Landowner's Guide to State-Protected Plants of Forest in New York State

Rating:
Summary: An Important and Practical Guide to Conservation in NYS
Review: The Landowner's Guide to State-Protected Plants of Forests in New York State is a well put together little guide to some of the most important inhabitants of New York State, it's protected plants. The color photography is of good quality and the presentation is clear and concise. The descriptions of these important plants of New York state forests are easily read by non-biologists. At the same time the book provides the important information we regular, everyday natural historians need to know to do our part in appreciating and protecting these wonderful living things in and around our forests. Each plant is rated with an easy to use key on it's legal status in NYS as "endangered, threatened, or rare." There are also state and global ratings from the Natural Heritage Program, and clear direction on whom to contact should one be fortunate enough to actually find one of the truly rare species of plants. The only thing I wished for when reading this guide (besides wishing we didn't need a guide to endangered species) was that I could have learned some details about the non-vascular plants in NYS as well, like mosses, lichens, and fungi...but maybe that will be next.

As a landowner in NYS, a student, a hiker, and a painter of plants, I may be a little more excited than most about this little guide, still; I highly recommend it to anyone truly interested in learning more about some of our real state treasures which they may find in their own back yards. The book would make a great gift for any landowner in New York.