African Wildlife & Environment Issue 77 FINAL ISSUE

GOOD READS

Stargazing O'Meara, Stephen (2020). Night Skies of Botswana . Struik Nature, an imprint of Penguin Random House South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Cape Town. Soft cover, 15x21 cm, 184 pp, illustrated in colour throughout with photographs and diagrams. ISBN 978-1-77584 -693- 2. R240.

Mushrooms Branch, Margo (2020). First Field Guide to Mushrooms of Southern Africa. Struik Nature, an imprint of Penguin Random House South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Cape Town. Soft cover, 11x16 cm, 57 pp, illustrated in colour throughout with photographs by George Branch and sketches. ISBN 978-1-77584 -741-0. R80.

The subtitle on the cover says 'Includes local star lore' and Botswana’s ancestral stories about the stars are scattered throughout the book, honouring indigenous interpretations of the night skies and giving it a unique African flavour. This easy-to-use, accessible guide to starwatching in Botswana is ideal for beginner and amateur stargazers. All stars described can be seen with the naked eye – binoculars and telescopes are not necessary, although of course many birders carry binoculars and they would find them useful for stargazing. The book opens with stargazing tips, while introducing important astronomical concepts, describing our galaxy and the Earth’s place in it. The body of the book offers four star-charts per month, giving views from north, south, east and west, with supporting descriptions of the stars and constellations. Users can dip in during any month. The final chapter surveys the solar system, including the Sun, Moon, planets and leftover debris. There is also information on a meteorite strike in Botswana in 2018, and how to identify artificial satellites orbiting the Earth (including the International Space Station). The author is well known in the astronomical community for his remarkable skills as a visual observer. He has been recognised by the International Astronomical Union, which named Asteroid 3637 O'Meara in his honour. He has written several books, many articles, including being a contributor to National Geographic . He and his wife live in Botswana where they run yoga and stargazing safaris. Look on the Internet for www. yogasafari.com.

This handy little field guide will easily fit into a jacket pocket and will assist the beginner and keen naturalist to identify the more common mushrooms they might encounter in their journeys of discovery. Because they are so widely distributed, mushrooms may be found in gardens, on sidewalks, parks, farms and nature reserves. The introduction deals with saprophytic and parasitic fungi, symbiotic fungi and mycorrhizal fungi. A page is devoted to 'Poisonous or edible Mushrooms' and the reader is strongly warned about the dangers of eating the wrong kind! Then the book launches into the different species, with a full page and at least one, sometimes more, photograph for identification purposes. These excellent images complement the clear text, which should always be read in full when attempting to identify your specimens. Remember that this is a guide to just a few of the more abundant and commonly encountered species, and there are very many more in our region.

6 | African Wildlife & Environment | Issue 77 (2020)