July 13 - Rathtrevor nature house

The provincial parks system in British Columbia is yet another facet of public works getting bashed by assorted levels of government. Campgrounds, for example, are all run on contract by private companies and individuals who have to meet assorted standards without receiving any funds for it. The operators are thus put in the odd position of being required to be the lowest bidder providing the widest range of services for which campers won't have to pay. The nature house at Rathtrevor Park is precisely one of these services, and the operator has hired a young naturalist who does his best without much money (or experience, but that's another story) to teach kids about nature. We had a great time this week at a few sessions, and I threw a fair bit of cash at the Nature House store on ice cream, toys, and, inevitably, books.

In other words:

• Jay Bookman, Caught in the Current: Searching for Simplicity in the Technological Age ($1.40, which is actually about several guys on an annual kayaking trip, rather than being a management or self-improvement book [not that I don't need improvement, clearly])
• David M. Carroll, Swampwalker’s Journal: A Wetlands Year ($14.50)
• Hannah Holmes, Suburban Safari: A Year on the Lawn ($6.30)
• Barbara Hurd, Entering the Stone: On Caves and Feeling Through the Dark ($6.30)

The next time I'm there, I just might clean out their sale shelves and buy some more full-price nature books as well. For such a small store, they had an excellent selection of nature writing, along with miscellaneous manuals and informational texts. Go! Buy! Donate!