Write to me! I write back!

Welcome! I'm the author of more than a dozen books on natural history topics for the young readers, general audiences, and accidental naturalists like myself. 

My book on the Pigeon Guillemot, a seabird with flaming red feet, will be published by Mountaineers Books in April 2026. I’ve begun giving talks about this bird, its life history, and my discovery of community science as the key to satisfying birding and a deep sense of place.

My latest book, A Sideways Look at Clouds, also published by Mountaineers Books in 2017, is a work of narrative nonfiction blends science, wonder, humor to take lay readers on the scenic route through the clouds.  Order your copy through Mountaineers Books here. Or find your way to your local indie bookstore for your copy. Signed copies can be ordered/purchased in person or online at the fabulous indie Browsers Books in Olympia. 

I’d be delighted to visit your bookstore, library, organization, book club, nature walk, or other event to talk about clouds. My talks range from five to fifty minutes and can include any or all of these options: book reading, slide presentation, discussion, Q&A, book sales and signing. I'm happy to tailor my talk to the age and interests of your group. Please contact me to discuss the possibilities. 

My other published books include Rare Bird: Pursuing the Mystery of the Marbled Murrelet (Rodale Press 2006,  Mountaineers Books reissue, 2013 ) for the general (adult) reader. Titles for young adults and children include The Ultimate Ocean Book, The Butterfly, The Beetle (3-D portfolios); Hawks and Owls, Snakes, The Pacific Coast, The Tundra, The Southwest Deserts, The Mississippi River.

And here, a denizen of the salt water of the North Pacific Ocean Basin (and the Salish Sea more locally) is the amazing Pigeon Guillemot.

 Photo of Pigeon Guillemots courtesy of Hillary Smith.