WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Choosing a field guide

I'm lucky. I don't really need a field guide because I have a real live naturalist going with me when I'm exploring in the woods! But not all of us are that lucky, so I asked Naturalist Bridget Butler if she had some suggestions for guide books, for those who don't have a naturalist in their back pocket!

"I think there are field guides for all different types of things that you might want to see outside, so sometimes it can be really overwhelming. The two biggest distinctions that you'll see right away, are that some guides have photos, and some have drawings. I like the drawings because they tend to have more detail. And each bird, or turtle or whatever you see, can have differences in their own colors and textures and all of that, so I like drawings better."

"The other big thing that a lot of people have a problem with is getting the biggest guide possible with all of the different species in it that would could ever want."

"Try carrying that around in your back pack!"

"Something like this, could be a little bit too much. But, it has a lot of detail and it has all of the birds of North America. Keep that at home as a reference, and pick up something that is smaller and a little bit more regional."

"When it comes to birds, you can get an eastern guide. And then, you could even drill down farther, for something like wildflowers, there are actually guides that are based on wildflowers that you can find in the state. And this one is wildflowers of Vermont, which I love, because it's just going to be the wildflowers that you're going to see in Vermont."

"Which makes sense, you don't need to lug around book that's going to show you what's going on in Arizona if you're looking in Vermont."

"Right, and it makes it much more confusing!

And then! What about kids? Kids need guides too, and these are two of my favorite, there's Peterson's First Guides, and then Golden Guides. And these are smaller, pocket-sized guides which are great, they have the most common birds you're going to see, or the most common insects around, and they're really, really simple so it's fun to be able to get kids into it, by using some of these smaller First Guides or Golden Guides."

"I think I'd like that one for me!"

"Could be a good way to start as an adult too!"