Going Wild in Washington and Oregon

Seasonal Excursions to Wildlife and Habitats

Alaska Northwest Books, 1993

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“I spend a lot of time by myself, but I rarely feel alone. The company of animals is deeply satisfying, whether it’s the steady presence of finches at the bird feeder, or merely crossing paths with fresh deer tracks. Once you know a little bit about wildlife—where animals live, what they eat, what their missions are—there is always something to look for, something to see, something to think about. There is always company to keep.”

Going Wild is more than a set of directions to places you can see wildlife in the Northwest, it’s an invitation to discover wild creatures in context—animals in a certain season in a specific habitat for a life-cycle purpose. The twenty “field trips” described in the book include spring jaunts to see migrating birds and baby seals and summer outings to look for frogs, butterflies, and bats. Fall highlights include bugling elk and chinook salmon, while winter offers snow geese and eagles.

When it comes to Northwest nature—from butterflies to bats, from stallions to snow geese—Susan has seen it well, studied it thoroughly, and shared it eloquently.