Follow the white blazes. Travel through fourteen states, ancient mountains, rushing streams, and forests alive with wildlife.
Can You Read Nature? · National Parks
Walk farther. Look closer. The trail is waiting for you.
Follow the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine through lyrical storytelling, real trail science, and museum-quality artwork created for curious families.
Ages 5–14+Family nature bookArt by Amara Gardner
Read before you go see ten times more!
Hardcover
Hardcover + free ebook
$29.95Includes instant-download ebook
- Free ebook included with hardcover
- A nature book for your next trail adventure
- Original art that makes Appalachian science memorable
- $1 to Children and Nature Network
Ebook
The nature book you can take anywhere
$12.95instant download
- Your perfect park companion, see 10x more
- Kinder to the planet, nothing in a landfill
- Trail and mountain science shines on a screen
- $1 to Children and Nature Network
Instant deliveryEbook delivered by email
Free shippingOrders over $40
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Gives back$1 supports nature
Look closer
Every mile reveals a new Appalachian story.
Find the trail magic. Meet the creatures, communities, changing seasons, and small acts of kindness that make the journey unforgettable.
Meet the artist
Amara Gardner
Artist, storyteller, and lifelong trail wanderer
“I wanted families to feel the Appalachian Trail as a living story—full of wild places, generous people, and discoveries waiting around every bend.”
Hi! I’m Amara (pronounced like “camera”).
I am a freelance illustrator focusing on artwork inspired by the outdoors. Through sharing traditional illustrations, paintings, sketches, and figure drawings, I aim to educate people on the importance of connecting with nature/wonder/adventure.
I’m always exploring new approaches within my art practice, including multimedia approaches and large-scale painting. I have a BFA in Illustration Children’s Books from Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design.
I thru-hiked the 2,193-mile Appalachian Trail in 2021 (it took 6 months!), so inspiration for this book came from that experience directly.
The Wild Stork Publishing - Can You Read Nature series resonates with me because I enjoy being outside, spotting wildlife, creating, hanging out with my friends and partner, swinging in a hammock by the lake, and using my sketchbook focusing on nature journaling.
Their mission of getting families outside and stewarding our natural
resources is important to me, so I loved the opportunity to share Can You Read in my own illustrative style.
Find my website at AmaraGardnerArt.com!
Amara’s illustrations invite families to slow down, look closer, and find wonder along the trail.
About this book
What is inside
Explore the Appalachian Trail’s ancient mountains, wildlife, seasons, trail history, conservation, and ten must-see experiences from Georgia to Maine.
About the author
Narrated by Neil Rosen, children’s book author and founder of WildStork. Neil writes every book as an invitation to look closer, stay longer, and discover what families miss when they move too fast.
Reading level
Ages 5 to 14. Designed for the whole family, with lyrical storytelling and real science to share together.
Wear the adventure
Take the Appalachian Trail home—and wear the adventure.
Pair the hardcover nature book with the matching Appalachian Trail shirt for a gift that keeps the mountains and trail spirit close long after the final page.
$67.91$79.90
Save $11.99
Choose your shirt option before adding both items to your cart.