If you’re a reader interested in learning more about nature, then you’ve probably browsed a few book lists looking for recommendations and quickly got overwhelmed by the sheer amount of nature books that exist. There are certainly some classics such as Silent Spring or Walden , but it can be hard to decipher what to read when selecting more current publications. At Severson Dells, our staff is full of voracious readers (seriously, three different people got books about octopi in the holiday gift exchange) and are happy to provide some recommendations! These recommendations are more recent publications, within the last ten years, and have all been read and enjoyed by at least one member of the staff here at Severson. They vary in topic, but all share the common thread of getting people engaged in the nature around them.

A new study published in the journal Nature, titled Sea Level Much Higher Than Assumed in Most Coastal Hazard Assessments is making headlines around the world. In case you missed it, researchers have recently found that coastal sea levels are, on average, 8 -12 inches higher than many maps and models have previously suggested. This discovery means that many coastal areas are at an even greater risk from rising sea levels than we previously believed.