Summer's here and Canadian families are heading for the great outdoors. Whether your interest is in weekends at the cottage, camping, birding or hiking, here are some books to help you enjoy the best time of year: A Bird-Finding Guide to Canada Edited by J. Cam Finlay McClelland & Stewart 449 pages, $24.99, paperback This is a comprehensively revised edition of a wonderful birding guide first published in 1984. Birders from across the country have contributed updated chapters locating the best places to see various species in their provinces or territories.
The book covers Canada from offshore Vancouver and the Queen Charlotte Islands on the West Coast to St. John's, Nfld., to the east, and from Point Pelee in southern Ontario to Ellesmere Island in the Arctic. As editor, Finlay points out at the beginning that the book is designed to help "the beginner, the average naturalist and the keen "lister" to find new and not-so-new species while visiting interesting places."
Destinations include nearly all major urban centres, and most national and provincial parks. Instead of dividing the country scientifically by ecological zones, the chapters deal with provinces, an easier way for travellers to make a side-trip to catch a glimpse of one of the 600 bird species listed in the book. The Best of the Bruce Trail By Katherine Jacob The Conservation Lands of Ontario 104 pages, $17.95, paperback This slim book features 31 trails in the seven conservation areas, and the Bruce Peninsula itself, along the escarpment that runs from Niagara's wine country to Tobermory. It's a delightful introduction to Ontario's favourite long-distance pathway, which serves up scenic sections that are easily accessible and short enough for a day hike.
Each trail is described briefly and is accompanied by a detailed map and practical information. The book also has a large foldout map that shows the entire length of the Bruce Trail, a list of conservation authority and park contacts, a list of campsites and public swimming beaches, and information about canoe and kayak routes in the region.
The book is available at major book stores as well as outdoor shops like Trailhead, Mountain Equipment Co-op and Hikers Haven. Recipes for Wild Women: Canoe Tripper's Cookbook and Guide By Beth Mairs and J Wallace Bush Girls Press 73 pages, $14.95, paperback Published to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Wild Women Expeditions, Canada's largest women-only adventure travel company, this slim and cheeky book contains outdoor cooking tips and recipes collected over the years by WWE guides. Here you'll find the secrets to preparing their gourmet campfire meals accommodating vegetarians, vegans and those with food allergies.
Also here is advice about packing for an outdoor trip, how to dry foods in advance, and how to bake in the bush.
Primarily known for their canoe trips, Wild Women Expeditions, offers artistic retreats and getaways for women at its 81-hectare riverside camp just west of Sudbury. Recipes for Wild Women can be found in Mountain Equipment Co-op stores and, in Toronto, at Toronto Women's Book Store and Open Air Books and Maps. Direct purchases can be made by making cheques payable to WWE and mailing them to Bush Girl Press, P.O. Box 145, St. B, Sudbury, Ont., P3E 4N5. For information about their programs, see . The Kids Cottage Book By Jane Drake and Ann Love Illustrated by Heather Collins Kids Can Press 207 pages, 16.95, softcover This is one of three books written and illustrated by this trio over the last decade. The other two are The Kids Cottage Games Book and the The Kids Campfire Book. Each is filled with hundreds of activities, games, projects and stories to help pre-teens enjoy their outdoor camping trip, or summer at the cottage.
Every entry in these books is a model of brevity and is accompanied by an illustration. Every cottage owner with a young family should have a set of these on their shelves.