Blog

The Willamette Valley is bursting with green growth and spring blossoms. And Monday is Earth Day. We can't resist sharing a few arrivals, perfect for the occasion.

The newest addition to our Northwest Reprints series is naturalist, philosopher, and essayist Kathleen Dean Moore's Holdfast: At Home in the Natural World. Moore has written a moving afterword for this edition exploring the new responsibilities of nature writers as the world faces the consequences of climate change. 

Today we're pleased to share a preview of Robert and Martha Manning's new book, Walking Distance: Extraordinary Hikes for Ordinary People—just announced as a finalist for a Book of the Year Award. This essay, adapted from the book, was originally published in the Chronicle Reviewon December 10, 2012.

Long Walks, Deep Thoughts

One of my favorite parts of the day is the half-hour walk between my home and campus, when I reflect on my teaching and research. Lately I've been walking farther, hiking some of the world's great long-distance trails—across England, around Mont Blanc, along the coastlines of North America and Australia, among the world's iconic mountains, including the Appalachians, Rockies, Sierra Nevadas, Alps, and Andes. Every day on the trail is an adventure that engages me both physically and intellectually.

Today, designated as Linus Pauling Day in Oregon by Governor Kitzhaber, we join our colleagues in celebrating the two-time laureate and OSU's most famous alumni. The public is invited to attend two campus events on Thursday, February 28: The Special Collections and Archives Research Center (SCARC) will offer a tour of the Pauling Papers from 11 am to noon on the 5th floor of the Valley Library, and a lunch and tour of the The Linus Pauling Institute begins at noon. For more details, read the coverage in The Oregonian and  Life@OSU.

We're pleased to share a preview of five more books coming this spring from OSU Press.

Land Snails and Slugs of the Pacific Northwest, the long-awaited, comprehensive guide to snails and slugs of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and western Montana, will finally be available to naturalists in need  of a definitive reference. Author Thomas E. Burke includes 280 full-color photographs by William P. Leonard, plus range maps, identification keys, and species accounts for most species.

We're pleased to introduce nine new books this spring. Here's part one of our sneak preview...

Hot off the press (just in time for Lincoln's birthday) is historian Richard Etulain's new book Lincoln and Oregon Country Politics in the Civil War Era. Join us for a publication celebration on Sunday, February 24 at 2 pm at the Oregon Historical Society.

Stream ecologist Judith L. Li's new book for children, Ellie's Log: Exploring the Forest Where the Great Tree Fell, features the explorations of ten-year-old Ellie and her friend, Ricky, in the forest where Ellie lives. Rich illustrations by M. L. Herring describe the forest visually, and pages from Ellie's own field notebook provide a model to readers for keeping their own log book of scientific observation. An accompanying Teacher's Guide and website will provide rich resources for classroom and home use.