The Common Uncommon: A Forest Journey
From the renowned author of A Year in the Maine Woods, the intimate, thoughtful reflections of a lifetime spent observing the natural world.

For forty years, Bernd Heinrich has been ensconced in the woods of the northern, or boreal, forest, a vast sea of spruce, fir, and larch in the mountains of western Maine. All life confronts vast and occasionally rapid environmental changes, as one day, and one season, is to the next a completely different environment. Heinrich’s narrative illuminates the complete experience of his seasonal life—with the ups and downs of not just the leaves and snow, but also the problems, solutions, and frustrations of unblinking immersion in nature. He observes the “common uncommon” of spiders, ants, chestnut trees, porcupines, owls, and mice as his story branches out into five themes: Being, Becoming, Interbeing, Remembering, and Returning. The Common Uncommon is a narrative of small surprises in nature, some delightful and some—brought on by climate change—devastating, all seen through the sharp eye of a world–renowned naturalist.

1147402790
The Common Uncommon: A Forest Journey
From the renowned author of A Year in the Maine Woods, the intimate, thoughtful reflections of a lifetime spent observing the natural world.

For forty years, Bernd Heinrich has been ensconced in the woods of the northern, or boreal, forest, a vast sea of spruce, fir, and larch in the mountains of western Maine. All life confronts vast and occasionally rapid environmental changes, as one day, and one season, is to the next a completely different environment. Heinrich’s narrative illuminates the complete experience of his seasonal life—with the ups and downs of not just the leaves and snow, but also the problems, solutions, and frustrations of unblinking immersion in nature. He observes the “common uncommon” of spiders, ants, chestnut trees, porcupines, owls, and mice as his story branches out into five themes: Being, Becoming, Interbeing, Remembering, and Returning. The Common Uncommon is a narrative of small surprises in nature, some delightful and some—brought on by climate change—devastating, all seen through the sharp eye of a world–renowned naturalist.

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The Common Uncommon: A Forest Journey

The Common Uncommon: A Forest Journey

by Bernd Heinrich
The Common Uncommon: A Forest Journey

The Common Uncommon: A Forest Journey

by Bernd Heinrich

Hardcover

$28.99 
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Overview

From the renowned author of A Year in the Maine Woods, the intimate, thoughtful reflections of a lifetime spent observing the natural world.

For forty years, Bernd Heinrich has been ensconced in the woods of the northern, or boreal, forest, a vast sea of spruce, fir, and larch in the mountains of western Maine. All life confronts vast and occasionally rapid environmental changes, as one day, and one season, is to the next a completely different environment. Heinrich’s narrative illuminates the complete experience of his seasonal life—with the ups and downs of not just the leaves and snow, but also the problems, solutions, and frustrations of unblinking immersion in nature. He observes the “common uncommon” of spiders, ants, chestnut trees, porcupines, owls, and mice as his story branches out into five themes: Being, Becoming, Interbeing, Remembering, and Returning. The Common Uncommon is a narrative of small surprises in nature, some delightful and some—brought on by climate change—devastating, all seen through the sharp eye of a world–renowned naturalist.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781324021100
Publisher: Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date: 04/21/2026
Pages: 192
Product dimensions: 5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Bernd Heinrich is an acclaimed scientist and the author of numerous books, including the best-selling Winter World, Mind of the Raven, and Why We Run. Winner of the 2013 PEN New England Award in nonfiction for Life Everlasting, he resides in Maine.
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