My background is in environmental education, so it’s no surprise that the outdoor side of worldbuilding is my favorite. It’s also no surprise that I pay close attention to the natural world in the books I read. While not every reader will get pulled out of a story by a critter wandering 1,000 miles outside its home range (that’s probably a pretty niche pet peeve), it’s beneficial to have a basic understanding of the flora, fauna, and topography of your setting.

When writing scenes in natural settings small details about flocking birds or the general look of a river’s riparian zone can be the key to immersing readers in the moment and providing them with the imagery to build imaginary worlds of their own. Setting often informs storyline as well and knowing yours can provide the inspiration to write your next scene.

If it all possible, visit and support parks in/near your setting. Nothing beats a day outdoors and park interpreters are a wealth of information on natural resources, history, and culture. Park gift shops are a great place to grab local field guides to take home for reference too!

Check out these resources to help you find the right flora and fauna to populate your pages.

Web Sources

•Explore native plants and wildlife of the National Parks

•Find geological information at Mindat

•Find out which dinosaurs inhabited your setting at the Dinosaur Database

•Find native plants with the National Wildlife Federation

•Audubon Society Bird Migration Explorer

•Learn about a variety of species at the Smithsonian National Zoo (check out the live webcams while you’re there!)

•Browse the Smithsonian reptile & amphibian collection

•Find out everything you need to know about birds at the Cornell Bird Lab

•NOAA Fisheries marine species by region

•Search your setting on iNaturalist for categorized lists of species observed there. This one might be my favorite. Try searching a park or greenspace near your setting.

Print Sources

•There is a Peterson Field Guide on almost every natural science topic

•Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock gives overviews of hundreds of natural processes

Maps

•US Geological Survey Species Distribution Map

•US Fish & Wildlife Service GIS maps

•List of nature maps by the National Wildlife Federation

•Map of Life biodiversity maps

Sources for Texas

•Texas Parks & Wildlife Wildlife Fact Sheets , Eco-regions, Texas fish species & interactive maps

•Search Wild Texas History for extinct and extirpated species

•The Texas Almanac is a wealth of information about wild Texas

•Learn about native plants and what blooms when at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

•Learn about Texas trees with TAMU Forest Service

Tips & Other Sources

•Visit parks and nature centers in areas near your setting (or send an email!)

•Download a plant ID app for your research trips

•Explore the website of the local department of natural resources

•Shop park and museum gift shops for field guides and other books