Gift ideas for explorers, nature lovers

WASHINGTON – Is there a nature-lover on your Christmas shopping list?
Here are some fresh ideas from the WND Superstore:

• “Seasons of the Bighorn” by George Kelly: Why is the Bighorn River in southern Montana considered among the finest trout rivers in North America? Certainly the sheer number of trout is a strong criterion. But trout fishing is not merely a numbers game, and those who know and love this river claim that the Bighorn casts a dazzling spell. “Seasons of the Bighorn,” the first book in the “Great American Rivers” series, reveals the special magic of the Bighorn through the insightful text of resident angler/writer George Kelly and the gripping action and scenic photography of Barry and Cathy Beck. Kelly’s narrative takes the reader through the four seasons of the Bighorn, providing comprehensive fly-fishing and hatches information for the angler. A skilled naturalist, the author also interweaves a lyrical discussion of the river’s flora and fauna within the seasonal text.

• “Seasons of the Yellowstone” by Kim Leighton and Denver Bryan: The nation’s longest undammed river, the Yellowstone has flowed for generations as a symbol of wildness, one of America’s last untamed rivers and most popular trout destinations in the nation. “Seasons of the Yellowstone” captures the spirit of the mighty Yellowstone River along its breathtaking 690-mile course. Author and longtime fly-fishing outfitter Kim Leighton unveils the Yellowstone’s rich history and details its seasonal secrets as a magnificent trout fishery. Award-winning photographer Denver Bryan’s action, wildlife and scenic images, including dramatic aerial and underwater photographs, provide the exciting visual complement to the insightful text.

• “Explore the Wildlife Kingdom: Cougar – Ghost of the Rockies” DVD: The cougar, or mountain lion, is secretive and solitary, inhabiting the remote regions of the Rocky Mountains where man rarely ventures. It can leap forward over 40 feet and jump 18 feet straight up in the air. Its stealth and skill as a mountain hunter are legendary but rarely witnessed. Wildlife filmmaker Jim Dutcher and Dr. Morris Hornocker, the world’s leading mountain lion expert, spent two years in the wilds of Idaho to produce this rare and intimate portrait of a 5-year-old cougar and her three kittens. Through spectacular photography, the elusive cougar is revealed as both predator and guardian, a mysterious phantom in nature’s hidden world.

• “Explore the Wildlife Kingdom: Wildebeest – The Great African Migration” (DVD): The great wildebeest migration from the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya to Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park is a spectacle of life and death witnessed by few humans … until now. Baron Hugo van Lawick, who has made the Serengeti his home for over 25 years, has filmed this remarkable epic of survival – the greatest migration of land animals on the planet – in vivid, riveting detail. At the start of the migration the wildebeest herd is 1.5 million strong. But the journey is plagued with predators. Cheetahs stalk and chase the strays. Hyenas and wild dogs shadow the herd and attack the calves. Leopards drag their kill into the trees. Lions seem to appear from nowhere – springing from the tall grasses. And crocodiles – monsters over 20 feet long – lurk in the shallows of the Grumeti River waiting for the thirsty herd. But just as in every year, the wildebeest complete their great African migration while birthing an incredible half a million young along the way.

• “Explore the Wildlife Kingdom: The Hidden World of Africa” (DVD): Barely visible to the human eye, a truly fascinating universe lives in the bush and savannas of Africa. Here, creatures from small to smaller and nearly invisible share a world with gigantic animals. Usually overlooked, often feared and despised, theirs may be a small world but it’s an important one. Remarkable photography reveals some of the hundreds of invertebrates that thrive and support lives far larger than their own. Give this fascinating and tiny world a closer look and you’ll discover the big wonders of small creatures.

• “Explore the Wildlife Kingdom: Lions – Kings of Africa” (DVD): No film has ever captured the true nature of the king of beasts like “LIONS: Kings of Africa.” Wildlife cinematographers spent an entire year living among a lion pride in the Ngorongoro Crater in Northern Tanzania where three generations – cubs, adolescents and leaders – revealed their fascinating royal lives. The crater is a natural enclosure that supports zebra, wildebeest, buffalo and other lion prey. In this fantastic setting you’ll witness adolescents learning the art of hunting; the introduction of newborn cubs to the pride; the struggle for survival during the dry season; and many other rare images of birth, life and death in the pride. Host Grant Goodeve narrates as filmmakers explore three generations of lions. See the birth of a lion cub, a young adolescent’s first hunt, a young cub’s first interaction with his family and the how the lions survive during the dry season.

• “Explore the Wildlife Kingdom: Golden River, Secrets of The Amazon” (DVD): The Amiga River Basin is the largest rainforest on earth. Truly this area is one of the world’s most beautiful and unspoiled places. It is dense, rich, tropical and brimming with life. Here runs the Rio Negro – a lifeline, mysterious and black, but pure as any water in the world. Also known as the Golden River, it is host to some of the most remarkable and fascinating wildlife on earth. For the people and creatures which reside here, the river is their life. Here, where trade of sugar, coffee and other commodities is still the major monetary exchange, the rivers glisten with some of the most unusual and spectacular amphibian and aquatic life. Dive in and discover the secrets of the Golden River.

• “Explore the Wildlife Kingdom: Dolphins – Tribes of the Sea” (DVD): Probably no other sea animal has captured our affection and attention like the dolphin. Its intelligence and athleticism has fascinated observers for years. Dolphins seem to exhibit a friendly willingness to cooperate with humans, something very rare in the wild animal kingdom. We think we know them – racing through aquariums and performing at marine parks. But dolphins are more complex animals, with the capacity for language and affection. Here you will travel the world to see how dolphin groups in different locales interact with humans, and visit researchers as they discover just how intelligent, clever and intuitive dolphins really are.

Check it all out at the WND Superstore – thousands of products for discerning and curious minds.