Field Guides

What is a Field Guide?

Field guides are free, practical tools to identify, study, and protect the millions of species on Earth. These easy-to-use resources are filled with beautiful images and scientific information to help people engage with the diversity of nature and culture on our planet.

Free and Accessible

Guides are freely available to everyone. Instead of weighty, expensive, technical books, these lightweight catalogs provide easy-to-access, on-the-ground resources.

Visual Identification Tools

Every field guide is packed with beautiful images and scientific information to help people engage with the diversity of nature and culture on our planet.

Made with You

Our experts work with scientists, educators, local communities, indigenous leaders, and people passionate about nature and science to turn your photos and species information into beautiful guides.

Create a Field Guide

Authors can submit guides with high-resolution images and scientific identification using one of our website's templates. Our team of experts works with authors to design and verify their guides before publishing them on our website.

Follow Us

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fieldguidesfieldmuseum/

On Facebook: http://facebook.com/FieldGuides/FieldMuseum

By the Numbers

Our Mission

Field Museum Field Guides promote a deeper engagement with conservation efforts by helping people identify and better understand the full range of species and cultural diversity in their local communities and around the world.

What We Stand For

The Field Museum strives to reflect the wide range of identities, experiences, and perspectives found within our staff, audiences, and communities. As part of this, the Field Guides team collaborates with people worldwide who share our love of nature and commitment to conservation.

Project Resources and Highlights

Featured Field Guides

The Field Museum Field Guides are free, accessible resources filled with beautiful images and scientific information to help people engage with the diversity of nature and culture on our planet. Access thousands of field guides from around the world co-created by scientists, educators, local communities, and indigenous leaders.

    • Common Butterflies of the Chicago Region Field Guide

      This guide will help identify some of the many species of butterflies found in the Chicagoland area.

      Common Wild Bees of Illinois Field Guide

      Use this guide to help identify less recognizable bee species common in Illinois.

      Colors in the Rice Native Gardens Field Guide

      The Field Museum invites you to awaken your senses as you venture through the Field Museum’s Rice Native Gardens and experience the beautiful colors of the natural world.

Meet the team

We have placed diversity and inclusion at the center of our work, starting with our multidisciplinary team of experts from different countries and cultural backgrounds.

Related Press and Media

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