NATURAL HIGH by John P. Wiley...

NATURAL HIGH by John P. Wiley Jr. (University of New England Press: $12.95; 121 pp., paperback original). In these brief essays about nature, Wiley stresses the importance and pleasure of observing what goes on around us: “Learning to see is partly remembering to look, and partly bringing what we know to what we are looking at.” But seeing brings an awareness that even trivial acts can tax resources and generate pollution: Turning off a lamp or running errands on foot can help ease the strain on the beleaguered environment. Wiley calls these actions “voting with our feet,” and reading his prose is like taking a stroll with a knowledgeable friend.