Favorite Field Guides

When I was a kid, I loved field guides. Even before I could read and fully understand the words, I would just flip through them to study the pictures. As an adult, I still love field guides. I consult them regularly to learn the human-given names of the organisms I encounter. I truly believe that when we learn the names of organisms, we inherently start to care more about them. With a changing world, it’s imperative that we learn more about the natural world around us so that it will help us care more about all of our shared future on this green planet. Check out some of my favorite field guides. Just a note, that if you click on the links and make a purchase, I’ll earn some money at no additional cost to you.

Sibley Guide to Birds

David Sibley’s guide books are amazing. Sibley’s Guide to Birds is the definitive guide to identifying feathered friends. There are several versions of the book, but the one I use all the time is the East Coast edition. The Sibley Guide to Birds covers the continental United States.

The book contains drawings of the birds in different stages of growth, so it will help you understand if you are seeing a juvenile or adult, male or female. The field guide also tells you geographically the birds tend to be seen. It’s user friendly and beautiful to look at.

Sibley Tree Book

David Sibley’s gorgeous tree illustrations in The Sibley Tree Book will help you identify trees by their leaves, seeds, branches, and bark. The Sibley Tree Book is one of my all-time favorite field guides to trees. I love trees and this book has helped me learn how to ID them easily.

This guide is a little oversized, which makes it harder to take out in the field. But the extra size is because there’s so much amazing information inside. It’s a must-have field guide for tree lovers and those who want to be better able to identify trees.

Butterflies of the Northeast

This pocket guide to Butterflies of the Northeast is the perfect size to tuck into your daypack. It’s arranged by color of butterfly, which makes it super easy to identify butterflies on the go. My favorite butterfly, the monarch, adorns the cover of the pocket guide. There are also images of some of the butterflies in caterpillar form. I have been a proud monarch caterpillar protector for decades.

Wildflowers of the Northeast

As mentioned above, these pocket guides that Adventure Keen produces are awesome. They are my publisher, too, so I may be a bit biased. I really like The Wildflowers of the Northeast pocket guide for the same reasons I like the butterfly guide. It’s easy to pack and arranged by color. Easy peasy.

The Wildflowers of the Northeast pocket guide features identification for wildflowers in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Garden Bugs & Insects of the Northeast: Identify Pollinators, Pests, and Other Garden Visitors

Another pocket guide from the folks at Adventure Keen focuses on Garden Bugs and Insects. They have them for other parts of the United States, but I use this one, as I garden in Philadelphia. This is a good quick guide that you can keep near your snips or in your shed if you want to identify the bugs you encounter while gardening.

There are about 100 species in the book, including insects such as bees, butterflies, lady beetles, grasshoppers, spider mites, and snails. The book focuses on bugs you might find in your garden if you live in the following states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, DC.

Field Guide to Wild Mushrooms of Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic

I have always been fascinated by mushrooms. I hate to eat them, but I love observing them and taking photos of them. Mushrooms are having their moment right now and more species are being identified. This book contains really lovely photos of all the mushrooms you might come across on your walks.

The Field Guide to Wild Mushrooms of Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic is a must-have if you are a budding mycophile or just want to learn the names of the cool mushrooms you come across.

Rocks & Minerals of North America

If you or a family member is one of those people who pick up rocks (you know who you are…), this book will help you identify your treasures. I amassed a huge rock collection for years before I started learning the names of all of the rocks and minerals out there.

The Rocks & Minerals of North America has great images and helps you figure out what you’ve found. I also really love to flip through and see what kinds rocks I have yet to find. I’ve got my sights set on agate hunting one of these days.

Common Mosses of the Northeast and Appalachians

I grew up in the Pocono Mountains, and if you’ve ever been there, you know the forests are filled with moss. I grew up a wild child in the 80s and spent a lot of my youth just hanging outside with the trees and moss. Moss are amazing little plants. They were some of the first plants to ever grow on Earth and still they thrive. They lack a vascular system, meaning they absorb nutrients from the air around them rather up through their roots.

If you’ve ever walked in the woods and felt the soft moss under your feet, you’ve felt the magic of moss. Common Mosses of the Northeast and Appalachians will help you learn the names we humans

Insects Golden Guide

I loved my Golden Guides as a kid. They were tattered and well-loved. This updated Insects Golden Guide helps you identify the creepy crawlies you encounter on your hikes. It has some great illustrations to help you figure out what you’re seeing. It even has info about the larval stages of bugs and insects and geographically where each kind of insect is found. The entire Golden Guides series is nostalgic to me.

Wild Philly

Wild Philly is an interesting book. It’s part field guide and part walking guide. It’s a bit oversized to take on the trail with you, but it’s a handsome book. It’s got great photos and illustrations and focuses on the flora and fauna you might encounter in and around the City of Philadelphia. It’s a good companion book to my hiking guide book.