Here’s a collection of some of our favorite books to inspire and help prepare visitors for a visit to the Vermilion Sea Field Station. And for those of you who can’t visit us in person, diving into the pages of these books written by authors with a connection to this special place will surely transport you here!
Janovy (biology, Univ. of Nebraska) describes a journey to Baja California in search of the landscape described in John Steinbeck’s Sea of Cortez . Along the way he muses on the changing nature of scientific research in the 1990s, noting that most of it has become a scramble for bio-tech dollars conducted in areas chosen to garner grant money and patents rather than based on personal interest. Besides describing Baja’s natural history, Janovy explores topics ranging from a biologist’s place in society to the effects of population and information explosions. This work transcends the traditional “field study” by examining how modern pressures have changed scientists and their research. Recommended for science, natural history, and travel collections. Tim Markus, Evergreen State Coll. Lib., Olympia, Wash. Find it here.
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WINNER OF THE NATIONAL OUTDOOR BOOK AWARD FOR NATURAL HISTORY LITERATURE A FINALIST FOR THE WILLIAM SAROYAN INTERNATIONAL PRIZE FOR WRITING A SEATTLE TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR When biologists Aaron Hirsh and Veronica Volny lead twelve college students to a remote fishing village on the Sea of Cortez, they encounter a bay of dazzling beauty and richness. But as the group begins its investigations―conducting ecological and evolutionary studies of the area and its natural inhabitants; listening to the stories of local villagers; and examining the journals of conquistadors and explorers―they realize that the sea is but a ghost of what it once was. And yet there is redemption in their difficult realization: as they find their places in a profoundly altered environment, they also recognize their roles in the path ahead, and ultimately come to see themselves in a new light. By turns epic and intimate, Telling Our Way to the Sea is a profound meditation on our changing relationships with nature―and with one another. Find it here. |
Tidepool Wonders of the Sea of Cortez Beautifully drawn specimens using classic scientific drawing techniques. This collection was carefully crafted by Dr. Farmer, whose paintings can also be found on the walls in select corners of the Vermilion Sea Field Station. Find it here.
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Between Pacific Tides
Find it here. |
The Forgotten Peninsula![]()
The author deftly weaves the materials of natural and human history into a radiant, tightly woven fabric. . . . This classic is a book for all seasons to be reread and savored over the years. “Latin America in Books” “His superb writing style and the timelessness of his subject (the natural world and the interaction of human beings with it) make this every bit as enjoyable today as it was in the 1960’s.” “Books of the Southwest” “Well-written and fascinating.” Journal of Arid Environments. Find it here. |