Where to go to study rare freshwater sponges, find birds in a thorn thicket, watch monarch butterflies in a field of goldenrods and dozens of other educational/recreational opportunities are detailed in a new publication from Cornell Plantations, A Field Guide to Cornell's Off-Campus Natural Areas.

The 40-page book by Nancy L. Ostman and F. Robert Wesley is illustrated with maps and botanical drawings, and is available for $4.95 from the Plantations Garden Gift Shop or by calling Cornell Plantations at (607) 255-2400.

"Each of the 17 tracts described in the guide contains plants, animals and geological features that are unique to our region," Ostman said, "and each has an important role to play as an outdoor classroom for students of all ages. We designed this book to guide naturalists through these treasures and to help faculty and students from Cornell and other educational institutions select the most appropriate sites for field classes and research."

The guide covers tracts as near to campus as Renwick Slope in Cayuga Heights and Monkey Run on Fall Creek and as distant as Carter Creek on Connecticut Hill and Cayuga Marsh at the north end of Cayuga Lake. Some sites are too fragile to withstand increased use, noted Ostman, who serves as director of the Natural Areas Program for Cornell Plantations. The sensitive sites are open only for specific teaching and research purposes, said Ostman, who can provide more information at (607) 255-9638.

Cornell Plantations is the university's museum of living plants, which grow in its arboretum, botanical gardens and natural areas. Along with 200 acres on campus, Cornell Plantations manages 3,000 acres in Tompkins and surrounding counties, including bogs, fens, gorges, glens, wet- and dry meadows, and woodlands.