Award-winning natural history writer Thor Hanson will present his book "Close to Home: The Wonders of Nature Just Outside Your Door," on Friday, October 3 at 6:30 p.m. at Paulina Springs Books. Hanson highlights that any backyard or neighborhood park can yield exciting new discoveries, and anyone's observations can contribute to biodiversity research and conservation efforts around the globe. Hanson takes readers on a tour of his own backyard, teaching us how and where we can reacquaint ourselves with local species. Hanson introduces us to communities across the globe that are banding together to fight climate change and environmental degradation. In an era of global environmental challenges, Hanson argues that hyper-local, hands-on efforts to connect with nature have never been more important.