The six million acre Adirondack State Park in upstate New York sees several million visitors each year and is home to 330,000 full-time and seasonal residents. The Park's diverse habitats include over 2,800 lakes and ponds and more than 30,000 miles of running water. Adirondack Trailside Companion: A Natural History will be the first field guide to the natural history and ecology of the Adirondacks, a guide to the Park's plants, invertebrates, fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals by a respected native-born naturalist. <br><br>The book will open with a brief history of the Adirondack State Park. The second section will take the reader on an intimate journey through each Adirondack habitat, beginning with the alpine communities above timberline and descending through the conifer and hardwood forests to the wetlands, streams, and lakes. Finally, Ryan will write an authoritative yet easy to understand species-by-species account of the Park's fauna, illustrated in black and white and color. Sidebars will highlight particularly interesting topics. Back matter will include species checklists, an annotated list of additional resources, and bibliography.