A chronicle of changes through the seasons both above and within the sea, A COASTAL COMPANION follows the arrival and departure of migrating shorebirds in spring and fall, schools of fish as they move in and out of our region, and the natural cycles of our bays, rivers, marshes, and coastal forests. Part field guide, part almanac, the book also highlights writers, artists, and scientists who have chosen the Gulf of Maine as their subject matter. Poems by twelve contemporary poets open each chapter, and illustrations by two Maine artists, Kimberleigh Martul-March and Margaret Campbell, are featured throughout the text. This is a book to keep close at hand, to be read not all at once, but through the seasons, one day at a time, and enjoyed year after year.

Catherine Schmitt's other books include Historic Acadia National Park and The President's Salmon: Restoring the King of Fish and its Home Waters. She writes frequently for newspapers, magazines, and literary journals. Her writing is informed by her background in environmental science and field experience in rivers, lakes, forests, wetlands, and beaches throughout the Northeastern U.S. She lives in Bangor, Maine.