Close to Home: The Wonders of Nature Just Outside Your Door by Thor Hanson (Uganda 1993-95)

Today we feature a new book by a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Thor Hanson (Uganda, 1993-1995). This nonfiction ecology book will be published in March, and is available for preorder on Amazon.

Close to Home: The Wonders of Nature Just Outside Your Door

by Thor Hanson

Basic Books, March 11, 2025 (Amazon)

ISBN-10: ‎ 1541601246 // ISBN-13 ‏: ‎ 978-1541601246

About the book:

We know nature is good for us: studies show that spending time outdoors can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and accelerate healing. And yet, in our fast-paced, technology-centered world, we often forget to slow down and pay attention to the natural one around us. We consider the common species in our neighborhoods to be mundane, blinding us to the wonders and mysteries waiting to be uncovered: Potter wasps building turrets out of mud and rocks to serve as nests for their young, thrushes singing in minor chords, and wild parrots teaching one another how to open garbage cans in search of food. Any backyard or neighborhood park can yield exciting new discoveries, and anyone’s observations can contribute to biodiversity research and conservation efforts around the globe.

A practicing field biologist with over three decades of experience, Thor Hanson retrains our eyes to reveal the hidden phenomena all around us in Close to Home: The Wonders of Nature Just Outside Your Door (Basic Books; on sale March 11, 2025). Hanson takes readers on a tour of his own backyard, teaching us how and where we can reacquaint ourselves with local species. Through community-driven efforts like the BioSCAN project in Los Angeles or the iNaturalist app, anyone can contribute to scientific research that will help us learn more about the world, improve biodiversity, and even discover new species. Hanson introduces us to communities across the globe that are banding together to fight climate change and environmental degradation. For instance, one canton in Switzerland has built over 850 ponds to bring back dwindling amphibian populations. Citizens in Oklahoma City boost monarch butterflies on their long migration, planting the critical milkweeds they rely upon to feed and reproduce. And in Alaska, one homeowner’s backyard soil sample has yielded a promising new cancer drug, plus a compound that neutralizes pet odors.

In an era of global environmental challenges, Hanson argues that hyper-local, hands-on efforts to connect with nature have never been more important. He shows readers the myriad, simple ways to improve habitats and increase biodiversity on virtually any patch of ground, whether by planting flowers, installing bird feeders, or leaving lawns unmowed. Moving and reverent, Close to Home provides a much-needed lesson in curiosity and community, one that reminds us to slow down and invest in the world waiting for us just outside our doors.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Thor Hanson is a conservation biologist, Guggenheim fellow, and author of award-winning books including Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid, Buzz, Feathers, and The Triumph of Seeds. Hanson’s research and conservation activities have taken him around the globe to study Central American trees and songbirds, nest predation in Tanzania, and the grisly feeding habits of African vultures. He served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Uganda, where he helped establish the mountain gorilla tourism program in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. He has also helped manage a brown bear tourism project for the U.S. Forest Service in Alaska. He co-hosted the PBS Nature series American Spring Live and has appeared as a guest on many programs including Biology Support on WIRED, and NPR’s Fresh Air, On Point, and Science Friday. His popular articles and essays have appeared in such publications as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Times of London, and The Los Angeles Times.​ He lives with his wife and son on an island in Washington State.