International Field Guides List

Please help us: If you want to add to this list of resources we already have for a country OR give us information for a country not listed here, please email the information to: [email protected] Thank you in advance for helping future generations of Kamana students!

Austria/Germany

Tausend Wunder auf Stillen Wegen
Hans Wilhelm Smolik, Union Verlag Stuttgart. Very old.

Das Kritische Heilpflanzen
Wolfgang Holzner ISBN 3-85368-965-5

Blätter von Bäumen
Susanne Fischer Rizzi ISBN 3-88034-683-6

Medizin der Erde
Susanne Fischer Rizzi ISBN 3-89631-390-8

Bäume und Sträucher des Waldes
AMANN

Federn, Spuren, und Zeichen
Brown, Ferguson, Lawrence, Lees ISBN 3-89104-539-5

Birds

Der neue Kosmos Vogelführer
Svensson/Grant/Mullarney/Zetterström, ISBN 3-440-07720-9, 1999
Great, my absolute favorite ! Fieldguide. Covers all of Europe and the mediterranean coast of Asia and Africa. Wonderful drawings. Not for beginners!

BLV Handbuch Vögel
Einhard Bezzel, ISBN 3­ 405-14763-0
Manual on breeding birds of Central Europe. Much good information.

Kosmos Naturführer : Greifvögel Europas
Theodor Mebs, ISBN 3-440-06838-2, 1994
Manual on Birds of prey in central Europe.

Vögel der Alpen ( Birds of the Alps )
Ulrich Brendel, Ulmer, 1998
Simple drawings, but good and specific information.

Venomous things

Giftpflanzen in Natur und Garten
W.Buff/K.v.d.Dunk, Paul Parey ed., ISBN 3-489-55222-9, 1988
Venomous Plants in House and Garden

Giftpflanzen, Gifttiere
H.Altmann, BLV, ISBN 3-405-14186-0, 1995
Ven. Plants and animals

Amphibians

Steinbach Naturführer : Lurche und Kriechtiere
G.Diesener/J. Reichholf, Mosaik, ISBN 3-576-10697-9, 1986
Field guide, photos, good information. All of Europe covered.

Amphibien und Reptilien erkennen und schützen
Blab/Vogel, BLV, ISBN 3-405-14936-3, 1996
More a manual, drawings and photos, good information.

Immigrated species
Neue Tiere und Pflanzen in der heimischen Natur
M. Ludwig, BLV, ISBN3-405-15776-5, 2002
Plants and animals from other continents which grow and live wild by now. Helpful if you can’t identify things with native field guides.

Plants

I have not found a real good book for beginners. There is nothing like Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. For me the following worked best:

Kosmos Naturführer : Was blüht denn da ?
Aichele/Golte-Bechtle, ISBN 3-440-07244-4, 1997
Wildflowers of central Europe. Good drawings. Works with color and number of petals. Learned a lot just by leafing through. Not much information.

Steinbachs Naturführer : Beeren, Wildgemüse, Heilkräuter (berries, wild vegetables, medicinal plants)
Grau/Jung/ Münker, Mosaik, ISBN 3-570-01183-6, 1983
Berries, wild vegetables, medicinal plants. Field guide.

Pflanzen auf Wiesen und am Wasser
Vetvicka/ Krejcova, Dausien, 1881
Got it at a sale, probably not available anymore, but beautiful drawings and good info about a selected group of plants

Medizin der Erde
Susanne Fischer-Rizzi, Heyne, 1999
Manual of medicinal plants. Lore and recipes.

If you really go for it ­ sooner or later a scientific book for identification is needed :
Exkursionsflora von Deutschland, Band 3 (Gefäßpflanzen : Atlasband)
W. Rothmaler, Spektrum ed., ISBN 3-8274-0926-8, 1995
Scientific, black and white drawings. If you suspect it is a Valeriana etc. but something does not fit the descriptions in your field guide exactly, this book covers all the varieties. Mostly for Germany, works all right for Austria.

Trees

GU Naturführer Bäume
Gregor Aas, Andreas Riedmüller, 1987
Basic field guide, only photos, not much information. Good to start with.

Steinbachs Naturführer Bäume
Bruno Kremer, Mosaik, 1996
Good field guide, more information, photos and drawings.

Pareys Buch der Bäume
Alan Mitchell, John Wilkinson, 1997
Just drawings. British book ­ the British are great gardeners; this covers also all the exotic trees in gardens and parks

Knospen und Zweige ( buds and twigs)
Jean-Denis Godet, 1999

Blüten ( flowers of trees )
Jean-Denis Godet, 1997

Blätter von Bäumen
Susanne Fischer-Rizzi, Irisiana, 1993
Lore, healing properties, recipes

und du begleitest mich
Erwin Thoma, Edition Thoma, 1999
About different woods. From a carpenter who collects old knowledge about trees and wood.

Edition Wildniswissen: Bäume. Das Haarkleid der Erde
Regina Sommer, Biber Verlag, ISBN: 978-3-9806236-5-0

Mammals

Steinbachs Naturführer Säugetiere
Josef Reichholf, Mosaik, 1996
Good basic, field guide, photos

Raubwild heute ( Carnivores )
Bruno Hespeler, BLV, 1995
More a manual. Good info, also about history and hunt.

Tracks

Tierspuren
Bang/Dahlström, BLV, 2002
Great, a must!

Insects

Kosmos Naturführer Bienen, Wespen, Ameisen (Bees, wasps, ants)
Heiko Bellmann, 1995
Good info

Libellen (Dragonflies)
Heiko Bellmann, Natur Buch Verlag, 1993

From the National Park Hohe Tauern (Austrian Alps) there are books on plants and vertebrates ­ not very systematic info, but okay.

Books I used but would not necessarily recommend :

Mammals

Pareys Buch der Säugetiere
G.Corbet/ D. Ovenden, 1980
For the sketches, contains also some skulls. Not much information otherwise.

BLV Bestimmungsbuch Säugetiere
D. Schilling, BLV, 1983
Good for the sketches, some useful info.

If different editions offer books on the same topic usually the Steinbach Naturführer are the best (in my opinion, like Peterson). There is a good one on ferns, lichens and mosses, one on butterflies

Community Contacts

Haus der Natur Museum in Salzburg

Natur & Wildnisschule der Alpen (Nature and Wilderness School of the Alps, in Austria) Email: [email protected] Neder 83, 6094 Grinzens/Tirol, Österreich. A Kamana student instructor and many classes.

Natyoure, Nature and Wilderness programs. [email protected] in Austria.

I would contact the National Parks of Austria. Should not be difficult for a student to find.

There are several Nature and Survival schools by students of Tom Brown and WAS in Germany and Austria. For southern Austria a very good address would be Natur Agentur, www.naturagentur.at – they offer a lot of courses for children and grown ups in coyote teaching fashion.

BirdLife Österreich ( Austrian society of ornithology ), www.birdlife.at – they have a program each year with excursions in the different parts of Austria.

Canada

Plants of the Western Boreal Forest and Aspen Parkland.
Johnson, Kershaw, MacKinnon, Pojar. 1995, Lone Pine ISBN 1-55105-058-7
“I can’t imagine not having this book. It is comprehensive, with detailed descriptions of native uses. Includes mosses and lichens, which is useful for Kamana Three.”

Mammals of Alberta
Donald Pattie. ISBN 1-55105-209-1

Birds of Alberta
Chris Fisher and John Acorn ISBN 1-55105-173-4

Bugs of Alberta
John Acorn ISBN 1-55105146-X

Trees and Shrubs of Alberta
ISBN 0-919433-39-1

Trees of Canada
John Laird Farrar ISBN 1-55041-199-3

“These books all make life easier for a Kamana Two Student. Bugs of Alberta, a local best-seller, has been followed up by Tiger Beetles of Alberta and Butterflies of Alberta, with the characteristic humour and passion of John Acorn.”

Also interesting, but not as essential:

Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rocky Mountains and Neighboring Territories
Terry Willard, MD. ISBN 0-9691727-2-9
“The main problem with this book is the length of its title. Otherwise a fine resource on plant uses by an herbalist who runs a school in Calgary.”

Naturescape Alberta is a good book on naturalizing your backyard. Website is www.naturescape.ab.ca

The Federation of Alberta Naturalists-Field Guide to Alberta Birds
McGillvray and Semenchak. 1998, Federation of Alberta Naturalists ISBN 0-9696134-2-3
“Used this along with Birds of Alberta. Has some additional information useful for journals.” Pretty cool that there’s a federation of AB naturalists.

Wildflowers of Alberta
Kathleen Wilkinson. 1999, Lone Pine @ University of Alberta Press. ISBN 0-88864-298-9
“Not as consistent as Plants of the Western Boreal Forest, but as you head towards the prairie region of the province, to the south, this book may become more useful. Listings by family, which helps in Kamana Three.”

Mushrooms of Western Canada
Helene Schalkwijk-Barendsen, 1991, Lone Pine ISBN 0-919433-47-2
A beautifully illustrated book that will appeal to artists as well as naturalists. Comprehensive, with 550 species, covering an area from Alaska to Manitoba, south to California.

Amphibians and Reptiles of Alberta
Russell and Bauer. 2000, University of Calgary Press ISBN 1-55238-038-6
“Optional for Kamana Two. I actually used it quite a lot, and would recommend it even more for higher levels, Kamana Three and up. Lots of information that I haven’t seen anywhere else.”

Community Contacts

A Yahoo group called yahoogroups.com/albertatrackers

Government of Alberta has monitoring projects for amphibians etc www.gov.ab.ca/env/fw/amphib/index.html

Wildwood (www.ecoforestry.ca) Merv Wilkinson, citizen forester with 136 acres of sustainable logging on Vancouver Island. 1-250-245-5540

Oak and Orca Bioregional School. Alternative Elementary School. 2738 Higgins St., Victoria, BC Canada. 1-250-383-6609

Good places for books: Mountain Equipment Co-op and University of Alberta bookstore, also Wildbird General Store in Edmonton.

Place to visit: Provincial Museum of Alberta, in Edmonton
Clifford E. Lee Bird Sanctuary, west of the city near Devon

POSSIBLE JOURNALING CHANGES FOR CANADA
Lynx (Lynx canadensis) instead of bobcat (Lynx rufus)

Australia (Primarily Eastern Australia)

Field Guides for Australian Hazards

1. Australia’s Dangerous Creatures.
Publisher: Reader’s Digest, 1987
ISBN 0864380186

Excellent resource with detailed information on both animals and plants ( info on plants more limited). Contain range maps and good photographs for identification. Purchased mine in 2nd hand book shop.

2. Venomous Creatures of Australia.
Author: Sutherland and Sutherland         Publisher: Oxford
ISBN: 0195553306           Price: $34.95

Another good resource, only contains animals. Clear photographs and range maps. Can be time consuming reading information when journaling.

3. CRONIN’S KEY GUIDE: Australian Wildlife.
Author: Leonard Cronin.                                  Publisher: Allen & Unwin, 2007
ISBN: 9781741750751                                    Price: $35.00

Range maps, coloured line drawings of animals, easy to journal from, as info under clear headings. One limitation, line drawings are small, so identification not as easy. Use in conjunction with the above 2 resources. Not essential.

4. CRONIN’S KEY GUIDE: Australian Reptiles and Amphibians.
Author: Leonard Cronin                                    Publisher: Envirobook, 2001
ISBN: 0858811863                                          Price: $35.00

This can be used instead of CRONIN”S Wildlife when journaling snakes. Line drawings much larger, and easier to see field marks for identification. Not essential.

Field Guides for Australian Mammals

5. A Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia.
Author: Peter Menkhorst, Frank Knight.             Publisher: Oxford
ISBN: 019550870X                                          Price: $45.00

A must. Best field guide I have seen for mammals and for ease of use. Jon Young recommends using Field Guides with coloured line drawings that are anatomically correct, in normal baseline posture and show clearly field marks for identification.. For this single reason I recommend this Field Guide.

6. Tracks, Scats and Other Traces: a Field Guide To Australian Mammals.
Author: Barbara Triggs.                               Publisher: Oxford
ISBN: 0195550994                                     Price: $$39.95

One of only a few books on this subject in Australia, so makes this essential for Kamana. Recommend using post- it notes when journaling a mammal species as information has been separated into different sections making it challenging when doing 30 minute journals. Post it notes or other page tags speeds the process up.

7. CRONIN’S KEY GUIDE: Australian Wildlife.
Author: Leonard Cronin.                                  Publisher: Allen & Unwin, 2007
ISBN: 9781741750751                                    Price: $35.00

Can be used to supplement journals. Not essential.

Field Guides for Australian Plants

8. USEFUL WEEDS AT OUR DOORSTEP.
Author: Pat Collins                            Publisher: Pat Collins
ISBN: 0646364685                           Total Health & Education Centre Ph: 02 65411884

A very good field guide with local, common species, detailing the many gifts of each plant. Does not contain range maps. Have not used this as yet in my Kamana studies, however looks like a very handy resource and easy to use.

9. Field Guide To The native plants of Sydney
Author: Les Robinson                           Publisher: Kangaroo Press, 1991.
ISBN: 0731812115                              Price: $39.95

Known as the “bible” for bush regenerators and people interested in Botany. Line drawings are very useful, simple and clear. Basic information on identification and also contains historical uses of plants by Aboriginals and early European settlers of Australia. No range maps, only a few species on study list of Kamana 2 in this Field Guide, however very good for Kamana 3 &4. Although it covers Sydney area, many species are common in other areas of the East Cast of Australia.

10.  TOM BROWN’S FIELD GUIDE TO WILDERNESS SURVIVAL
Author: Tom Brown with Brandt Morgan              Publisher: Berkley Books,1983
ISBN: 042505876X                                            Price: $14.00 (US)

This Field Guide although North American, contains many cosmopolitan plant species that are present in Australia and on the Kamana Plant Study List. Contains line drawings, and very good, basic information on the gifts and uses of each plant.

Field Guides to Australian Ecological Indicators

11. CRONIN’S KEY GUIDE: Australian Wildlife.
Author: Leonard Cronin.                                  Publisher: Allen & Unwin, 2007
ISBN: 9781741750751                                    Price: $35.00

Very simple and easy to use Field Guide, especially for Ecological indicators. Contains coloured line drawings, range maps and basic information.

12. A Field Guide to Frogs of Australia.
Author: Martyn Robinson                                 Publisher: Reed Books Australia, 1994.
ISBN: 0730103935

A very useful supplementary Field Guide. Photographs are large and clearly show field marks. Contains good info and range maps for journaling.

Field Guides for Australian Trees
The following Field Guides are all excellent in their own way, however I have found no single field guide in Australia that contains all the information required for journaling trees. Each of these field guides supplement each other. One has excellent line drawings, another photographs, another good range maps and the last contains basic but excellent info on Aboriginal uses.

13 Field Guide To The Native Plants of Sydney
Author: Les Robinson                           Publisher: Kangaroo Press, 1991.
ISBN: 0731812115                              Price: $39.95

Known as the “bible” for bush regenerators and people interested in Botany. Line drawings are very useful, simple and clear. Basic information on identification and also contains historical uses of plants by Aboriginals and early European settlers of Australia. No range maps. Although it covers Sydney area, many species are common in other areas of the East Cast of Australia

14 EUCALYPTS OF THE SYDNEY REGION- a bushwalker’s guide.
Author: Gary Leonard                           Publisher: UNSW Press, 2007
ISBN: 9780868408620                         Price: $27.15

One of my favourite Field Guides to use. For Eucalypts and Agophoras this is gold. Contains photographs of the bark of each species, simple clear line drawings of the silouhete of tree( shape or form), drawings of flower buds and capsule. Information is excellent to enable quick journaling. Highly recommended for Kamana. Although it covers Sydney area , many species are common in other areas of the East Cast of Australia.

15. CRONIN’S KEY GUIDE – Australian Trees
Author: Leonard Cronin                        Publisher: JACANA BOOKS/ ALLEN & UNWIN
ISBN: 2007                                         Price: $35.00

Easy, simple to use for quick reference and journaling make this an excellent supplementary Field guide for studying trees in Kamana. Contains coloured line drawings of each species showing leaf arrangement, leaf, fruit, flowers and sometimes form of tree. Also contains range map. Does not contain any information about the gifts of each tree or the bark(very useful for identification).

16. ABORIGINAL land use at Tocal – the Wonnarua Story
Author: Jennifer Laffan and Cameron Archer        Publisher: NSW Agriculture TOCAL, 2004
ISBN: 0731305779         Phone: 02 49398888     Web: www.tocal.com

A must for Kamana Program. Contains basic, very good information on the known uses of local plants to be used by the Wonnarua People of the Hunter Valley.  Easy to use and supplements the above Field Guides really well. Due to many of the plant species being found in many parts of Eastern Australia, this guide can be used for this part of Australia.

Another Field Guide to condsider for the study of Trees in the Kamana Program is Bushwise by Pat Collins.

Field Guides for Australian Birds

17. THE FIELD GUIDE to the BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA.
Author: Graham Pizzey & Frank Knight                Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0207198217

My favourite Field Guide for studying, journaling birds in Kamana . Beautiful, clear line drawings with each bird anatomically correct, in a baseline resting position showing Field marks. Easy to use with good basic information and range maps. This Field Guide also contains a section in back of Field Guide on all the bird Families in Australia which is required for Kamana 3.

18. Field Guide to Australian Birds
Author: Michael Morcombe                                 Publisher: Steve Parish Publishing
ISBN:174021417X                                            Price: $45.00

Another excellent Field Guide for Kamana. This guide contains excellent line drawings with key identification features beside each illustration. This guide contains nests and eggs of all bird species that breed in Australia, which is required for journaling birds. Used in conjunction with above guide, perfect combination for Kamana Program.

A huge thanks to Matt Forde who put all this together for Australia!

Ireland

Mammals

Collins Complete Guide to Wildlife by Paul Sterry
Exploring Irish Mammals by The Heritage Service

Plants

Pocket Guide Wildflowers of Britain and Northern Europe by Richard Fitter, Alistair Fitter, and Marjorie Blamey
Food for Free by Richard Mabey
Photoguide to Ferns, Mosses, and Lichens of Britain and Northern and Central Europe by Hans Martin Jahn

Trees

Collins Guide to Trees by Owen Johnson and David More

Birds

Irish Birds by David Cabot
Ireland’s Garden Birds by Oran O’Sullivan and Jim Wilson

Ecological Indicators

Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Britain and Europe by Nicholas Arnold and Denys Ovenden
Collins Field Guide Butterflies of Britain and Europe by Tom Tolman and Richard Lewington
Field Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland by Paul Waring, Martin Townsend, and Richard Lewington
Field Guide to the Insects of Britain and Northern Europe by Peter J. Miller
Field Guide to Mushrooms and Toadstools of Britain and Europe

Tracking

Animal Tracking Basics by Jon Young and Tiffany Morgan
Animal Tracks and Sign by Preben Bang and Preben Dahlstrom

Myths, Legends, and Folklore

Irish Wild Plants: Myths, Legends, and Folklore by Niall Mac Coitir
Irish Trees: Myths, Legends, and Folklore by Niall Man Coitir

Britain

Bang, P. and Dahlstrøm, P. Animal Tracks and Signs. Oxford University Press.

Sterry, P. Collins Complete Guide to British Animals. Collins.

Wills, K. Outdoor First Aid: A Practical Manual. Pesda Press.

Cooper, M.R., Johnson A.W. and Dauncey E.A., Poisonous Plants and Fungi: An 
Illustrated Guide. TSO.

Blamey, M., Fitter, R., and Fitter, A. Wildflowers of Britain and Ireland. A & C Black.

Podlech, D. Herbs and Healing Plants of Britain and Europe. Collins.

Mabey, R. Food For Free. Collins.

Mitchell, A.. Trees of Britain. Collins.

Mears, R. Outdoor Survival Handbook. Ebury Press.

Holden, P. & Cleeves T. RSPB Handbook of British Birds. Helm.

Reader’s Digest Nature Lover’s Library. Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of Britain.

Reader’s Digest Nature Lover’s Library. Field Guide to the Animals of Britain.

Reader’s Digest Nature Lover’s Library. Field Guide to the Butterflies and other 
Insects of Britain.

Reader’s Digest Nature Lover’s Library. Field Guide to the Water Life of Britain.

(Note: The Reader’s Digest series is excellent. Some of the range maps are dated, but otherwise they are worth their weight in gold and they can be picked up very cheaply in second hand bookshops or on Amazon. Even though some of the subject matter overlaps with some of the other recommended guides, they also contain additional information and are an excellent complement to the other guides.)

If you already have alternative field guides to the ones above etc, please get in touch before buying more. It might be that you don’t need to!

Wilderness Awareness School