Ontario Nature Guide.

Beryl Hamilton is a freelance writer in Thunder Bay who specializes in
home gardening.

Ontario Nature Guide is a colour-coded reference work to 382 animals, plants (herbs, shrubs, trees, grasses), mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish, and invertebrates.

The beginning of the book helpfully identifies each subject by name and includes relevant page numbers for tracking down detailed information. Each entry features a colour picture of the species and a description of its habit. The next section includes a chapter on the four seasons and explains how the ecoregions of Ontario function, pointing out the diversity of these natural regions and how they encompass a dramatic variety of landscapes within each region. This section also lists top wildlife sites in Ontario, including the locations of provincial and national parks such as the popular Algonquin Park, Pukaskwa National Park, Bruce Peninsula National Park, Quetico Provincial Park, Polar Bear Provincial Park, and Lake Superior Provincial Park, to name just a few. At the back of the book is an extensive glossary, a bibliography, and an index.

Anyone interested in identifying and learning about the different species of wildlife in Ontario will find this handy reference useful. The nicely detailed illustrations will be very helpful in identifying species. The book provides the reader with an excellent overview of its subjects and an appreciation of the beauty of Ontario, from its many lakes, historic rocky shorelines and ridges, to its teeming flora and fauna. In addition, the author’s commentary also clearly emphasizes the importance of plants and animals to each area’s ecosystem.