Keep this family-friendly resource handy to answer your questions about nature and wildlife throughout the Midwestern United States. When it comes to the great outdoors, it’s only natural to be curious. Perhaps you’ll find some animal tracks while camping, or maybe a child will ask, “How do birds fly?” during a hike. You might not have a naturalist with you, but Nature Smart: Midwest is the next best thing! Written by award-winning author, naturalist, and wildlife photographer Stan Tekiela, the book is fun, accessible, and filled with information for readers of all ages. Topics are divided into chapters, beginning with ecosystems—from windswept prairies and lush forests to tranquil wetlands. Stan also introduces a variety of wildlife, including birds, bugs, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, as well as several plants and mushrooms. Every chapter begins with a simple overview and flows into easy-to-understand Q&As, combining engaging storytelling with scientific insights that reveal surprising facts. Nature Smart: Midwest is more than a nature guide. It turns ordinary moments into learning experiences, and it’s a step toward environmental stewardship. It helps individuals, families, and classrooms connect with the outdoors and cultivate a lasting appreciation for the natural world. Inside You’ll Find: Insightful explanations of prairie, wetland, and forest habitats - Tips for birdwatching, wildlife tracking, and plant identification - Beautifully illustrated sections for identifying animals, plants, and mushrooms - Conservation advice and actions you can take to protect biodiversity Created for the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, this is your guide to seeing nature with fresh eyes. Stan Tekiela has been a professional naturalist for more than 35 years and is a member of the Minnesota Naturalists’ Association, Outdoor Writers Association of America, North American Nature Photography Association, and Canon Professional Services. Stan actively studies and photographs wildlife throughout the United States and Canada. He has received various national and regional awards for outdoors education and writing. His syndicated nature column appears in more than 20 cities, and his wildlife programs are broadcast on a number of Midwest radio stations. Stan has authored hundreds of field guides, quick guides, nature books, children’s books, and more. He lives in Minnesota’s Twin Cities. Bird Smart A small flash of yellow-and-black alights on the willow branch in front of you. For a moment, you glimpse a bird’s cocked head and bright eyes, then it’s gone. You stop in your tracks and marvel that something could be that beautiful. Many of us see something grand stored in the body of a bird. A bird’s fascinating behaviors, melodic songs, and majestic colors add beauty and mystery to our lives. We marvel at birds’ ability to fly, the way they travel from south to north and back again to precise locations, and the way they build their intricate nests with just their bills. Bird watching has a magic like no other type of nature observation. It brings many to the woods, wetlands, and prairies to see a new or rare species and to reconnect with the land. In fact, bird watching is a billion-dollar industry in this country. It is a wonderfully simple yet rewarding hobby that is a great family activity. The only expense involved is a pair of binoculars or camera and whatever traveling you wish to do. You needn’t go far. It is not uncommon for a bird watcher to see as many as 50 kinds of birds in their backyard. Birds are a distinct group of animals that have feathers covering their bodies and scales covering their legs, reproduce by laying eggs, and have bills. Even though all birds share these characteristics, there is tremendous variety in their size, shape, and color. They range from the tiny, iridescent hummingbird, weighing one-tenth of an ounce (3 g), to the largest bird, the ostrich, often weighing up to 300 pounds (137 kg). Worldwide, there are over 11,000 kinds of birds. Of those, about 2,000 species live in North America. The first birds appeared in the middle of the Jurassic Period of the dinosaurs approximately 150 million years ago (humans have been around only two million years). They have adapted to every imaginable habitat. We find some birds soaring over the oceans and some living exclusively in the highest branches of a rainforest. They each have body parts that allow them to take advantage of the food available in their habitat. The long necks of geese and swans enable them to feed on plants deep in the water. The dagger-like bills of herons are adapted for catching fish. And the broad, flat wings of hawks permit their soaring flights in search of mice and snakes. There is wide variety in the diets of different species of birds. Some are seed eaters, others eat insects, and still others eat mammals or even other b