The 2016 winners of the National Outdoor Book Awards have been announced. While all are indeed worthy of the distinction, there were three that I was particularly pleased to see recognized.
2016 National Outdoor Book Awards
national
Animals of Kruger National Park
When it comes to accessible field guides to the wildlife of popular African eco-tourism destinations, the Wildlife Explorer Guide series from Princeton WildGuides has certainly proven itself over the past few years as the definitive imprint to seek out.
Wildlife Watching in America’s National Parks
Building upon one “premiere” species and the national park with which it is most strongly associated (Plains Bison and Theodore Roosevelt National Park, American Alligator and Everglades National Park, etc.) each month, the guide goes on to point out other parks where that species may be seen, other species that might also be seen in the same areas, and explains the ecological relationship they have to one another.
Two Natural History Titles Make the 2015 NBA Longlist
The 2015 National Book Award Nonfiction Longlist contains two books classifiable as natural history: Rain: A Natural and Cultural History by Cynthia Barnett and The Soul of an Octopus; A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery.
Curiously, neither of these books was on my radar as no review copies ever arrived. Thus I am uncertain as to which I would prefer to see ultimately chosen as the winner.