Nature Writing
Author Gary Nahban calls nature writing “going out into the boonies and interviewing plants” in the excellent (and sadly out of print) anthology Words from the Land. Others, including John McPhee, don’t think of themselves as nature writers at all. Eric Pinder’s book of nature writing, North to Katahdin, follows Thoreau’s footsteps to ask the question, “Why do we like to hike?”

Interviews with Nature Writers Here are a dozen entertaining and informative interviews with writers John McPhee, Annie Dillard, Barry Lopez, Loren Eiseley and others in the natural history field.

Best Natural History Books
What if Henry David Thoreau and Emily Dickenson had gotten married? Edward Abbey found the idea hilarious. An annotated list of the Top Ten nature writing books, featuring Abbey and Thoreau. Find out why you shouldn’t read Walden until you’re 30.

J.R.R. Tolkien, Nature Writer?
 Tolkien sure had an eye for mushrooms. Click here for Eric Pinder’s reviews and musings of books (not necessarily nature writing) that inspired or intrigued him. An eccentric list ranging from The Lord of the Rings to The Winds of War.

Bradford Washburn, Curmudgeon
“The Appalachian Trail was just a name to me.” An amusing letter from the Everest mapmaker and mountaineer about the book North to Katahdin.

Follow Thoreau to Katahdin
Baxter State Park traveler’s tips and photographs. Also read about Thoreau’s misquoted mirror metaphor.

Iceland Traveler’s Tips
Volcanoes, geysers and glaciers. And don’t forget to try the rotten shark.