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Volunteers and staff at Greenwood are big readers of books about wild ones. We’ve put together this booklist of titles we recommend. Many of these can be requested through our alliance of local public libraries. If you prefer to purchase books, you can earn donations for Greenwood (at no-cost to you) by shopping on Amazon Smile. Simply login, choose “Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Sanctuary” as your the recipient of your support, and start shopping for wild books!

This booklist will be updated frequently, so check back often for new titles. Happy reading!

The Animal Dialogues by Craig Child
Recommended by Julie S.
The Birds of Pandemonium by Michelle Raffin
Recommended by Julie S., Animal Care Volunteer
Chasing Doctor Dolittle by Con Slobodchikoff
Recommended by Julie S., Animal Care Volunteer
Coyote America by Dan Flores
Recommended by Laura B., Animal Care Liaison
The Geese of Beaver Bog by Bernd Heinrich
Recommended by Ingrid T., Animal Care Mentor Volunteer
“Learn about the secret social lives of Canada Geese (including some extramarital affairs!) on a pond near the author’s home. This is a delightful book by a scientist written for non-scientists.”
The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman
Recommended by Donna N., licensed bird and bat rehabilitator.
“[This book] sheds light on an age old myth that ‘bird brained’ means having lesser intelligence. Birds have greater cognitive ability and problem solving skills than previously thought and some bird’s intelligence rivals that of primates. This book is an enjoyable read and gets one to appreciate these animals that often go unnoticed and underappreciated.”
The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife by Nancy Lawson
Recommended by Laura B., Animal Care Liaison
“A really lovely book about how to re-wild our backyard spaces. Planting native flora with a hands-off approach will bring harmony and coexistence to your property between you and countless non-human families. For all of our endless human development, we can each give a little space and natural habitat back to our wild neighbors.”
Listening to Cougar by Marc Bekoff & Cara Blessley Lowe
Recommended by Ingrid T., Animal Care Mentor Volunteer
“This anthology presents our relationship with mountain lions from a variety of perspectives, ranging from hunters to wildlife biologists and managers to people who were deeply moved by their encounter with a cougar.”
A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold
Recommended by Julie S., Animal Care Volunteer
“Every naturalist’s bible, it is the perfect start for anyone wanting to dip their toe into ecology and conservation. Although first published in 1949, it rings even more true today than ever before.”
Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic by David Quammen
Recommended by Rachel B., Animal Care Intern
Squirrel Rescue by Jennifer Keats Curtis
Recommended by Lea P., Animal Care Supervisor
“It is a great book about the adventure of two kids who find a baby squirrel and how they go about reuniting it with its mom. What child would not want to be with its mom?!”
Watership Down by Richard Adams
Recommended by Kat R., Animal Care Volunteer
“[The story] focuses on the travels and trials of a group of rabbits that have been pushed out of their warren by human intervention. It’s a sweeping, beautiful book, and it’s one of my favorites!”
What I Don’t Know About Animals by Jenny Diski
Recommended by Julie S., Animal Care Volunteer
Wild Neighbors by John Hadidian
Recommended by Laura B., Animal Care Liaison
“The go-to resource for every human who wants to be a better neighbor to the wildlife with whom we cohabitate (whether we like them or not). Proper introductions are made to species that are common to our neighborhoods while detailing behavior, range, and other species-specific facts with just the right amounts of gravitas and snark. We learn how to humanely resolve familiar human-wildlife conflicts and how we might harmoniously coexist with furred, feathered, and scaled folk.”
Zoobiquity by Barbara Natterson-Horowitz & Kathryn Bowers
Recommended by Julie S., Animal Care Volunteer.
“A fascinating scientific read that’s bound to make anyone feel closer to their animal peers. I now walk around knowing as an Ashkenazi Jewish woman that I share a genetic mutation with jaguars — who knew?!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wild Books