As you can imagine, a lot of reading happens here. Elaine, our levelheaded librarian, calmly navigates the constant flow of books crossing our physical and digital thresholds. As winter is the perfect time to settle in with a hearty story or brush up on some botanical nonfiction, we’re including a few selections that our students, staff, and faculty have found helpful or inspiring.
Native Plant Guides from Wild Seed Project
Wild Seed Project, founded by Conway alum Heather McCargo ’84, offers these beautiful guides to help you design your own northeastern native plant paradise. Great for beginners and experienced gardeners alike, it includes handy reference sections and gorgeous illustrations. The guides are available individually or as a beautifully packaged set. Take a look>>
How Does Your Meadow Grow?
We were fortunate to have Owen Wormser of Abound Design be a part of our fall Ecological Design Speaker Series this year. He spoke with the cohort last month about the lawn-to-meadow conversion process, and since then students have formed a “Monday Meadows” discussion group to continue the conversation. The second edition of Lawns into Meadows includes guidance on site preparation, design suggestions, plant recommendations, and more.
The Secret Lives of Rivers
Rivers are frequently in the news these days for their connection to death and devastation in the form of floods, droughts, and other disasters. These books (In Praise of Floods by James C. Scott and Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane) look at the river’s connection to life, either its own existential status or the incubation of life within its bends. Both books explore the intersection of rivers and human societies, and the complexities that result.
Past reading recommendations:
