NOTE: This service is provided to eligible customers with qualifying disabilities that make reading print difficult. If you are blind, deafblind, low vision, or if you have another disability that makes it hard for you to read print, please continue. If you live in Minnesota and have a print related disability, give us a call to find out more about the services we offer. Call 1-800-722-0550. This application form also provides information on all the services we offer.
NFB Newsline (Available in Audio, Refreshable Braille, On a Website)
Scientific American Online.
Science Daily.
Science X.
SkyNews.
On the RTB
Animal Watch, Wednesdays @ 12 AM.
Heading Outdoors, Thursdays @ 12 AM.
Mother Earth, Wednesdays @ 5 AM.
National Geographic, Tuesdays @ 3 PM and Sundays @ 3 AM.
The Great North, Sundays @ 4 PM.
Books
A Sand County Almanac, and sketches here and there. Aldo Leopold. Audio. The "father of wildlife conservation" in America describes his family's relationship to their Wisconsin acreage in this collection of sketches and essays. A forester by training, Leopold calls for land reform and conservation. He examines the ethics of ecology, and urges protection of wildlife and respect for the environment.
The Girl who Drew Butterflies: how Maria Merian's art changed science.Joyce Sidman. Audio. Explores the extraordinary life and scientific discoveries of Maria Merian (1647-1717), who discovered the truth about metamorphosis and documented the science behind the mystery in her art. Sibert Medal. For grades 5-8.
The Ice at the End of the World: an epic journey into Greenland's buried past and our perilous future. Jon Gertner. Audio. Chronicles the development of scientific research as an industry in Greenland through the study of its ice. Discusses initial explorations of the island in the 1800s, climate change research, and the effects of rapid ice melting.
The Human Age: The World shaped by us.Diane Ackerman. Audio, Braille. Explores the pros and cons of the fact that humans are now the dominant force shaping the history of the planet.
The Tornado: Nature's ultimate windstorm.T. P. Grazulis. Audio. Describes the formation, forecasting, history, and science of the tornado life cycle. Recounts personal anecdotes, common myths, and puzzling elements of human interaction with this incredible and unpredictable force.
The Secret Wisdom of Nature: trees, animals, and the extraordinary balance of all living things.Peter Wohlleben. Audio, Braille. Sixteen essays examining the integrated systems of nature. In "Salmon in the Trees," he looks at the impact of fish on tree growth.
The Thing with Feathers: the surprising lives of birds and what they reveal about being human.Noah K. Strycker. Audio. Details behaviors found in birds to highlight and explore similar behaviors in human beings.
The Eight Master Lessons of Nature: what nature teaches us about living well in the World. Gary Ferguson. Audio. Guide to rediscovering and cultivating a connection with the natural world. Lessons include mystery, loss, the fine art of rising again, how animals make us smarter, and how the planet's elders make us better at life.
Strange Harvests: the hidden histories of seven natural objects.Edward Posnett. Audio. Explores locations that produce wonders of natural materials, including eiderdown, vicuña fiber, sea silk, vegetable ivory, civet coffee, guano, and edible birds' nests. Discusses the myths, traditions, folklore, and rituals celebrated by the cultures that harvest them. Examines possibilities for ethical harvest of resources.
Coral Reefs: a very short introduction.Charles Sheppard. Audio. Explains the complex biology and geology of corals and reefs. Reviews the history of science's understanding of Earth's most diverse and abundant ecosystem. Describes means of reproduction, the crucial role of symbiosis, and other animals and plants in the reef habitat. Proposes solutions to prevent their extinction from human causes.
Principles of Environmental Science: inquiry and application. William P Cunningham, Mary Ann Cunningham. Audio. The goal of this concise text is to provide an up-to-date, introductory view of essential themes in environmental science along with offering students numerous opportunities to practice scientific thinking and active learning.
Minnesota Conservation Volunteer magazine. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Audio. Your guide to wild Minnesota. This flagship publication of the Department of Natural Resources delivers in-depth, in-the-field coverage of the state's outdoor news and conservation issues. The MCV mission is to encourage conservation and sustainable use of Minnesota's natural resources.