I am excited to announce the release of my book, The Real Guide to New Zealand: the Unique Nature of Aotearoa. The book was officially released on 10 November 2022.
We are so lucky to live in such a special part of the world here in New Zealand. The country is full of so many unique plants, animals, and fungi that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. My new book is designed to give readers an introduction to the country, explaining why and how it’s special, including the reality of the devastating impact people have had. This is the only book that you need to bring along on your adventures as it covers everything and will familiarise you with the natural world.
Listen to an interview I gave on RNZ where I talked about the book and why I wrote it here.
What Is The Book About?
The book covers all aspects of the natural world of the country – from plants to birds, insects to mammals, and from geology to people. This is the ‘real guide’ because it includes both native and introduced species and discusses the impact people have had on the natural world of the country.
My book is not aimed at experts and does not delve into too much detail on any one subject. Rather it is aimed at giving people a basic understanding of the common species (both native and introduced) that they’ll encounter anywhere in the country.
What Is Included In The Book?
The Real Guide To New Zealand is broken up into 14 sections with about 300 colour photos. Each section begins with an introduction to the subject where it covers some general facts and examples of unique species in New Zealand. Then the bulk of each section consists of common species with photos and information to enable identification in the field.
The following sections are included in the book:
Introduction, People, Plants (Trees, Shrubs, Vines, epiphytes, and grass like plants, and Ferns), Birds, Mammals, Freshwater Fish, Amphibians, Reptiles, Insects, Fungi, and Geology.
Why Did I Write The Book?
I love the natural world – hiking, fishing, camping, exploring, and learning all about it. I have been fortunate to live in the USA, Madagascar, and now New Zealand. In each of those places I travelled, hiked, and explored. While living in Utah I wrote Jake’s Nature Guide: Rocky Mountains while being a stay at home dad, which is similar in format to this one.
When I first moved to New Zealand I struggled to find one book to learn about the country in an easy to read manner that was not too complex or focused on only one subject. I also noticed that many of the books covered only the native species, but didn’t cover the introduced species as much. Importantly, coming from the USA I had this view that New Zealand was a green paradise, but the more I got to know the country I learned that the country has been drastically altered by people.
As such my goal was to write a book that introduces readers to the real natural world of New Zealand, both the good and the bad, showcasing some of the amazing endemic species, but also the harmful introduced ones. The more people, both residents and visitors, know about the reality of the country, the greater the likelihood that the natural world can be protected.
Where Is The Real Guide To New Zealand Available To Purchase?
My book is available at bookstores across the country or online.