British Columbia: The World of Fresh Water

Patricia Morley is professor emerita of English and Canadian Studies at
Concordia University and an avid outdoor recreationist. She is also the
author of The Mountain Is Moving: Japanese Women’s Lives, Kurlek, and
Margaret Laurence: The Long Journey Hom

British Columbia: A Natural History (1997), described as “the first
single reference to interpret our diverse province,” was a landmark
book on the province’s natural world and won the Duthie Bookseller’s
Choice Award. It dealt with both the mountains and northern forests.
These sections have now been expanded and adapted to cover different
regions in separate books.

Mountains and Northern Forests abounds in stories of plant and animal
life in northern British Columbia. The book also includes a map of the
province; numerous color photographs; black-and-white drawings of
plants, birds, and insects; lists of nature organizations; and an index.
The prose is clear, engaging, and at times poetic.

The World of Fresh Water, equally well written and with fine color
photographs, has similar virtues of clarity and sensitivity. As one
would expect, there is an environmental message: use these wetlands,
rivers, and valleys with care, so they can continue to be
“revitalizing sanctuaries” for all the creatures who call them home.


The authors—Sydney Cannings, a zoologist working for the province on
endangered species; Richard Cannings, a professor of biology; and Robert
Cannings, curator of entomology at the Royal British Columbia
Museum—make a great team.