Guides

California guides

Everything here is built from California's own records — 69 native plants, 24 birds and 4 dark-sky places, and the timing that goes with them. The free California pages stay free; these are the printable editions.

The cover of California Nature Year 2027

California Nature Year 2027

Everything Birch Compass knows about a year of nature in one state — the book, the posters, the sky calendar, the life list, and a weekly note through 2027.

  • 65 pages book
  • 11 files
  • weekly California note

$34.00

The cover of The California Nature Journal

The California Nature Journal

Twelve printable month pages: a reference side built from public nature data for your state, and a field-notes side that is yours.

  • 15 pages
  • twelve month pages
  • printable PDF

$14.00

The cover of Birds of California

Birds of California

The state's most-recorded birds, ranked from survey data, with when each is present through the year and a life list to keep.

  • 6 pages
  • 24 species
  • printable PDF

Not on sale yet

The cover of Native Plants of California

Native Plants of California

The native plants that belong in your yard — what to plant for pollinators, by zone, with bloom timing and a species table.

  • 11 pages
  • 69 species
  • printable PDF

$9.99

The cover of The Night Sky over California

The Night Sky over California

A stargazing companion for the state that does not expire: the meteor calendar, the darkest places, and how to read any year's sky.

  • 8 pages
  • 4 dark-sky places
  • printable PDF

$9.99

Not sure yet? The free California pages cover this month on screen, and every edition here is the year around them.

Format: PDF, laid out for Letter and A4. Delivery: an instant download link, plus a link you can re-open for 72 hours. Refunds: full refund within 30 days, no questions — email hello@birchcompass.com.

Two at a time

Buying more than one California edition

Each California edition is sold on its own, and checkout takes one at a time. These two combine them into a single purchase, for less than the parts come to.

The cover of The California Nature JournalThe cover of Native Plants of CaliforniaThe cover of The Night Sky over California

The California Set

Three printable California editions in one purchase — the twelve-month journal, the native plants reference and the stargazing guide — for less than the three cost apart.

The California Nature Journal, Native Plants of California and The Night Sky over California

$29.00 $33.98 apart

The cover of California Nature Year 2027The cover of The California Nature Journal

California Nature Year 2027 + Journal

The complete California Nature Year with the undated journal beside it: everything the site knows about the year, and the pages to record your own.

California Nature Year 2027 and The California Nature Journal

$42.00 $48.00 apart

Choosing

Which California edition do you want?

If you want one thing that covers the whole California year
The Nature Year is the book plus the posters, the sky calendar, the life list and a weekly note — everything the site knows about California in one purchase, which is why it costs what the others cost together.
If you want to keep your own record
The journal gives each month a reference side built from California data and a blank side that stays yours. Undated, so you print it again next year.
If the birds are the reason you go outside
The birding guide profiles the 24 species most consistently recorded in California, with a month-by-month presence chart and a life list.
If you are planting something this year
The native plants guide covers 69 species for hardiness zones 5a–10b, with bloom windows and what each one feeds.
If you would drive somewhere dark
The night sky guide names California's 4 darkest places and works the moon into every meteor peak, so you know which nights repay the trip.