Ferns & Allies of the North Woods: A Handy Field Reference to All 86 of Our Ferns and Allies

Learn to identify ferns in the North Woods

Ferns and allies are a surprisingly diverse group with a fascinating natural history. Some ferns are as tiny as golf tees, and others may tower to head height. Horsetail stems contain so much abrasive silica that they can be used to scour pots Did you know that the spores from certain clubmosses are highly explosive and were used in creating flashes to light photos taken in the 1800s? This interesting addition to the Naturalist Series covers all 86 species of ferns, horsetails, spikemosses, quillworts, and clubmosses found in the North Woods of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ontario. The innovative format, with fieldmark arrows that point out the best distinguishing characteristics, makes field identification a snap. You'll find more than 300 photos and dozens of color illustrations, including detailed art that clearly illustrates the life history of ferns and their allies, as well as range maps for all species. With its handy field guide size, Ferns & Allies of the North Woods by Joe Walewski conveniently fits in your backpack or back pocket.

Joe Walewski is the Director of Naturalist Training at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, Minnesota. He earned a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology from Iowa State University and a M.Ed. in Environmental Education from the University of Minnesota Duluth. When away from work, Joe finds plenty to do helping his wife, Lori, in the garden and banding birds (especially hummingbirds). He enjoys rambling and exploring outdoors with his daughter, Jenny. Joe continually strives to reduce his ecological footprint. In an effort to reduce his contribution of global warming gasses, Joe commutes to work by foot, bike, or ski at least fifty percent of the time.