• Check out my walks/talks page for upcoming events.
• Want to buy a book? Go to my Store/Books page.
Want to stay up to date on my writing, sign up for my free weekly Street Smart Naturalist Newsletter addressing human and natural history around the Pacific Northwest. It’s a fun way for me to share my observations and adventures. And, now the newsletter is out as a book, too, with amazing watercolor illustrations by Elizabeth Person.
I write about natural history, primarily focusing on geology and how it impacts our lives in myriad ways, from earthquakes to the stone we use in buildings to the hills that make riding a bike more challenging. I write about geology because it is such a fascinating and cool subject, whether out on the trail or in your own backyard.
I am excited about my next book (to be published 9/2026), In the Range of Fire and Ice: Human and Natural History of Washington’s Cascades. 
Blending human and natural history into a vivid portrait of one of North America’s most dynamic landscapes, In the Range of Fire and Ice is a lively, groundbreaking exploration of Washington’s Cascade Range. Drawing on conversations with anthropologists, park rangers, ecologists, and climate scientists, as well as firsthand experience, award-winning author David B. Williams brings readers into the mountains to uncover stories etched in the landscape over millennia.
From traditional Indigenous huckleberry harvesting grounds and ancient footpaths to erupting volcanoes, shifting glaciers, and forgotten mining camps, In the Range of Fire and Ice reveals the Cascades as a place of both deep time and constant change. While past logging, mining, and fires left lasting scars, the Cascades also tell powerful stories of recovery and resilience–returning wolverines and wolves, the remarkable rebirth of Mount St. Helens, and growing stewardship in the face of climate change. Through rich storytelling and careful research, I invite readers to see the Cascades not only as mountains, but as a living, evolving realm of fire, ice, and hope.
Although geology is my primary subject, I also have a deep passion for all areas of natural history. My essays have ranged from exploring the ecological recovery at Mount St. Helens to a journey to find salmon in Seattle to a personal essay about seeing and holding first editions of On The Origin of Species.
In exploring the geology, plants, and animals of the world around us, I hope that my books, blogs and articles will encourage people to look more carefully at the natural world around them and to go outside and investigate. More…