CPAWS Northern Alberta 2022 Summer Reading List
Published [post_published]
Elise Gagnon, Tara Russell
We are pleased to reveal our 2022 Summer Reading List! We had such a good time discussing our 2021 reading list with you all, that we decided we would make this a yearly thing. Yahoo! This year, we are expanding the summer reading list: not only will we feature a book from the list every week, but we are so excited to announce that we are partnering up with Audreys bookstore and the Edmonton Public Library. Local businesses and our community services are the backbone of our communities – if you are based in Edmonton, we hope that you decide to get your titles from Audreys or the EPL.
In September, we will have a wrap up event kindly hosted by Audreys bookstore. There we will have a speaker, door prizes and, a chance to mix and mingle with fellow bookworms.
Last year’s reception to this initiative was so positive, that we decided to create a bingo card that you can complete over the summer to win some prizes – we are really going all out. We hope you enjoy these diverse titles we’ve put together on Nature, Conservation, Wildlife, Indigenous perspectives, and more.
Happy Reading!
Finding the Mother Tree
Suzanne Simard
| Part autobiography, part ode to her academic research, Suzanne Simard takes us through her life growing up in rural BC in a logging town where her love of trees and the forest began. Through ‘Finding the Mother Tree’, Suzanne takes us through her life as an academic often battling with old ways of knowing in the forestry sector. Her research is fascinating and highlights the need to protect and foster biodiversity in our landscapes. |
Fresh Banana Leaves
Jessica Hernandez
| According to the publisher, in this book of non-fiction, “An Indigenous environmental scientist breaks down why western conservationism isn’t working–and offers Indigenous models informed by case studies, personal stories, and family histories that center the voices of Latin American women and land protectors.” CPAWS Northern Alberta staff are keen to dive into this book that showcases Indigenous environmental science across the continent. This summer read will be an enlightening break down of the ways in which western science has failed to protect nature and include people and a way to learn more from Indigenous solutions presented. |
The Intersectional Environmentalist
Leah Thomas
| Author Leah Thomas’s Instagram account is a plethora of information and inspiration on how to help people, and the planet, with a focus on the unequal impacts of environmental damage on Black Indigenous, and People of colour. It has deepened understanding of the intersections of environmentalism and social justice, while also providing the tools to improve equitability in environmental work. If you have learned from the snippets available on social media, this book will be a great addition to help you broaden your perspective. |
Swamplands
Edward Struzik
| Frankly, swamps are cool, why wouldn’t we want to learn more about them? Moreover, northern Alberta is full of them! Alberta’s swamps and peatlands are teeming with biodiversity and are some of the globe’s most important and dense carbon stores. Peat, and peatlands in Alberta took thousands of years to form, and their destruction is effectively irreversible.Swamps also provide essential freshwater water management and storage. The author of this book goes to great lengths to explore the world’s swamps and bring to light the work being done to conserve them. The tall tales of adventure, and illumination of the critters seen along the way will give the reader a greater appreciation for our swamps – and all they do for us. |
There and Back
Jimmy Chin
| Not only is Jimmy Chin a world class mountaineer and outfitter, but he does it all fully equipped with camera gear. Known for his work in the climbing film Free Solo and many features in National Geographic, it is no surprise that this collection of his body of work will make you catch your breath. Captured over twenty years, Chin’s photographs features expeditions on all seven continents. |
Reindeer Reflections
Jerry Haigh
| CPAWS Northern Alberta has been working to reverse the decline of Alberta’s caribou population (the same animal as reindeer) for years. The loss of caribou across Alberta has negative implications for biodiversity as well as the people and cultures inextricably linked to these animals. These creatures, and the cultures built around them are not limited to Northern Alberta. Reindeer Reflections goes beyond the borders of our province to explore the links between Reindeer, people, landscapes and cultures, while touching on the challenges these animals face in today’s changing world. |
Trout Tracks
Jim McLennan
| Alberta is native trout country! From Jim McLennan, an essayist with years of obsession over water, fish, and flies. The sport and art of fly fishing drives a huge sense of community and engagement among its membership. While this is not a practical how-to guide, Jim’s collection of stories will mesmerize and amaze you (even if you aren’t into fly-fishing…yet!) |
The Ecological Buffalo
Wes Olson & Johane Janelle
| Wes Olson is an artist, author, and buffalo runner. As a retired Parks Canada warden, he has a plethora of stories, knowledge, and experience with buffalo and their reintroduction to our landscapes. With beautiful photographs from Johane Janelle, this is a rich history of the buffalo and their impact on shaping our ecosystems. The Ecological Buffalo also tells a story of healing as buffalo are reintroduced to our landscapes. |
Split Tooth
Tanya Tagaq
| Described as unique, haunting, and poetic – ‘Split Tooth’ is not a light read. It combines Tanya Tagaq’s, a renowned Inuit throat singer, personal experiences with rich depictions of the natural world in the north. In her lyrical prose, you’ll be enchanted by a story that captures ‘good and evil, animal and human, victim and transgressor, real and imagined’. |
Where the Deer and Antelope Play: The Pastoral Observation of One Ignorant American Who Loves to Walk Outside
Nick Offerman
| Nick Offerman is well known for his beloved character Ron Swanson from the series ‘Parks and Recreation’. Based on his own observations and adventures in nature, Offerman explores the history and our current relationship with nature and parks. Farming, recreation, national parks, and conservation are all topics that the author values and hopes to fuel meaningful conversation from his anecdotes. |
The Wild Robot
Peter Brown
| Classified as young adult fiction, this is a read for everyone. A robot wakes up stranded on a remote island. As Roz the robot regains her memory from her past, she must adapt and survive in the wild, where the elements are unwelcoming. If you enjoy this read where technology and nature clash, there is also a sequel to check out ‘The Wild Robot Escapes’. |
Two Old Women
Velma Willis
| This is a thrilling, award winning story about two elderly women forced to find their way through an Alaskan winter after being left behind their tribe. Based on Athabascan Indian knowledge, passed on through generation of mothers and daughters, this is a story about friendship and survival on a harsh, yet beautiful landscape. |
A Natural History of Transition
Callum Angus
| In ‘a Natural History of Transition’, Portland author Callum Angus writes stories with multiple meanings of transformation in trans people and in our natural landscapes. Deeply rooted in the natural world, this collection of short stories shakes up gender norms and the fallacy that there needs to be an end point to transformation. |
Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis
Britt Wray
| Britt Wray effortlessly elaborates on feelings of dread and hopelessness as people across generations worry about the impacts of the climate crisis. She weaves science, history, and brings forward powerful emotions to show we can face the twin crises as a collective community. Dealing with these difficult emotions rather than shrinking away from them will be crucial in this era we are living in. |
Fungipedia
Lawrence Millman, Amy Jean Porter
| We just can’t get enough of shrooms… mushrooms that is! Filled with beautiful, bright illustrations this book that is part guide, part storytelling will give you a new appreciation for mushroom. Lawrence Millman makes it clear that fungi is critical to the health and balance of our ecosystems. For odd musings, fun facts and a bit of magic, the CPAWS Northern Alberta team can’t wait to dive into this manual. |
Prairie
Candace Savage
| Get rid of any notion you have that flat means boring – the prairies are bursting with entertainment. Home to a multitude of critters big and small, and land of the living skies our prairies are an oft overlooked gem in this country. Unfortunately, the great plains have not been immune to the development pressures facing all our wild spaces. Candace Savage’s book introduces the reader to the natural wonders of North America’s prairies, while illuminating the conservation issues facing “one of the most altered ecosystems on earth.” Paired with full colour photographs, and illustrations – this is a natural history book worth reading. |
The Bird Way
Jennifer Ackerman
| Calling all bird lovers! Whether you are a pandemic newbie, a dabbling backyard recreationist, or a hardcore birder this book is for you. Opening our eyes to the world of birds is just one more way to enjoy nature wherever you are – but not all birds are the same. Just as humans, cultures, and landscapes are unique, so are birds. This book challenges conventional thoughts on the way birds think or act, while delighting the reader with bird-led explorations across the world. Birds can tell us fascinating stories of love, landscapes, and healthy habitats, and this book helps us all understand what they are saying a little better. |
Buffalo is the New Buffalo
Chelsea Vowel
| We all gain a deeper understanding through story telling rather than reading a list of facts, and fortunately for this summer’s readers Chelsea Vowel has woven plains Metis and Indigenous knowledge into an exciting collection of sci-fi-esque stories classified as Indigenous Futurism. This genre is a unique way of re-imagining the ways in which traditional ways of knowing are used and respected in the future. From murders, to super strength from radioactive animals, this title will keep you hooked all the way through. |
Teardown: Rebuilding Democracy from the Ground Up
Dave Meslin
| This book is not as radical as it seems. Dave Meslin explores how regular people interact with the systems and rules that govern us. Along the way he makes observations on the ways the system, purposefully or accidentally keep us from effectively engaging. The author touches on everything from the user experience at city hall, to the effectiveness of local community leagues in small scale public organization. This book is the perfect antidote to apathy in our democratic system. It is a great handbook on how to engage in our democracy at every level to be better suited for us – the people. |
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