Woods and Water

Woods and Water: Walking New York's Nanny Hagen Brook shares the impressions of author, Michael Inglis, as he walks in an area of Westchester's woodlands and wetlands. Over the course of a year he follows life along this little stream, a tributary of the Saw Mill River in the Hudson Valley. In the style of John Muir, Wendell Berry and Rachel Carlson, Michael documents, in lilting language, the intricate natural details he sees along the Nanny Hagen Brook. As an environmentalist, conservationist, gardener, and naturalist, he comments on the beauty and relationships of our entangled species with the natural world.

Amongst nature's bounty, he also sees, "an oil can, twelve old tires, some scrap metal have been tossed over the side as if to get rid of them. But they haven't gone away. Still here." He urges us to look deeply, pick up the trash on our walks, and to go out and experience nature. "We have an illusion of separation, but a moment here challenges us to remember all of who we are and how connected life is." This is not a politician's voice - it is one of soul and spirit and poetry.

This gem of a book is meticulously researched, with deep naturalist knowledge that brings our attention to what most of us don't notice, drawing us in to look closely at our surroundings. In addition, there are many charming illustrations by Westchester artist GG Kopilak, and an index with information about native plants, birds, and animals. This is a remarkable work bringing global issues to our own backyards.