving and John Clare and Catlin's dying herds and hateful men.
and William Bartram's strange journey, plus fly fishing ( Fish have feelings, non?) and woodchuck murdering.

It would be great to add Charles Lyell's influential Principles of Geology.… (altro)

Common ground, a naturalist's Cape Cod by Finch_ Robert
We visit the area every 5 years or so and have enjoyed our stays.
Essays of interesting subjects: snowy white owls, beach erosion and things found on the seashores. It's about the same where we live in RI, down the coast a bit.
Loved hearing of the 1978 blizzard as we got married that weekend in RI and shut down our state for over a week so to hear the damage on the cape is meaningful to me.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).… (altro)

I've never been to Cape Cod, but author [a:Robert Finch|161775|Robert Finch|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg] makes it a magical spit of land begging me to follow to see one-horned bison, fearless chickadees, and rescued whales. He describes a land of natural beauty, now being spoiled by the ever encroaching humans who destroy herring ponds and frighten frogs, all in the name of "progress".

So it is with blackberries. If you pull too hard, you may get the berry but you will lose the sweetness of it. On the other hand, if you leave it, it may be gone the next time you come by. Each person must find this point of equilibrium for himself.

Whether comparing a little bird's legs to his own child's or describing a stealthy spider enclosing its prey, Finch is attuned to nature and how we are destroying it by loving it a bit too much.

How fragile we all really are.

Book Season = Autumn (East Coast is always autumn, isn't it)… (altro)