Nature Talks to New Zealanders was recommended to me from some New Zealand homeschoolers who thought it was an absolute gem. I agree!
I purchased it and read it to my kids and we were delighted. I thought we have to see this one republished. So here it is!
Philip Crosbie Morrison was a respected Australian naturalist who was able to communicate his passion for nature to others. This book tells about his visit to New Zealand in the 1950’s. He often uses Australian examples for contrast in his explanations of his New Zealand observations. His stories are humorous and knowledgeable. This inspiring nature study book is for the Australians and New Zealanders.
He does mention evolutionary theory as fact in some of his chapters. These can be edited out, as desired but the excellent strength of this book is the charming nature stories.
The book also comes with 25 black and white illustrations for you to use with your nature journaling.
Available through Downunder Literaure as an ebook. You can also find it second hand.
An exerpt from the book
“It is almost traditional in some of the alpine resorts in the South Island that if you change your footwear after mountain climbing or ice-hopping, and leave your boots in the open, the keas will come down and examine them and chew them to pieces. If you have a tent in their territory, they will begin by trying to land on the sloping roof. They fail to get a foothold, and slide down the canvas, and as soon as that has happened once, the intelligent birds see the possibilities of it and play follow-the-leader until, if there is no occupant to come and chase them away, they make a tear in the canvas. Once that has happened they have a grand time making more tears and apparently thoroughly enjoying the sound of canvas tearing. They will go inside a camp and investigate everything there, taking samples with their tremendously powerful beaks. On these escapades they seem to enjoy company and, like bad boys, one eggs the other on and so they get more and more mischievous. Usually they work in little groups of three or half a dozen.“
