North New Zealand: A Natural History of the Upper North Island

Description

North New Zealand is a comprehensive and detailed guide to the natural history of the upper North Island. It brings together the work of many professionals, combining information and photographs collected over the years by author and natural history enthusiast Peter Hadden. Originally intended as a collection of interesting excerpts for the author's children, North New Zealand has evolved into a comprehensive overview of the natural history of the upper North Island. It is a compilation of relevant pieces of learning on this subject, reviewed by respected authorities in their fields. Written to appeal to readers of all levels, this book is intended to 'bridge the gap' between scientific journals and books written for public consumption. With a strong emphasis on science, yet free from the scientific jargon that typifies most scholarly works on the subject, North New Zealand will appeal to a wide audience of people with an interest in the natural environment. In writing this book, the author hopes to provide an accessible introduction to natural history, as well as a detailed account of the geology, climate, flora and fauna of northern New Zealand. Readers of all levels - from enthusiastic amateur to leaned scholar - will find much within its pages to inform, entertain and inspire.

Peter Hadden, author of North New Zealand: A Natural History of the Upper North Island, is an Auckland-based doctor and natural history enthusiast. While Peter is the first to admit to not being a natural historian by profession, he has spent a lifetime learning about the natural environments of the places he visits. As a doctor, during his training Peter has lived in many places throughout New Zealand, Australia, the United States and United Kingdom. It was the diverse environments and natural features of each of these places - the trees of Western Australia, the Highlands of Scotland - that led him to become interested in natural history. More recently, from his home in Auckland, tramping expeditions have taken Peter to some of the upper North Island's wildest and most beautiful places. Together with his five children, tramping has provided Peter with a way to, as he puts it, "explore many of the different nooks and crannies this land has to offer". And it was for his children's benefit, as well as his own, that Peter started collecting and collating information about the natural history of the places he visited.