The Appalachian Mountains, stretching from Alabama to Canada, are among the oldest ranges in the world — but many might not know the flora and fauna that call it home.
In her new book “Tiny Worlds of the Appalachian Mountains” artist Rosalie Haizlett reveals the exquisite wildflowers, unique butterflies, colorful slime, coveted mushrooms, and more tucked within forested ridges and waterways.
The book is filled with stunning watercolor maps and illustrations of species, field notes, ecological facts, interviews with experts, and prompts that ask the reader to tune into the world around them — all recorded on a six-month journey through the mountains.
Artist Rosalie Haizlett, 29, spent an entire spring and summer documenting the mountains. (Courtesy of Rosalie Haizlett)
As a native of Bethany, W. Va. (about an hour southwest of Pittsburgh), she grew up around smokestacks near the Ohio River. As she got older, Haizlett began to see the scars of industry.
“This project came from my growing desire to share hopeful narratives about the region,” Haizlett says. “I also wanted to educate people on the creatures that are most at risk of being lost because of watershed contamination and habitat destruction.”
In over 200 pages, you’ll get to know the pawpaw tree in Alabama, yellow trout lilies in Tennessee, snakeskin liverwort in North Carolina, coral slime in West Virginia, and in Pennsylvania, a squishy smattering: pickerel frogs, swap fungus, ghost pipe, and banded fishing spiders.
Ghost pipe, a haunted-looking wildflower, is gray because it doesn't photosynthesize. (Courtesy of Rosalie Haizlett)
Find more fascinating wildlife along Haizlett’s journey at her book tour stop at Three Rivers Outdoors Co. in Regent Square on Sept. 22.
🎨 Your Turn: Go On A Woodland Color Walk
Throughout her book, Haizlett calls on the reader to be a thoughtful observer of nature through creative prompts. Most are written for spring and summer, so I asked her to share one for fall:
Take a stroll with color pencils or watercolors in hand. As you walk, look for the earliest hints of fall color starting to creep into the plants and trees. Using your art supplies, make small color swatches of the various fall colors you see. Write down the subject that each color belongs to next to the swatch.
