Nature''s Year in the Kawarthas is an almanac of key events occurring in the natural world over the course of a year in the Kawartha Lakes district -- and in cottage country in general. Covering all areas of our flora and fauna as well as weather and the night sky, the book is a month-by-month chronicle of the mileposts of the passing seasons. From the raucous Spring Peeper chorus of April ... through the sweet scent of milkweed blossoms in July ... and the early-morning mists of September ... to the arrival of the first eagles in December -- all are noted for your interest.

Whenever you head out on your next walk or look up at the stars, Nature''s Year will be your informative guide. For each month, an introductory essay captures the spirit of the season, while an "at a glance" summary lists the key natural events occurring. Each category in the natural world -- from birds to the night sky -- is then covered in more detail. Finely detailed drawings complement the text.

Author Drew Monkman is a teacher in Peterborough, Ontario. An avid naturalist in the Kawartha Lakes area, he is past president of the Peterborough Field Naturalists.

As a youngster, Drew Monkman''s interest in nature began with frogs and turtles but soon grew to include birds and, eventually, all of the rest. He is a board member and past president of the Peterborough Field Naturalists and popular field trip leader. Drew also participates in a number of wildlife monitoring programs such as the Breeding Bird Survey, the Marsh Monitoring Program and the new Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas. As an educator, Drew emphasizes environmental education in all his teaching and strives to develop in his students a basic literacy in the workings of the natural world. Drew has also been involved for the past twelve years in schoolyard naturalization and has written several articles on this topic. A journalism graduate from Université Laval in Quebec City, Drew is married with four children. Nature''s Year in the Kawarthas is the result of twenty years of careful observation of natural phenomena in the Peterborough area where he has lived for almost his entire life.