Scan barcode
A review by forsan
Nature Obscura: A City's Hidden Natural World by Kelly Brenner
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
In this enormously charming book, Brenner celebrates the nature that can be found in urban areas. Specifically, she focuses on her own city of Seattle, and the book's sixteen or so short chapters each focus on a particular organism or family of organisms (mostly fairly overlooked ones, from mosses and tardigrades to slime molds and lichens) that can be found somewhere in Seattle: some in Brenner's backyard, some in the pond she installed there, and others in Seattle's assorted parks and coast. Along the way she weaves in research that has been conducted on each of the organisms.
I really, really enjoyed this book. It's arranged into four seasonally-oriented sections, and it's really readable: each chapter is on the order of ten to twelve pages, so the chapters/essays move pretty quickly. Brenner's enthusiasm for the natural world is palpable, and it's just a really good time. This was another of my library's recommendations, and they definitely delivered on this one.
I really, really enjoyed this book. It's arranged into four seasonally-oriented sections, and it's really readable: each chapter is on the order of ten to twelve pages, so the chapters/essays move pretty quickly. Brenner's enthusiasm for the natural world is palpable, and it's just a really good time. This was another of my library's recommendations, and they definitely delivered on this one.