Peters has just produced his fifth book, a richly illustrated work entitled Life-Size Spiders of Southern Ontario. It is a natural follow-on from his earlier, illustrated 'Life-Size' works on butterflies, mushrooms, damselflies and dragonflies, and amphibians and reptiles. Still to come from his prolific pen and camera are a second publication on mushrooms, plus new works on insects, wildflowers and trees and shrubs.

Peters looks at the landscape of southern Ontario in a way that few of us do. He searches out nature's little jewels -- the forests, bogs, streams and marshes -- for his long walks and his subject matter. He looks at nature's creatures with a sense of respect and awe for the way in which they manage to adapt to their increasingly urban surroundings.

Spiders? Not everyone loves spiders, of course, but Peters certainly does -- he has a unique perspective on their lives and their existence and he brings it all into focus in his latest work.

The photography contained within this 84-page book is simply superb, the result of countless hours of patience, skill and a trained eye. There are photos of venomous flower spiders devouring their prey, close-up views of false widow spiders moving through their web, and of female nursery spiders carrying the egg sacs of their unborn.

It is fascinating material, especially for those with a naturalist bent. And it's remarkable, too, to know that within one of the most developed, cosmopolitan regions of North America still lies a natural environment in which creatures such as these can flourish.

Peters observes, in his foreword, that one of his many motivations is to offer his readers a glimpse into the world of nature. He especially hopes that his work will educate and enlighten and to encourage people to do what they can to help protect the plants and animals that can't protect themselves nor can speak on their own behalf.