Backyard To Backpack

Inspiring true story of a single mum and daughter who traded a conventional life for one lived fully, travelling the world together. What if you followed your heart to a life that made you truly happy? When her daughter Emmie was 6 years old, Evie Farrell left her corporate career, sold or donated almost everything she owned, rented out her house and, hand-in-hand with Emmie, began an epic two-and-a-half-year backpacking adventure that would change their lives forever. Evie farewelled a nasty break-up, long hours in a demanding job, a hefty mortgage and snatched hours with her daughter for a new life lived outside the lines, spending every day with Emmie exploring the world beyond the suburbs. They camped on the Great Wall of China, hung in train doorways in Sri Lanka, swam with mantas in Indonesia, donated much-needed blood in Cambodia, spotted wild orangutans and pygmy elephants in Malaysian Borneo, prayed in Buddhist temples in Taiwan and were chased by monkeys everywhere. In their journey toward happiness and self-acceptance, they learnt more about each other and the beautiful world around them than Evie ever expected. Backyard to Backpack is the inspirational true story that will have you asking yourself, what might be if you took a chance, stepped off the path of expectation and created your own adventure?

Jump-start curiosity with this take-along field guide for children ages 4 and up. From worms, birds, and spiders to trees, flowers, and clouds, young explorers learn what to look and listen for wherever they are — whether in a nature preserve, an urban park, or a suburban backyard. Seek-and-find lists, on-the-trail art projects, and discovery games get kids engaged in hands-on learning about nature, and a real pull-out magnifying glass helps them get a close-up glimpse of leaf veins, seed pods, and tiny insects. Filled with activities, checklists, and stickers, this interactive nature guide belongs in every kid’s backpack.

Encourages children to put down their electronics and discover the joy of the outdoors with 21 camping inspired projects.

CLICK HERE to download two urban farming profiles from Backyard Roots (Provide us with a little information and we'll send your download directly to your inbox) * An inspiring book that features 35 urban farmers from Northern California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia * Stories, advice and tips to help you succeed in growing food, raising animals and building community * Features over 200 photos * A follow-up title to the 2012 Nautilus Book Award-winning The Urban Farm Handbook The burgeoning range of people now turning their urban backyards into homesteads is wide and varied, from families with young children, to immigrants recapturing their original culture, to idealistic twenty-somethings seeking community. Many of these farmers have a special lesson or inspiration to share with those who aspire to, or simply appreciate, the urban farm lifestyle. Backyard Roots is a unique project by California-based photographer Lori Eanes that evocatively and intimately explores the lives of 35 urban farmers in Northern California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. In these stories and photos you'll find people like Laura Allen, the Oakland-based cofounder of Greywater Action, a policy and education nonprofit that promotes the use of greywater systems. In Vancouver, aquaponic farmer Jodi Peters sustainably grows and harvests tilapia in sync with her organic vegetable garden. Or meet Jonathan Chen, a young cancer survivor who now manages the Danny Woo Community Gardens in south Seattle, where a group of Southeast Asian immigrants farm in a vibrant mix of cultures. From the elderly to the young, the trendy to the purely functional, here are inspiring stories, ideas on how to make it happen, tips on everything from chicken keeping to community health, and so much more. Find additional pictures, stories and updates from the farmers featured in Backyard Roots at backyardrootsblog.com Winner of the Nautilus Awards 2014 "Better Books for a Better World" Gold Award!

Molly Moccasins is a new kind of book series calling all young adventurers to read, play, think, imagine and investigate. It’s for kids of all ages, supports early learning, literacy development and it also connects young adventurers to the world of fun available to them in their everyday lives. In this story, Molly discovers that backpacking is always full of discoveries, even in the backyard!

Pack up sandcastle-building supplies, sunscreen, and this take-along activity book! In the second book of the Backpack Explorer series from the Editors of Storey Publishing, little beachcombers are encouraged to discover all the wonders of saltwater oceans and freshwater lakes, from identifying shorebirds to learning about the life found in tide pools to listening to the waves and watching the tides. Backpack Explorer: Beach Walk is packed with prompts and activities, including 12 interactive field guides (for shells, jellyfish, and more), sensory scavenger hunts, science experiments such as a Stick Sundial, games, and simple projects including food chain match-ups and driftwood fish. Equipped with a real magnifying glass, stickers, and a beach log for recording shoreline sightings and adventures, this book is the perfect takealong for any beach adventure.

The third book in the Backpack Explorer series from the Editors of Storey Publishing invites budding naturalists to head outside for a walk — in the woods, a park, or right in their backyard — to spot feathered friends. Backpack Explorer: Bird Watch leads kids aged 4 and up through the basics of birding, from identifying common birds to learning about habitat and migration and listening for bird songs. The pages are packed with prompts and activities, including 12 interactive field guides (for common birds, nests, eggs, tracks, and more), sensory scavenger hunts, activities such as building a bird nest, matching games, and simple discovery zone pages about food chains and the life cycle of birds. Equipped with a real magnifying glass, stickers, and a birding log for recording sightings and encounters, this book is the perfect take-along for any nature adventure. Also available in this series: Backpack Explorer: Beach Walk and Backpack Explorer: On the Nature Trail.

Backpack Explorer: Discovering Trees encourages junior naturalists to step outside and get curious about the trees they see, whether in their backyard, in their neighborhood, in a park, or on a trail. With this take-along activity book—the fifth in the best-selling Backpack Explorer series from the Editors of Storey Publishing—kids will stop, look, listen, and touch as they search for leaves, count tree rings, notice the sound of birds or wind in the branches, gather pinecones, and feel bark. Each page is packed with prompts and activities, including 12 interactive field guides for identifying common trees, simple craft projects such as Make a Tree Rubbing or Make a Nature Mask from colorful leaves, and simple discovery features with fun tree facts. Equipped with a real magnifying glass, stickers, and log for recording tree finds, this book is the perfect accompaniment for any nature adventure.