Category: Biology

Guest Post by Leslie Day Amelanchier canadensis, or the downy serviceberry tree, is one of the first to bloom in early spring in the northeastern United States. New York City has just gone through a long , brutally cold, and snowy winter. The snow has finally disappeared, but there are new puffs of white dotting…

The JHU Press has a beautiful selection of books on the natural world, from the amazing new edition of Ducks, Geese, and Swans of North America, to our popular Animal Answer Guide series, to family-friendly guide books, to handsomely illustrated volumes on owls, polar bears, and mountain gorillas. Read more or place an order by…

Guest post by Vince Burke It was one of those days that every editor dreams of having. Just as I was beginning to plan my trip to The Wildlife Society annual conference in Pittsburgh, I received word. The two big book awards for 2014 had been announced and Johns Hopkins University Press had published both…

Guest post by Vince Burke It was one of those days that every editor dreams of having. Just as I was beginning to plan my trip to The Wildlife Society annual conference in Pittsburgh, I received word. The two big book awards for 2014 had been announced and Johns Hopkins University Press had published both…

By Vincent J. Burke, executive editor A hawk went aloft, stealing everyone’s attention. It was a familiar scene for the speaker, a wildlife manager whose back was turned to the soaring bird. You could see the slight smile form on his face as he recognized the failed attempts of the rows of seated listeners to conceal their interest.…

By Vincent J. Burke, executive editor A hawk went aloft, stealing everyone’s attention. It was a familiar scene for the speaker, a wildlife manager whose back was turned to the soaring bird. You could see the slight smile form on his face as he recognized the failed attempts of the rows of seated listeners to conceal their interest.…

Guest post by Dr. Michael Schummer Guy Baldassarre (1953–2012) was one of those people who transferred his passion for birds to all who met him. Even though he’s gone, that trait seems to linger, evidenced by the impact his book, Ducks, Geese, and Swans of North America, is about to have on generations of readers. For…

Guest post by Dr. Michael Schummer Guy Baldassarre (1953–2012) was one of those people who transferred his passion for birds to all who met him. Even though he’s gone, that trait seems to linger, evidenced by the impact his book, Ducks, Geese, and Swans of North America, is about to have on generations of readers. For…

Guest post by John M. Lawrence Starfish rarely receive widespread public notice. The explosion of populations of crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) on the Great Barrier Reef in the 1960s, which received world-wide attention, is an exception. However, news of a major starfish die-off, which took place in southern California from 1983–1984, received little notice except among marine ecologists. More recently, though,…

Guest post by John M. Lawrence Starfish rarely receive widespread public notice. The explosion of populations of crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) on the Great Barrier Reef in the 1960s, which received world-wide attention, is an exception. However, news of a major starfish die-off, which took place in southern California from 1983–1984, received little notice except among marine ecologists. More recently, though,…