A new go-to book if you love Haliburton’s nature
If you like Haliburton Highlands nature and want to discover more of it, I highly recommend this book.
When you slow down and go to the places less often visited, you see more. That’s the biggest thing I learned from Rick Whitteker’s new book, Nature Nuggets.
Rick is a Highlands gem. Last year I went on a hike with him — he wrote about it in the book — and discovered he has a gift for teaching you things about nature in a way that doesn’t feel like being taught.
What you get instead is enthusiasm, awe, and appreciation — all delivered in digestible nuggets.
This beautifully illustrated book is a guide to Highlands nature and, more importantly, a guide that teaches you how to see it.
I’ve lived here full-time for almost 20 years and this book revealed to me so many hidden yet accessible places for hiking, snowshoeing, or kayaking. And within each of these places are hidden discoveries, which Rick deftly explores.
Rick and I share a similar eye — for the small, unnoticed things. The kind you only see when you slow down or stop still. The things that make the world function, quietly, and how they’re all tied together into a rich whole. It’s the same ethos Grounded believes in.
This book feeds into Grounded’s work too. Our landscapes are elements of the wider landscape. The plants and their interactions with the rest of nature are mini versions of the wider world. Learning to see them and appreciate them is what it’s all about.
What you’ll discover in this book
- Out-of-the-way but accessible trails for hiking, kayaking, or canoeing
- The small wonders of nature, from spring peepers to woodpeckers to lichens
- An understanding of how it all fits together to create the rich natural world we have here
It’s inspired me to get out more — boots in the car, kayak on the roof. So if you see me on a site visit, there’s a good chance I’ll be finishing it off by tracking down one of Rick’s nature nuggets nearby.
You can buy the book at Master’s Book Store in Haliburton (you can order online), Up River Trading in Haliburton and Minden, The Agnes Jamieson Gallery in Minden, and Abbey Gardens. Can’t get to any of these? Let me know and I’ll connect you with Rick. Price is $25.
Read more about Rick in The Highlander.
I interviewed Rick for Canoe FM’s Highlands Garden and Environment Show. It will be broadcast on May 17 at noon, and available shortly afterwards as a podcast online.