This image is the cover for the book Field Guide to the Natural World of Washington D.C.

Field Guide to the Natural World of Washington D.C.

Discover the wonders of Washington’s complex ecosystem with this field guide to the district’s parks, gardens, urban forests and more.

Every neighborhood of Washington, D.C., is home to abundant wildlife, and its large park network is rich in natural wonders. A hike along the trails of Rock Creek Park, one of the country’s largest and oldest urban forests, quickly reveals white-tailed deer, eastern gray squirrels, and little brown bats. Mayapples, Virginia bluebells, and red mulberry trees are but a few of the treasures found growing at the National Arboretum. A stroll along the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers might reveal stealthy denizens such as bullfrogs, largemouth bass, and common snapping turtles.

In Field Guide to the Natural World of Washington, D.C., naturalist Howard Youth takes readers on an urban safari, describing the wild side of the nation’s capital. Detailed drawings by Carnegie artist Mark A. Klingler and photography by Robert E. Mumford, Jr., reveal the stunning color and beauty of the flora and fauna awaiting every D.C. naturalist.

Residents and tourists alike will find this guide indispensable, whether seeking a secluded jog or an adventurous outing away from the noise of the city.

Howard Youth, Mark A. Klingler, E. Robert Mumford, Kirk Johnson

Howard Youth is a freelance natural history writer and former associate editor and communications manager for the Friends of the National Zoo. His work has been published in Audubon magazine, National Wildlife, and the Washington Post. Mark A. Klingler is a natural history artist in residence at Carnegie Museum of Natural History and illustrator of Field Guide to the Natural World of New York City, also published by Johns Hopkins. Robert E. Mumford, Jr., is a wildlife photographer whose work has appeared in Birder's World, Smithsonian Zoogoer (the National Zoo's magazine), and the New York Times.

Johns Hopkins University Press