Looking for an energizing, eye-opening read to bring to the beach, the mountains, your campsite, or a shady spot in the park? We’ve got you covered.
At POST, our staff do all kinds of work—some of us plan wildlife crossings, others steward protected lands, and some work in fundraising or marketing. But one thing we all share is a deep love for nature.
That’s why we put together a summer reading list that speak to the topics we care most about: protecting plants, animals, and open spaces; building resilience in a changing climate; and exploring the many ways people connect with the natural world.
From exciting science stories to climate fiction and powerful personal essays, there’s something here for every conservation-minded reader.
Happy reading — and don’t forget your sunscreen!
PLANTS, ANIMALS, & US
The Bears of Brooks Falls: Wildlife and Survival on Alaska’s Brooks River
Michael Fitz
Are you a fan of celebrity tell-alls? Meet the stars Fat Bear Week and the sensational Brooks Falls Bearcam! As salmon leap upstream each summer and fall, bears gather to feast. The resulting banquet transfixes thousands of in-person and online onlookers. Penned by a former park ranger, this book unpacks the region’s ecological past, its wildlife, and how humans fit into the landscape.
Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping
the Future of Our Planet
Ben Goldfarb
An astounding fact: 40 million miles of roadways circle the globe. While humans appreciate these convenient routes, they emperil journeying animals, help invasive plants spread, and contaminate our environment. Read how environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb travels worldwide to investigate. You’ll get to know the emerging field of road ecology, and the solutions that scientists seek so humans and wildlife can harmoniously coexist.
The Serviceberry
Robin Wall Kimmerer
What if our economy were based on reciprocity rather than extraction? Indigenous scientist and author Robin Wall Kimmerer draws from Indigenous knowledge, ecological principles, and the humble serviceberry to reimagine how we can structure our relationships with the Earth and one another. This hopeful vision is essential reading for anyone who cares about conservation, justice, and the living world.
Our Wild Calling: How Connecting with Animals Can Transform Our Lives—And Save Theirs
Richard Louv
Follow along as journalist Richard Louv interviews researchers, theologians, wildlife experts, Indigenous healers, and psychologists to map how people and wildlife connect. His fascinating topics include animal-assisted therapy, the spiritual significance of human-animal relationships, and the presence of wild species in urban areas. Human-animal bonds, he argues, serve as an antidote to the growing loneliness epidemic.
STORIES FROM A LIVING PLANET
How Far the Light Reaches:
A Life in Ten Sea Creatures
Sabrina Imbler
This phenomenal essay collection blends marine biology and memoir. Conservation journalist Sabrina Imbler dives deep into the remote, often harsh realms of some sea creatures, from self-sacrificing octopus parents to pet goldfish unloosed in the wild. Each essay explores radical models of survival, kinship, and transformation inspired by the science of the sea, while reflecting on Imbler’s coming of age as a queer, mixed-race writer.
Secrets of the Oak Woodlands: Plants & Animals Among California’s Oaks
Kate Marianchild
This book features engaging storytelling, scientific insights, and lovely illustrations that draw readers into the vibrant world of California’s oak ecosystems. It highlights the lives of 22 native species, including acorn woodpeckers who form communal families and ground squirrels who mask their scent with rattlesnake skins. Nature lovers will enjoy this compelling reminder of the intricate relationships that make these habitats resilient.
The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth
Zoë Schlanger
Plants lead fascinating lives, and scientists are diligently exploring their remarkable talents and creativity. From recognizing their kin to adapting their shapes for camouflage, plants have developed ingenious survival strategies. In her blend of memoir and in-depth investigation, journalist Zoë Schlanger delves into the forefront of botanical research. Her discoveries will reshape your understanding of these leafy organisms’ consciousness and agency.
RESILIENCE IN A CHANGING CLIMATE
Parable of the Sower
Octavia E. Butler
First published in 1993, this modern classic envisions a chilling and plausible future shaped by climate disaster and economic collapse. Amidst this chaos, 15-year-old Lauren Olamina grapples with hyperempathy, a rare sensitivity to the emotions of others. She sets out on foot, promoting a radical new belief system called Earthseed. For conservation-minded readers, this visionary novel connects survival to themes of adaptability, interconnectedness, and ecological awareness.
The New Wilderness
Diane Cook
As pollution chokes their city, Bea flees with her ailing child to the last swath of protected land — the Wilderness State. The catch: humans have always been barred from living there. Alongside other volunteers, the mother-daughter duo attempt to exist in nature without destroying it. Part climate dystopia, part meditation on motherhood, this imaginative and suspenseful novel explores humans’ unending quest to belong.
We Are the Middle of Forever: Indigenous Voices from Turtle Island on the Changing Earth
Dar Jamal and Stan Rushworth
For many generations, North America’s Indigenous communities have experienced radical alterations to their natural surroundings and their way of life. They have adapted and persevered through this hardship, which gives them unique perspectives on survival, resilience, and the climate crisis. Drawing on interviews with people from different Native cultures, this book will inspire those who seek grounded, relational approaches to conservation.
The Ministry for the Future
Kim Stanley Robinson
Set in the near future, this novel presents a compelling, urgent vision for climate action following a devastating heatwave. Through fictional eyewitness accounts — from policymakers to refugees and even non-human entities — the author examines the potential impacts of climate change on our lives. While the topic is serious, this work of climate fiction maintains an optimistic tone, particularly regarding humanity’s ability to join forces while facing dire circumstances.
Lessons from the Climate Anxiety Counseling Booth
Kate Schapira
Feeling overwhelmed by the climate crisis? This practical guide has you covered. Drawing on ten years of heartfelt conversations from her real-life climate anxiety counseling booth, Schapira offers tools for working through grief and fear while fostering community, connection, and action. Grounded in emotional honesty and hope, this book will empower you to meet our climate-changed reality with resilience.
LEGACIES OF THE LAND
We Are the Land: A History of Native California
Damon B. Akins and William J. Bauer Jr.
This compelling nonfiction work reframes California’s rich history through the lived experiences and lasting presence of its Indigenous peoples. Covering everything from creation stories to modern-day activism, this comprehensive account emphasizes how Native communities have shaped — and continue to shape — the state’s cultural and ecological landscapes. For history enthusiasts, it provides a deep understanding of the essential connections between Indigenous sovereignty, land stewardship, and environmental resilience.
The Unsettling of America
Wendell Berry
In this poetic work from 1977, Wendell Berry cautions readers about becoming disconnected from the land. Industrial agriculture, he opines, has profound effects on the environment, communities, and culture. He advocates for a return to being rooted, emphasizing the importance of local economies, caring for the Earth, and respecting the people who tend to it. His powerful insights remain relevant in today’s discussions about sustainability, food systems, and ecological justice.
Guardians of the Valley: John Muir and the Friendship that Saved Yosemite
Dean King
In 1889, John Muir and his unlikely ally, editor Robert Underwood Johnson, took a stand against the mining and tourism encroaching on the Yosemite Valley. Their friendship ignited a national movement, leading to Yosemite National Park being established. This impactful book highlights a bold milestone in American environmentalism and reminds us of the power of words, the wilderness, and collective action.
Borealis
Aisha Sabatini Sloan
In Borealis, Aisha Sabatini Sloan weaves memory, travel, and art into a lyrical meditation on identity, loneliness, and the natural world. As a Black, queer writer moving through Alaska, Arizona, and Iceland, she reflects on glacial beauty, wildlife, and the quiet complexity of belonging. This slim, genre-blurring book offers a fresh twist on traditional nature and travel writing.
Subpar Parks: America’s Most Extraordinary National Parks and their Least Impressed Visitors
Amber Share
Want to add some humor to your day? This entertaining book features real one-star reviews of national parks, paired with amusing text and illustrations that celebrate the beauty of open spaces. It highlights the humorous gap between tourists’ expectations and the breathtaking reality of these parks. In addition to the laughs, you’ll find delightful insights from park rangers and the author’s personal reflections.
Black Officer in a Buffalo Soldier Regiment: The Millitary Career of Charles Young
Brian G. Shellum
Charles Young was remarkable: the third Black graduate of West Point, the first Black superintendent of a national park, and a respected leader of the Buffalo Soldiers. This engaging biography explores his military career, the barriers he faced, and the legacy he left behind. A compelling read for anyone interested in parks or the past, it shines a light on a history too often overlooked.
Erosion: Essays of Undoing
Terry Tempest Williams
In this powerful essay collection, Terry Tempest Williams expresses a profound respect for the land while confronting the political and spiritual erosion we are witnessing. She addresses the threats to our public lands, from the dismantling of sacred sites to the climate crisis. For those who care about conservation, this inspiring work serves as both a call to action and a reminder that beauty, like resistance, endures.
How Much in These Hills Are Gold
C. Pam Zhang
What does it mean to claim a home in an unforgiving landscape? This poignant novel reimagines the American West through the eyes of Lucy and Sam, two Chinese American siblings orphaned during the Gold Rush. As they journey to bury their father, they confront a hostile land that denies them belonging. Blending myth, memory, and lyrical prose, Zhang’s debut explores themes of identity, grief, and survival.
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About Post
Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) protects open space on the Peninsula and in the South Bay for the benefit of all. Since its founding in 1977, POST has been responsible for saving more than 93,000 acres as permanently protected land in San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. Learn more
