The exploration of California's forests unveils a rich tapestry of biodiversity, showcasing nearly one hundred tree species and diverse ecosystems. Through Obi Kaufmann's distinctive watercolor maps and trail paintings, readers are guided on an epic journey spanning millions of years. The work aims to foster a deeper understanding of nature in the twenty-first century, offering insights that resonate beyond California's landscapes and encouraging a new appreciation for the interconnectedness of all living things.
Obi Kaufmann explores California's intricate relationship with water, delving into its complexities and controversies. Drawing from his artistic and analytical skills, he examines the historical, environmental, and social implications of this vital resource, offering insights into the challenges and narratives surrounding water in the Golden State.
Exploring the long-standing practice of ecological burns, this book examines the diverse behaviors of fire throughout California. It highlights key insights gained from the state's most significant fires in recent decades, emphasizing the importance of understanding fire's role in the ecosystem and the lessons that can inform future fire management strategies.
The book delves into California's coastline, highlighting its rich biodiversity. It showcases Obi Kaufmann's distinctive watercolor maps and trail paintings, offering a vivid visual journey through the state's natural landscapes.
"[A] gorgeously illustrated compendium."--Sunset This lavishly illustrated atlas takes readers off the beaten path and outside normal conceptions of California, revealing its myriad ecologies, topographies, and histories in exquisite maps and trail paintings. Based on decades of exploring the backcountry of the Golden State, artist-adventurer Obi Kaufmann blends science and art to illuminate the multifaceted array of living, connected systems like no book has done before. Kaufmann depicts layer after layer of the natural world, delighting in the grand scale and details alike. The effect is staggeringly beautiful: presented alongside California divvied into its fifty-eight counties, for example, we consider California made up of dancing tectonic plates, of watersheds, of wildflower gardens. Maps are enhanced by spirited illustrations of wildlife, keys that explain natural phenomena, and a clear-sighted but reverential text. Full of character and color, a bit larger than life, The California Field Atlas is the ultimate road trip companion and love letter to a place.
