What's Wild Outside Your Door?: Discovering Nature in the City

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Hidden Life of Trees and Can You Hear the Trees Talking? comes a guide to finding nature in the city for kids 8-12.Features STEM activities, fun facts, quizzes, photographs, and more.You might think cities are the last place to find nature. But nature is actually right outside your door—you just need to know where to look. From the roofs of apartments to parking lots, cities are bursting with plants and animals.In this fascinating and interactive guide, kids will learn about how birds build their nests on bridges, where salamanders and toads hide, and how plants push through sidewalk cracks. Alongside these awe-inspiring facts, Peter shares engaging, science-based activities, including how to:

Identify animal sounds
Raise a slime mold
Make your own compass
Collect plants to start your own herbarium
See shooting stars
And more

Peter also provides information on what animals thrive in cities and which could use our help, as well as tips for staying safe and having fun while embarking on a nature adventure.

Perfect for outdoor education, What’s Wild Outside Your Door? equips kids in urban and suburban environments with the knowledge to engage with the natural world around them, and the confidence to go explore.

About the Author

Peter Wohlleben is the author of several books about the natural world, including The Hidden Life of Trees, The Inner Life of Animals, and The Heartbeat of Trees. His books for children include Can You Hear the Trees Talking?, Do You Know Where the Animals Live?, and Peter and the Tree Children. A longtime former forester, Wohlleben runs a forest academy in Germany that supports sustainable forest management and teaches adults and children about the many wonders of the forest. To learn more about Peter and his books, visit his website at peterwohllebenbooks.com.

Jane Billinghurst is a nature lover, master gardener, editor, translator, and author of six books. She has translated and edited several books by Peter Wohlleben, including the New York Times bestseller The Hidden Life of Trees. She lives in Anacortes, Washington, next to 2,800 acres of community forest lands.