Park Scientists.

Carson, Mary Kay.  Park Scientists.  Houghton Mifflin  2014  75p  $18.99  ISBN 978-0-547-79268-2  ms/hs  series: Scientists In the Field (HM)#8  Nonfiction  E-BNS   

Scientific study is conducted in our national parks by scientists who are also park rangers.  In these protected, pristine settings they can conduct long-term studies, and this title highlights several of these studies.  In Yellowstone National Park, scientists study the geysers and other geothermal features as well as the grizzly population.  In Saguaro National Park, they track gila monsters and inventory cacti.  In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, they study rare salamanders and lightning bugs.

This title explains some of the studies taking place, who is involved, and the scientific procedures being used at each location.  The text is clear and easy to understand.  The accompanying photographs are gorgeous and enhance the text.  Sources for connecting to these sites and studies is provided.  Words to know, sources of the quotations used, and an index are included.

The large picture-book format makes this title look deceptively young.  The text and topics are much more suited to students in middle school and above.  The Scientists in the Field series consists of 26 titles, each highlighting the people in a specific field of study and their work.  

Summary: Park-ranger scientists monitor and study plants, animals and geologic formations in our National Parks.  Each location is different and involves long-term study of a pristine ecosystem.  Gorgeous photography.  Middle school and up.     

Park rangers, Scientists                                    --Joan Theal

Montgomery,Sy Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot

Montgomery,Sy Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot
Houghton Mifflin/Clarion/Graphia/Kingfisher 2010 74p 18.00
978-0-618-49417-0 ms E-BNS
Scientists In the Field (HM)#8
In this newest addition to the superb series Scientists in the Field, naturalist Sy Montgomery and photographer Nic Bishop take their readers on a trip through the windswept environment of New Zealand’s Codfish Island in search of the giant flightless kakapo. New Zealand had separated from Gondwanaland before the rise of mammals and had been home to the largest collection of flightless birds in the world. Ever-increasing threats from imported and opportunistic predators has reduced the numbers of these birds to a mere handful, especially the kakapo. Weighing in at eight pounds or more, these night-active parrots now number less than one hundred and have been evacuated from the New Zealand main islands to a remote one off the southern coast. Written in an engaging manner and beautifully presented, the author offers a travelogue of her expedition to this uninhabited island with the National Kakapo Recovery Team and their nest-minders. The book is filled with unique stories about the “winged weirdos” and their natural world and is greatly enhanced by outstanding color photographs that show the environmental and zoological aspects of the region. The descriptions of the search for the parrots and the discovery and collection of their signs and signals are sure to entrance the reader and add immediacy to the search. The book contains a series of extras: sidebar fact boxes, how to conserve the kakapo by supporting the Recovery Progamme, unique facts and statistics about the region, descriptions of some of the more unusual animals of the area, maps, and an index. This is a highly recommended purchase for all libraries. It is sure to be a winner and wonderful for browsing as well as for research. Ogintz, Susan Kakapo, Parrots