From blue moons to bald eagles, this new edition of Great Lakes Nature---now lavishly illustrated in color---is a guide to nature's everyday but overlooked gems. With an open-mind and the curiosity of an old-fashioned naturalist, author Mary Blocksma furnishes more than just ecological nomenclature; she unearths a treasure trove of tips, hints, and trivia.

Blocksma set out to identify her Great Lakes environment just a name at a time, a few times a week, for a year. Coming upon a bird, tree, or natural phenomenon she doesn't recognize, the author takes us along on her process of...