The Hidden Life Around Us: Bioblitz Aspen, Exploring the Rich Diversity of Species in Our Backyard

Regular: $55.00

Sale: $55.00
Regular

Sold Out

Unit Price: per

What species are in your backyard? Are you aware of them? And are you protecting them? These are some of the questions that Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) hopes you will think about when you read The Hidden Life Around Us. This impactful and beautiful coffee-table book showcases the species of Aspen with stunning photographs and thoughtful text.

This book grew out of a bioblitz to survey the species at Hallam Lake Nature Preserve, ACES's campus in the heart of Aspen. On this twenty-five-acre tract of wetland with a five-acre lake, 422 species have been identified. Eighty-one of those species are showcased in the book through striking color photographs and brief, fascinating descriptions. The text includes a foreword by Bruce Finley, environmental writer for The Denver Post; an essay about biodiversity; and an essay by acclaimed nature photographer and filmmaker Pete McBride.

Look beyond the amazing images, and this book asks us to consider how we are treating the Earth and our fellow life forms. The core themes of The Hidden Life Around Us are biodiversity, the threats posed by climate change, and the importance of preserving the environment and the species that inhabit it.

PUMPKIN SOUP

2 1/4 pounds pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and fibers
removed
2 onions, grated
6 tbsp. Olive oil
2 tbsp. Cumin seeds
2 pinches of ground cayenne
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 ½-in. Fresh ginger, peeled
and finely chopped
2 cups coconut cream
salt and freshly ground
black pepper

Topping
4 to 6 tbsp. Crème fraiche or olive oil
4 to 6 tbsp. Pumpkin seeds, toasted
1 tbsp. Cumin seeds, toasted

Cut the pumpkin into small pieces. Sauté the onions in a large pan with the olive oil, cumin seeds, cayenne, garlic, and ginger. Add the pumpkin and sauté for 5 minutes without browning. Pour in the coconut cream and cook for about 30 minutes until everything is tender. If there is not enough liquid in the pan, a splash of water may be added. Blend the soup in a blender until it’s smooth or use an immersion blender in the pan. Strain the soup. If necessary, push the last remaining soup through the sieve with the rounded side of a spoon. Season the soup with salt and pepper.

Serve the soup with a tablespoon of crème fraîche and toasted pumpkin seeds added to each bowl and a sprinkle of cumin seeds. Serve with breadsticks.