Near the Forest, By the Lake is a personal exploration of the wonders of the natural world close to home. In this collection of essays, Angela E. Douglas reflects on the lives and habits of the plants, birds, insects, and other creatures inhabiting the landscapes that neighbor her in upstate New York.

Some essays focus on individual species, from the salamanders migrating in early spring and the butterflies of summer, to the yellow goldenrods of the fall and the rafts of ducks on the lake in winter. Others provide insight into some of nature's mysteries, including why certain birds sing in fall, and how turtles survive the winter in ice-sealed ponds. The inevitable fingerprint of human activities is interwoven into these explorations of the diversity of the living world.

In Near the Forest, By the Lake, Douglas shows us that the natural world is closer than we might think, and that our local environment, be it city sidewalk or country meadow, can always offer a glimpse of nature's splendor.