Designed specifically for the amateur naturalist and filled with hands-on projects and activities, Pond and Brook introduces the readers to the intriguing world of freshwater life. Michael Caduto's keen eye investigates all common freshwater environments, from wetlands and deep lakes to streams and vernal ponds. An important feature of the book is its holistic approach to both living and non-living components of freshwater environments, and how they fit together to weave an ecological whole. Readers will learn the unique properties of water, the basic principles vital to understanding aquatic life, and the origin of freshwater habitats.