Non-Fiction


They Are Here!

They Are Here!

Did you know that brown rats were brought to the United States in the eighteenth century on a ship from England? Or that thousands of exotic pets were released into the Florida Everglades after a hurricane in 1992, leading to today’s booming Burmese python population? All over the country, non-native species from around the world have been introduced to our lands, irrevocably changing the natural balances of their new habitats.

This is the story of some of those newcomers, but also of human error and nature gone wild. By looking at thirty different intrusive plants and animals, They Are Here! explores invasive species, their impact on our environment, and the steps we can take to support local ecosystems under threat.

Journey of the Red Wolf, by Roland Smith

Journey of the Red Wolf

(Cobblehill, April 1996)
Follow the magnificent and rare red wolf from the brink of extinction, to captivity, then back into wild. For many years Roland was the Red Wolf Species coordinator. An insider’s look at how animals are reintroduced into the wild.

In the forest with the elephants, by Roland Smith

In the Forest with the Elephants

coauthor
Dr. Michael J. Schmidt, DVM
(Harcourt Brace)

Deep in the Myanmar Forest, Won Lin spots his elephant, Toe Lai, and calls, “La, la, la.” Toe Lai fans out his ears, takes a last bite of grass, then lumbers toward Won Lin. It’s time to go to work.

A century ago there were more than a hundred thousand elephants in Asia; today there are just thirty-five thousand. Only Myanmar–where nearly one-third of Asia’s remaining elephants live– can boast a healthy elephant population. Thousands of elephants roam in the wild there, and thousands more work with humans to harvest valuable wood. As Won Lin and Toe Lai’s story reveals, this working partnership between elephants and humans may be the key to preserving the elephants themselves as well as their forest home.

Sea Otter Rescue, by Roland Smith

Sea Otter Rescue
(Cobblehill, 1990)
In 1989 a supertanker named the Exxon Valdez ran into Bligh Reef spilling 6 million gallons of oil into the pristine waters of Alaska’s Prince William Sound. This books recounts the heroic efforts to save Alaska’s sea otters from this terrible disaster.Order now at:

African Elephants, by Roland Smith

African Elephants

(Lerner, 1995) For younger readers.

Part of Lerner’s “Early Bird Nature Books” series. Go to Africa with Roland and learn all about the largest land mammal on earth. Why do elephants have trunks instead of noses? How long is a female pregnant? What do elephants use their trunks for?

Vultures, by Roland Smith

Vultures

(Lerner, 1997)

Part of the Lerner “Early Bird Nature Books” series. Describes the life cycle, behavior, eating habits, and endangered status of vultures.

Primates in the Zoo, by Roland Smith

Primates in the Zoo

Go behind the scenes at the zoo and find out how primates are kept and how poisonous snakes are handled. Learn how whales are trained and what happens when a big cat escapes.

Snakes in the Zoo, by Roland Smith

Snakes in the Zoo

In a close-up look at snakes living in the zoo, readers learn what snakes are fed, how zookeepers regulate snake hibernation, and how venomous and non-venomous snakes must be handled by their caretakers.

Cats in the Zoo, by Roland Smith

Cats in the Zoo

Describes the habits of cats in the wild as well as the care cats receive in today’s zoo in order to prevent their extinction

Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises in the Zoo, by Roland Smith

Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises in the Zoo

Discusses the characteristics and behavior of whales and dolphins, and describes how they are captured, transported, cared for, and trained.

Inside the Zoo Nursery

Inside the Zoo Nursery
(Cobblehill, 1993)In this book Roland takes you behind the scenes at a zoo nursery. Why are baby animals taken from their mothers? What are lion cubs fed? How do zoos reintroduce these human-raised babies back to their own kind?