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Field Study

Meditations on a Year at the Herbarium

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“[A] delightful mix of memoir and field study.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

Award-winning and beloved author Helen Humphreys discovers her local herbarium and realizes we need to look for beauty in whatever nature we have left - no matter how diminished.

Award-winning poet and novelist Helen Humphreys returns to her series of nature meditations in this gorgeously written book that takes a deep look at the forgotten world of herbariums and the people who amassed collections of plant specimens in the 19th and 20th centuries. From Emily Dickinson’s and Henry David Thoreau’s collections to the amateur naturalists whose names are forgotten but whose collections still grace our world, herbariums are the records of the often-humble plants that are still with us and those that are lost. Over the course of a year, Humphreys considers life and loss and the importance of finding solace in nature.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 Helen Humphreys (P)2021 ECW Press
Biological Sciences Botany & Plants Outdoors & Nature Science

Critic reviews

“[A] delightful mix of memoir and field study.... In beautiful prose, Humphreys describes her experience acquainting herself with plants.... Readers who appreciated Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s World of Wonders will revel in these gorgeous explorations.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

“Her pages glow with plant samples, lichen as lacy-bright as the day they were found, orchids sadly faded to brown.” (Toronto Star)

All stars
Most relevant
I enjoyed this especially towards the end where she gets into her stride. Slowing down the speed helped as many species were unfamiliar. lovely anicdotes.

for plant collectors and botanists, historians.

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