Badger compiles 50 outdoor Virginia adventures from the mountains to the ocean, that will send readers in pursuit of rare salamanders on the slopes of Mount Rogers, and digging clams on tidal flats along the coast. 4 maps. 13 illustrations.

The Eastern corridor of the United States may be notorious for overdevelopment, but Curtis J. Badger offers a challenge in his The Wild Coast: Exploring the Natural Attractions of the Mid-Atlantic: get off the highway and go see what the mid-Atlantic states have to offer. A companion to both Virginia's Wild Side and A Naturalist's Guide to the Virginia Coast, this new volume takes the reader on more than two dozen frequently surprising excursions through five mid-Atlantic states, offering detailed adventures for travelers wishing to explore the undeveloped territory of the East Coast. With excursions ranging from sea kayaking at Roanoke Island, North Carolina, to a visit to the hawk observatory at Cape May, New Jersey, Badger's guide promises not only factual information on birds, butterflies, holly forests, and native plants but also an entertaining narrative that captures the excitement of exploring new territory. This guidebook to both wildlife and botany will appeal to anyone journeying along the eastern seaboard, particularly those interested in trading in their offices and armchairs for a taste of the unexpected and the wild.

The most famous long-distance hiking trail in North America, the 2,181-mile Appalachian Trail—the longest hiking-only footpath in the world—runs along the Appalachian mountain range from Georgia to Maine. Every year about 2,000 individuals attempt to “thru-hike” the entire trail, a feat equivalent to hiking Mount Everest sixteen times. In Walking on the Wild Side, sociologist Kristi M. Fondren traces the stories of forty-six men and women who, for their own personal reasons, set out to conquer America’s most well known, and arguably most social, long-distance hiking trail. In this fascinating in-depth study, Fondren shows how, once out on the trail, this unique subculture of hikers lives mostly in isolation, with their own way of acting, talking, and thinking; their own vocabulary; their own activities and interests; and their own conception of what is significant in life. They tend to be self-disciplined, have an unwavering trust in complete strangers, embrace a life of poverty, and reject modern-day institutions. The volume illuminates the intense social intimacy and bonding that forms among long-distance hikers as they collectively construct a long-distance hiker identity. Fondren describes how long-distance hikers develop a trail persona, underscoring how important a sense of place can be to our identity, and to our sense of who we are. Indeed, the author adds a new dimension to our understanding of the nature of identity in general. Anyone who has hiked—or has ever dreamed of hiking—the Appalachian Trail will find this volume fascinating. Walking on the Wild Side captures a community for whom the trail is a sacred place, a place to which they have become attached, socially, emotionally, and spiritually.

This book is a guide to the wildflowers in the Northcentral and Eastern regions of the United States.

For the parent adventuring with a curious child or the experienced birder in new territory, the weekend wanderer or the seasoned naturalist, Curtis Badger's user-friendly guide provides an engaging discussion about just the sorts of wondrous things the interested observer will encounter on a visit to Virginia's coastline.tag: A handy family guide to Virginia's diverse coastline from the Eastern Shore's favorite naturalist

One day, a bear, a moose and a beaver go for a walk in the mountains. To make the hike more exciting, they decide to race to the top. But soon the friends fall into deep trouble. Who will give up their chance for glory to save the day?