The most precious things of life are near at hand, without money and without price. each of you has the wealth of the universe at your very door. John Burroughs

{HISTORY}

Farida Wiley (1887-1986) was best known for three things... her 60-year career at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, her invigorating early-morning guided field walks for birdwatching and nature scouting enthusiasts; and her popular fern identification guide.

First published in 1936, Ferns of Northeastern United States was not only written by but also co-illustrated by Farida. As a leading expert in ecological matters regarding birds and plants, she was considered the most knowledge female bird enthusiast in the country and she spent her entire lifetime devoted to teaching all she learned about nature and its various plant and animal life.

With names like Lady-Fern, Maidenhair, Wall-Rue, Mountain Spleenwort, American Shield and Virginia Chain, Farida makes it fun (and easy) to go scouting in the woods for all the interesting fern varieties that populate the woodland floor. Along with brief descriptions that include overall appearance, frond size, and pinnule placement, Farida also includes info on how to collect and mount ferns and how to grow them from spores. A detailed glossary, multiple diagrams and an index at back help naturalists easily locate specimens of interest.

Designed to fit inside a pocket or a purse for open-air jaunts into the wild, Ferns was such a success upon publication that a second revised edition was published in 1948 with additional identification information presented for further observation and study. 

Farida was such a fixture in the 20th century natural sciences field, chances are, if you lived in New York City between 1920-1985 and were a fan of birdwatching,  you would have encountered her leading groups of armchair naturalists of all ages around the city's parks. She began her teaching career with the American Museum of Natural History in her early 20s introducing blind children to the exhilarating world of nature. Quickly working her way up through the museum ranks, Farida's long career with the museum extended to program development, teaching, conservation, and ecology work, in addition to giving lectures around the country and writing.  Her bird-watching classes were so popular that when she tried to retire, there was such demand for her classes that she stayed on, working at the museum until her 98th year before finally moving to Florida. 

Farida's guide and illustrations had taken such a hold on plant enthusiasts that another edition of Ferns was published in the 1970s, introducing a whole new generation to this talented educator and her contributions to the field of natural science.  This listing is for the rare, now hard-to-find 1948 edition of Ferns.

Photo of Farida leading a 1946 birdwatching class courtesy of The Linnaean Society. 

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

• 1948 Revised edition of 1936 publication
• 108 pages
• Rare, hard to find edition
• Pocket size

{CONDITION}

In beautiful vintage condition. This guide is very clean nad bright throughout. The paperback cover is strong and secure. There is slight tanning on the exterior spine due to age. All pages inside are clean and free of spots stains or notations. Please see photos.

{SIZE}

Measures 6.25" inches (length) x 4.25" inches (width) x .25" inches (thickness) and weighs 5 oz. 

.