Fern Finder: Identifying Native Ferns of Central and Northeastern North America

Identify native ferns in central and northeastern North America with this pocket-size guide.

Whether you’re hiking with your family, on a camping trip, or visiting a park, you’re sure to notice a variety of beautiful ferns. If you’re curious about them, then Fern Finder by Anne Reich and Barbara G. Hallowell is just what you need. With the handy, easy-to-use format, you can identify commonly seen native ferns in the central and northeastern United States and in eastern Canada.

The booklet provides a dichotomous key to identifying native ferns. Simply answer a series of simple questions about the appearance of the blade, frond, pinnae, and other parts of a fern. Along the way, Anne’s professional illustrations help to guide you to a positive identification.

This guide is applicable to eastern Canada and the US states of Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and parts of Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, and South Dakota.

Book Features:

• Step-by-step guide to identifying native ferns


• More than 80 species of plants


• Professional line illustrations with key markings for identification


• Small format that fits into a pocket or pack

Anne H. Reich (B.S. biology, M.S. science education) is a naturalist and educator. She was an instructor with the National Audubon Society and Quebec-Labrador Foundation, taught elementary science, edited educational publications for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and directed a Schoolyard Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Project on native prairies in Minnesota. She is active in environmental sustainability and education projects.

Barbara Hallowell (B.S. biology) was a life-long nature educator, inspiring students in many settings from elementary schools to community colleges. She was instrumental in her town’s first Earth Day celebration, founded its conservation commission, developed nature trails, established a botany club, taught classes for National Wildlife Federation summits, and wrote Cabin: A Mountain Adventure and Mountain Year: A Southern Appalachian Nature Notebook. A skilled photographer, she used her pictures for over 50 years in public lectures on nature topics and outdoor travel.