Best of
Conservation

2016

Elephant Dawn: The Inspirational Story of Thirteen Years Living with Elephants in the African Wilderness


Sharon Pincott - 2016
    She was unpaid, untrained, self-funded and arrived with the starry-eyed idealism of most foreigners during early encounters with Africa. For thirteen years - the worst in Zimbabwe's volatile history - this intrepid Australian woman lived in the Hwange bush fighting for the lives of these elephants, forming an extraordinary and life-changing bond with them.Now remote from Robert Mugabe's rule, Sharon writes without restraint sequentially through the years, taking us on a truly unforgettable ride of hope and heartbreak, profound love and loss, adversity and new beginnings. This is the haunting, all-encompassing story we've been waiting for.Powerfully moving, sometimes disturbing and often very funny, Elephant Dawn is a celebration of love, courage and honour amongst our greatest land mammals. With resilience beyond measure, Sharon earns the supreme right to call them family.[The book includes 32 pages of colour photographs.]

American Serengeti: The Last Big Animals of the Great Plains


Dan Flores - 2016
    Pronghorn antelope, gray wolves, bison, coyotes, wild horses, and grizzly bears: less than two hundred years ago these creatures existed in such abundance that John James Audubon was moved to write, "it is impossible to describe or even conceive the vast multitudes of these animals."In a work that is at once a lyrical evocation of that lost splendor and a detailed natural history of these charismatic species of the historic Great Plains, veteran naturalist and outdoorsman Dan Flores draws a vivid portrait of each of these animals in their glory--and tells the harrowing story of what happened to them at the hands of market hunters and ranchers and ultimately a federal killing program in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The Great Plains with its wildlife intact dazzled Americans and Europeans alike, prompting numerous literary tributes. American Serengeti takes its place alongside these celebratory works, showing us the grazers and predators of the plains against the vast opalescent distances, the blue mountains shimmering on the horizon, the great rippling tracts of yellowed grasslands. Far from the empty "flyover country" of recent times, this landscape is alive with a complex ecology at least 20,000 years old--a continental patrimony whose wonders may not be entirely lost, as recent efforts hold out hope of partial restoration of these historic species.Written by an author who has done breakthrough work on the histories of several of these animals--including bison, wild horses, and coyotes--American Serengeti is as rigorous in its research as it is intimate in its sense of wonder--the most deeply informed, closely observed view we have of the Great Plains' wild heritage.

Follow the Moon Home: A Tale of One Idea, Twenty Kids, and a Hundred Sea Turtles


Philippe Cousteau - 2016
    Meet Viv, who has a new home and a new school by the sea and follow her as she finds her way in a new place and helps bring together a whole community to save the sea turtles of the South Carolina coast.• Explores various important themes like activism, philanthropy, volunteerism, and more• Features gorgeous watercolor illustrations that are colorful and engaging• Includes a "Letter to Young Activists" from the author as well as resources to learn more about sea turtles.• Meilo So is the esteemed illustrator of many books, including Water Sings Blue. Philippe Cousteau is an award-winning television host, producer, author, speaker, philanthropist, and social entrepreneur. Deborah Hopkinson is the author of many award-winning nonfiction books for young readersFans of Manfish and Water Sings Blue will also enjoy the inspiring storyline and stunning illustrations in Follow the Moon Home.• Great family and classroom read-aloud book• Books for kids ages 4-6 • Children's picture books for kindergarten through third grade

The Wolves of Currumpaw


William Grill - 2016
    Set in the dying days of the old west, Seton's drama unfolds in the vast planes of New Mexico, at a time when man's relationship with nature was often marked by exploitations and misunderstanding. This is the first graphic adaptation of a massively influential piece of writing by one of the men who went on to form the Boy Scouts of America.

A Good Man with a Dog: A Game Warden's 25 Years in the Maine Woods


Roger Guay - 2016
    Inspired by this experience, as well as his love of the outdoors, Guay became a game warden and certified K9 handler, beginning a successful career that would span twenty-five years and see him establish canine units as a staple of the game warden service.Guay takes readers into the patient, watchful world of a warden catching poachers and protecting pristine wilderness, and the sometimes CSI-like reconstruction of deer- and moose-poaching scenes. Guay searches for lost hunters and hikers, estimating that over the years, he has pulled more than two hundred bodies out of Maine’s north woods. His frequent companion is a little brown lab named Reba, who can find discarded weapons, ejected shells, hidden fish, and missing people.A Good Man with a Dog explores Guay’s life as he and his canine partners are exposed to increasingly terrible events, from tracking down hostile poachers to searching for victims of violent crimes, including a year-long search for the hidden graves of two babies buried by a Massachusetts cult. He witnessed firsthand FEMA’s mismanagement of the post-Katrina cleanup efforts in New Orleans, an experience that left him scarred and disheartened. But he found hope with the support of family and friends, and eventually returned to the woods he knew and loved from the days of his youth.

Where The Animals Go: Tracking Wildlife with Technology in 50 Maps and Graphics


James Cheshire - 2016
    This is science at its best, the art of understanding truth and beauty' - Chris Packham'Enchanting and exhilarating ... Where the Animals Go is an eye-opening exercise in perspective that puts place and space at the heart of the 21st-century conservation debate' - Literary ReviewFrom the best-selling authors of London: The Information Capital comes the first book to use big data to map the movements and behaviour of wild animals all over the worldFor thousands of years, tracking animals meant following footprints. Now satellites, drones, camera traps, cellphone networks, apps and accelerometers allow us to see the natural world like never before. Geographer James Cheshire and designer Oliver Uberti take you to the forefront of this animal-tracking revolution. Meet the scientists gathering wild data - from seals mapping the sea to baboons making decisions, from birds dodging tornadoes to jaguars taking selfies. Join the journeys of sharks, elephants, bumblebees, snowy owls, and a wolf looking for love. Find an armchair, cancel your plans and go where the animals go.[Praise for London: The Information Capital] 'The book is infinitely compelling, one you'll return to time and again, and full of 'wow, you have to see this' moments. It reinforces the notion that information really can be beautiful...' Londonist[Praise for London: The Information Capital] 'Brilliantly compelling...The Information Capital is a tour de force in the modern use of graphics to make a point' London Evening Standard

Living with Tigers


Valmik Thapar - 2016
    He was a city boy, unsure of what lay ahead. When he entered the forest, which would go on to become one of the last strongholds of wild tigers, it had a profound effect on him, changing his life forever.For the next forty years, he studied nearly 200 Ranthambhore tigers, spending every waking moment in close proximity to these magnificent animals. Of the various tigers he observed a handful became extra special, and it is these which come to glorious life in this book. They include Padmini, the Queen Mother, the first tiger the author got to know well; Genghis, the master predator, who invented a way of killing prey in water, the first time this had been observed anywhere in the world; Noon, one of his all-time favourites, who received her name because she was most active in the middle of the day; Broken Tooth, an exceptionally gentle male; Laxmi, a devoted mother, whose methods of raising her cubs revolutionized tiger studies; Machli, the most famous tigress in Ranthambhore, and several more.

Poop Detectives: Working Dogs in the Field


Ginger Wadsworth - 2016
    Canine detec-tives use their super sense of smell to locate the scat of target animals. From loose bear dung to gooey whale poop, scat can tell scientists valuable information about an animal’s sex, age, diet, and health—all without harming the animal or endanger-ing the researcher.

White Man's Game: Saving Animals, Rebuilding Eden, and Other Myths of Conservation in Africa


Stephanie Hanes - 2016
    For American multimillionaire Greg Carr, a tech mogul seeking new challenges, it looked like a perfect place for Western philanthropy: under his guidance, he promised, Gorongosa would be revived as an ecological paradise. But what of the local Mozambicans themselves, who had been living in the area for centuries? In White Man's Game, journalist Stephanie Hanes traces Carr's effort to tackle one of the world's biggest environmental challenges, showing how the ambitious reconstruction turned into a dramatic clash of cultures.In vivid, you-are-there stories, Hanes takes readers on a virtual safari into this remote corner of southern Africa. She faces down lions and malaria, describes what it takes to transport an elephant across international borders, and talks to park workers and wildlife poachers—who sometimes turn out to be one and the same. And she examines the larger issues that arise when Western do-gooders try to “fix” complex, messy situations in Africa, acting with best intentions yet ignoring the experience of the people who actually live there.A gripping narrative of environmentalists and warlords, elephants and rainmakers, poachers and millionaires, White Man's Game profoundly challenges the way we think about philanthropy and conservation.

Yellowstone: A Journey through America's Wild Heart


David Quammen - 2016
    Filled with amazing images captured by eight National Geographic photographers over an extensive two year deployment in the park, it is unlike any Yellowstone book before it. Yellowstone's storied past, rich ecosystem and dynamic landscape are brilliantly portrayed in a captivating mosaic of photographs and eloquently written text that blend history, science and research from the field.

Decolonizing Nature: Contemporary Art and the Politics of Ecology


T.J. Demos - 2016
    By engaging artists’ widespread aesthetic and political engagement with environmental conditions and processes around the globe—and looking at cutting-edge theoretical, political, and cultural developments in the Global South and North—Decolonizing Nature offers a significant, original contribution to the intersecting fields of art history, ecology, visual culture, geography, and environmental politics. Art historian T. J. Demos, author of Return to the Postcolony: Specters of Colonialism in Contemporary Art (2013), considers the creative proposals of artists and activists for ways of life that bring together ecological sustainability, climate justice, and radical democracy, at a time when such creative proposals are urgently needed.“Decolonizing Nature presents a timely critical analysis of the parameters and limitations of philosophical, artistic, and curatorial models responding to anthropogenic climate change. Rich and informative, the book makes an impassioned argument for a post-anthropocentric political ecology, in which the aesthetic realm enjoins with Indigenous philosophies and environmental activism to challenge the neoliberal corporate-state complex. It invites us to confront tough questions on how we might collectively reimagine and realize environmental justice for humans and nonhumans alike.”—Jean Fisher, Emeritus Professor in Fine Art and Transcultural Studies, Middlesex University“Astute and ambitious. Essential reading for anyone interested in the arts, activism, and environmental change. Demos moves with impressive ease across national boundaries, cultural forms, social movements, and ecological theories.”—Rob Nixon, Currie C. and Thomas A. Barron Family Professor in Humanities and the Environment, Princeton University“Demos breaks new ground in art criticism. In an expansive analysis of polyvocal artist-activist practices in the Global South and the North, Demos eschews environmental catastrophism, scientific determinism, and techno-fixes to highlight collaborative resistance to neocolonial violence and neoliberal collusion-to-plunder. He is also searching for what the path forward might be. Rigorous, accessible, and rebellious, Decolonizing Nature is an inspiring and indispensible contemporary art manifesto.”—Subhankar Banerjee, Lannan Chair of Land Arts of the American West and Professor of Art and Ecology, University of New Mexico“With Decolonizing Nature, Demos extends his formidable intellectual project to a realm that has until recently often been characterized by varying degrees of naïveté, obscurantism, and indeed green-washing: the relationship between art and ecology. The first systematic study of its kind, Decolonizing Nature is an exemplary combination of militant research and contemporary art history that will resonate with activists on the front lines as much as those working in the art field, reframing the latter as a site of struggle in its own right as we come to terms with the so-called Anthropocene.”—Yates McKee, author of Strike Art: Contemporary Art and the Post-Occupy Condition“Demos’s ability to distill and interrelate heterogeneous discourses, practices, and eco-political contexts, without flattening them in the process, is a breathtaking feat and, moreover, one that rises to the demands of his complex and urgent subject. As clear in its argumentation as it is dense with information, the meat of this book lies in its detailed discussion of specific artworks and the environmental struggles from which they emerge and to which they ambitiously, and often brilliantly, respond. Decolonizing Nature makes a forceful case for why and how art matters, now more than ever.”—Emily Eliza Scott, Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute for the History and Theory of Architecture, ETH Zurich, and coeditor of Critical Landscapes: Art, Space, Politics

The Pipestone Wolves: The Rise and Fall of a Wolf Family


Günther Bloch - 2016
    Within a year, these new wolves had eliminated the Bow Valley wolves and established a dominance that would last for five years in the heart of Canada’s most famous national park.As the climactic chapter in a twenty-year observational study of wolves in Banff National Park, internationally respected wolf behaviour expert Günther Bloch and widely renowned wildlife photographer John E. Marriott followed the Pipestones through the trials and tribulations of raising their family in one of the world’s most heavily visited national parks.Bloch’s work involved patient, time-consuming observations day after day for five consecutive years, resulting in matchless ecological and behavioural insights that go beyond the usual information that comes from studying wild wolves using telemetry and radio collaring. Bloch outlines the differences between a wolf pack and a wolf family, he describes A- and B-type personalities in wolves and how this impacted survival rates of the Pipestone pups and yearlings in the Bow Valley. He also details the three societal types of wild wolves, debunking the age-old myth of a pecking order from alphas to omegas, based on what he was able to observe in person with these wild wolves.Throughout the book, Bloch and Marriott describe some of the incredible wolf behaviour they were fortunate enough to witness as part of the study. They watched a yearling female called Blizzard play with a mouse in the middle of the road for twenty minutes one frigid winter morning and saw the family playing tug-of-war one afternoon with a pair of men’s boxer shorts. The most interesting observation was near the end of the family’s dominance when a yearling named Yuma brought food repeatedly to a young pup called Sunshine that had suffered a broken leg after getting hit by a train. Sunshine lived on to become the last surviving member of the family.The book chronicles not only the rise of the Pipestones and how they established and maintained dominance in the valley, but also how an increase in mass tourism in Banff led to a decrease in prey density for the Pipestones, which in turn led to the wolves changing their hunting strategies and expanding their summer range. Bloch explains how the Pipestones faced an inevitable fall from the top as pressure from eager wolf watchers increased exponentially in the park at the same time the Wolves' prey base was shrinking rapidly. Combining these influences with other factors like rail mortality and old age, Bloch and Marriott knew the end was near for the Pipestones.The authors conclude with insights into how wolf and wildlife management in Banff National Park can improve. They outline steps Parks Canada should be taking to deal with the human management problems that are really at the core of the wildlife issues in the park. They also discuss whether we can continue to maintain a balance between ecological integrity and mass tourism in Canada’s flagship park and whether it is already too late. Have we passed the point of no return? And will our Banff wolves live forever after in a wildlife ghetto devoid of true wilderness characteristics?

The Earth Book


Jonathan Litton - 2016
    Examine every corner of the Earth, from outer space to underground and from the Maasai steppe to Manhattan.

Ocean Animals: Who's Who in the Deep Blue


Johnna Rizzo - 2016
    From life in coral reefs, to sharks and rays, to sea birds, kids will meet incredible sea-based animals in action, including the blue tang fish and clownfish. It's all captured with beautiful underwater photography and features cool info about our oceans -- including fascinating facts, maps, and marine conservation tips and efforts.From the Trade Paperback edition.

The Little Book of Woodland Bird Songs


Caz Buckingham - 2016
    There is a general introduction to each woodland bird that highlights their key characteristics, accompanied by an informative data profile and some surprising facts.

Pagan Anarchism


Christopher Scott Thompson - 2016
    Our first offering by poet, anarchist, and Pagan Christopher Scott Thompson, Pagan Anarchism explores the history of anti-authoritarian and anti-capitalist movements and discovers alongside them a fierce Pagan rebellion against the State.Witchpunks, rebels, magicians, and revolutionaries will find this book both a compelling history and an inspiring manifesto.

Gorillas Up Close


Christena Nippert-Eng - 2016
    Explore the differences between gorillas in zoos and in the wild with the gorilla family troop in Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo. Readers will delight in the similarities gorillas share with humans while finding out more about these incredible animals.

Yellowstone Ranger


Jerry Mernin - 2016
    In his long-awaited memoir, Mernin takes readers behind the scenes to learn firsthand what it's like to be a great park ranger. Along the way he shares a lifetime of exciting adventures, including dangerous rescues, remote backcountry patrols, and multiple heart-pounding encounters with grizzly bears. Thoroughly entertaining, this book also provides a valuable inside look at park operations from law enforcement to bear management.

California Through Native Eyes: Reclaiming History


William J. Bauer Jr. - 2016
    Noticeably absent from these stories are the perspectives and experiences of the people who lived on the land long before European settlers arrived. Historian William Bauer seeks to correct that oversight through an innovative approach that tells California history strictly through Native perspectives. Using oral histories of Concow, Pomo, and Paiute workers, taken as part of a New Deal federal works project, Bauer reveals how Native peoples have experienced and interpreted the history of the land we now call California. Combining these oral histories with creation myths and other oral traditions, he demonstrates the importance of sacred landscapes and animals and other nonhuman actors to the formation of place and identity. He also examines tribal stories of ancestors who prophesied the coming of white settlers and uses their recollections of the California Indian Wars to push back against popular narratives that seek to downplay Native resistance. The result both challenges the "California story" and enriches it with new voices and important points of view, serving as a model for understanding Native historical perspectives in other regions.

Orangutan Orphanage


Suzi Eszterhas - 2016
    It explores why baby orangutans become orphaned and the process of healing and rehabilitating them for return to the wild. It also highlights the people who work at the rescue center and how they aid the animals.A portion of the royalties from this book will be donated to the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine in Borneo.

Gobi Grizzlies: Tracking a Myth to Save a Desert


Douglas H. Chadwick - 2016
    He demonstrates why saving this endangered animal supports an entire ecosystem made up of hundreds of interconnected plants and animals, from desert roses to Asiatic lynx and wild double-humped camels, all adapting as best they can to the effects of climate change. A parable of environmental stewardship in a legendary realm.

Birds: A Complete Guide to Their Biology and Behavior


Jonathan Elphick - 2016
    For those needing just one general bird reference, this might be it. Summing up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries." -- Choice"An outstanding achievement" -- Quarterly Review of Biology"It's the photographs that will keep readers turning pages" -- Publishers WeeklyThe World of Birds focused primarily on the taxonomy of birds with coverage of the 32 orders and 195 families of birds. It included information on avian biology but not comprehensive coverage. Birds: A Complete Guide to their Biology and Behavior does exactly that, in a shorter, more affordable book.Highly respected ornithologist and wildlife expert Jonathan Elphick begins by defining the distinguishing features of birds before going on to describe their evolution since the age of the dinosaurs. With the aid of fact boxes and clear photographs, he explores in greater detail each of the significant elements of bird life:bird biology including anatomy walking and swimming plumage calls and songs flight techniques and styles food and feeding bird lifestyles and social relationships breeding, growth and development bird geography and habitats the mysteries of migration. He also considers human attitudes towards birds through the ages.With special photography from award-winning wildlife photographer David Tipling and many other top bird photographers, this book is a unique insight into the world of birds and essential reading for all ornithologists, bird watchers and natural history enthusiasts.

The Amazing Animal Adventure: An Around-the-World Spotting Expedition


Anna Claybourne - 2016
    Visit the jungle caves of Borneo, the Australian outback, the Arctic ice floes and many, many more!Your spotter's notes for each location contain all the animals you meet, plus lots of fantastic extra facts about the places you visit.

Our Perfect Wild: Ray Barbara Bane's Journeys and the Fate of Far North


Kaylene Johnson - 2016
    Doing so, they realized how closely intertwined life in the region was with the land, and, specifically, how critical wilderness was to the ancient traditions and wisdom that undergirded the Native way of life. That slow realization came to a head during a 1,200-mile dogsled trip from Hughes to Barrow in 1974—a trip that led them to give up teaching in favor of working, through the National Park Service, to preserve Alaska’s wilderness. This book tells their story, a tale of dedication and tireless labor in the face of suspicion, resistance, and even violence. At a time when Alaska’s natural bounty remains under threat, Our Perfect Wild shows us an example of the commitment—and love—that will be required to preserve it.

Cecil's Pride: The True Story of a Lion King


Craig Hatkoff - 2016
    But there was one real lion that earned the title of Lion King. He was known simply by name: Cecil. News of his tragic death spread across the globe like wildfire, raising questions to an unprecedented level about our relationship to our animals and our planet. Cecil's Pride is a tale of resilience and responsibility--a triumph out of tragedy. Discover Cecil's struggle as a young lion to survive, his rise to power, and his extraordinary alliance with Jericho, his former arch-rival.  Cecil is gone, but his legacy lives on. The world knows the story of how Cecil died. This is the story of how he lived. Complete with stunning photographs by Brent Stapelkamp, a photographer and lion researcher with the Oxford University Wildlife Conservation Research Unit that has tracked Cecil and his pride for nine years.

ScrapKins: Junk Re-Thunk: Amazing Creations You Can Make from Junk!


Brian Yanish - 2016
    Using materials that people throw away (empty soda bottles and cans, milk cartons, cereal boxes, and bottlecaps) these creatures make new things that are useful—the ultimate recyclers.With character profiles of the ScrapKins and instructions to make all kinds of puppets, instruments, and toys out of everyday items, this activity book (also featuring mazes, word scrambles, and comics) fosters creativity and encourages eco-friendliness.

Nature in the City: Bengaluru in the Past, Present, and Future


Harini Nagendra - 2016
    This book charts Bengaluru's journey from the early settlementsin the 6th century CE to the 21st century city, and demonstrates how nature has looked and behaved, and has been perceived in Bengaluru's home gardens, slums, streets, parks, sacred spaces, and lakes.A fascinating narrative of the changing role and state of nature in the midst of urban sprawl, and integrating research with stories of people and places, this book presents an accessible and informative story of a city where nature thrives and strives.

Endangered Edens: Exploring the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica, the Everglades, and Puerto Rico


Marty Essen - 2016
    Whether traveling with Marty and his wife, Deb, in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica, and Puerto Rico, or going solo with Marty in the Everglades, readers will experience nature’s Endangered Edens in a way few others way. In addition to Marty’s entertaining stories, Endangered Edens also features more than 180 stunning color pictures—merging the genres of wildlife photography, adventure travelogues, and environmental education into one unforgettable book.Winner: Readers' Favorite Book Award for EnvironmentWinner: National Indie Excellence Book Award for NatureSilver: Nautilus Award for Animals & NatureSilver: Nautilus Award for Middle Grades Nonfiction

Roots to the Earth: Poems and a Story


Wendell Berry - 2016
    The wood etchings of celebrated artist and wood engraver, Wesley Bates, were printed from the original wood blocks on handmade Japanese paper.In 2014, this work was reprinted along with additional poems. Together with Bates’ original wood engravings, and designed by Gray Zeitz, Larkspur Press printed just one hundred copies of this book in a stunning limited edition.Now it is with great pleasure that Counterpoint is reproducing this collaborative work for trade publication, as well as expanding it with the inclusion of a short story, “The Branch Way of Doing,” with additional engravings by Bates.In his introduction to the 2014 collection, Bates wrote: “As our society moves toward urbanization, the majority of the population views agriculture from an increasingly detached position… In his poetry [Berry] reveals tenderness and love as well as anger and uncertainty… The wood engravings in this collection are intended to be companion pieces to… the way he expresses what it is to be a farmer.”

The Art and Science of Grazing: How Grass Farmers Can Create Sustainable Systems for Healthy Animals and Farm Ecosystems


Sarah Flack - 2016
    However, as Sarah Flack explains in The Art and Science of Grazing, the pasture/livestock relationship is incredibly complex. If a farmer doesn't pay close attention to how the animals are grazing, the resulting poorly managed grazing system can be harmful to the health of the livestock, pasture plants, and soils. Well-managed pastures can instead create healthier animals, a diverse and resilient pasture ecosystem, and other benefits. Flack delves deeply below the surface of "let the cows eat grass," demonstrating that grazing management is a sophisticated science that requires mastery of plant and animal physiology, animal behavior, and ecology. She also shows readers that applying grazing management science on a working farm is an art form that calls on grass farmers to be careful observers, excellent planners and record-keepers, skillful interpreters of their observations, and creative troubleshooters. The Art and Science of Grazing will allow farmers to gain a solid understanding of the key principles of grazing management so they can both design and manage successful grazing systems. The book's unique approach presents information first from the perspective of pasture plants, and then from the livestock perspective--helping farmers understand both plant and animal needs before setting up a grazing system. This book is an essential guide for ruminant farmers who want to be able to create grazing systems that meet the needs of their livestock, pasture plants, soils, and the larger ecosystem. The book discusses all the practical details that are critical for sustained success: how to set up a new system or improve existing systems; acreage calculations; paddock layout; fence and drinking water access; lanes and other grazing infrastructure; managing livestock movement and flow; soil fertility; seeding and reseeding pastures; and more. The author includes descriptions of real grazing systems working well on dairy, beef, goat, and sheep farms in different regions of North America. The book covers pasture requirements specific to organic farming, but will be of use to both organic and non-organic farms.

Canine Olfaction Science and Law: Advances in Forensic Science, Medicine, Conservation, and Environmental Remediation


Tadeusz Jezierski - 2016
    Not only are dogs used by police, security, and the military, but they are also now used in forensic science, in medical detection of disease, in calculating population trends of endangered species and eradicating invasive species in protected environments, and in identifying infestations and chemical contaminants.Edited and contributed to by eminent scholars, Canine Olfaction Science and Law: Advances in Forensic Science, Medicine, Conservation, and Environmental Remediation takes a systematic scientific approach to canine olfaction. It includes work from scientists working in pure and applied disciplines, trainers and handlers who have trained and deployed detection dogs, and lawyers who have evaluated evidence produced with the aid of detection and scent identification dogs.The book is divided into six sections coveringThe anatomy, genetics, neurology, and evolution of canine olfaction as well as diseases affecting it The chemistry and aerodynamics of odors Behavior, learning, and training Uses of canine olfaction in forensics and law Uses in conservation and remediation Uses in detection of diseases and medical conditionsThe various contributors describe cutting edge research, some conclusions of which are the subject of vigorous debates between various laboratories and researchers. The editors have added cross-references so that readers can consider the different perspectives that are currently being advanced and understand where consensus is being built and where more research needs to be done.A useful practical reference, Canine Olfaction Science and Law provides a wealth of information beneficial to a wide range of disciplines. It aids trainers and handlers of detection dogs as well as various professionals in healthcare, law enforcement, forensic science, and environmental conservation to gain a better understanding of the remarkable power of the canine nose while encouraging further advances in applications.

Journey: The Amazing Story of OR-7, the Oregon Wolf that Made History


Beckie Elgin - 2016
    Follow this remarkable animal as he searches for, and finally finds, what he was seeking during his three-year, 4,000-mile trek. Along the way, you'll discover fascinating facts about wolves and meet the humans that had a role in Journey's quest. Enjoy the many photographs, maps, and sketches that help tell the tale of this courageous wolf. Journey: The Amazing Story of OR-7, the Oregon Wolf that Made History was created for middle-grade readers but will be appreciated by everyone with an interest in wolves and a desire to better understand these complex and essential canines.Learn more at journeyor7.com

Why Preservation Matters


Max Page - 2016
    As we approach the October 2016 anniversary of the United States National Historic Preservation Act, historian Max Page offers a thoughtful assessment of the movement’s past and charts a path toward a more progressive future.   Page argues that if preservation is to play a central role in building more-just communities, it must transform itself to stand against gentrification, work more closely with the environmental sustainability movement, and challenge societies to confront their pasts. Touching on the history of the preservation movement in the United States and ranging the world, Page searches for inspiration on how to rejuvenate historic preservation for the next fifty years. This illuminating work will be widely read by urban planners, historians, and anyone with a stake in the past.

Tracking Gobi Grizzlies: Surviving Beyond the Back of Beyond


Douglas Chadwick - 2016
    He demonstrates why saving this endangered animal supports an entire ecosystem made up of hundreds of interconnected plants and animals, from desert roses to Asiatic lynx and wild double-humped camels, all adapting as best they can to the effects of climate change. A parable of environmental stewardship in a legendary realm.

Where Did They Go?


Emily Bornoff - 2016
    Deep in the forests that stretch to the sky,a mother and baby are hiding nearby.Are they high in the mist or somewhere down low?Where did the mountain gorillas go?Where has the polar bear gone? What about the lemur? Can you find them? In this search-and-find book from illustrator Emily Bornoff, readers try to spot the endangered animals in various environments, from jungles to deserts to the Arctic.

Wilderness


Hannah Pang - 2016
    From the tiny but tough leafcutter ant to the majestic and mighty blue whale, there is so much to explore in this interactive atlas of animals, packed with facts and flaps to bring the natural world to life.

Endangered Economies: How the Neglect of Nature Threatens Our Prosperity


Geoffrey Heal - 2016
    Reflecting on a lifetime of experience not only as a leading voice in the field, but as a green entrepreneur, activist, and advisor to governments and global organizations, Heal clearly and passionately demonstrates that the only way to achieve long-term economic growth is to protect our environment.Writing both to those conversant in economics and to those encountering these ideas for the first time, Heal begins with familiar concepts, like the tragedy of the commons and unregulated pollution, to demonstrate the underlying tensions that have compromised our planet, damaging and in many cases devastating our natural world. Such destruction has dire consequences not only for us and the environment but also for businesses, which often vastly underestimate their reliance on unpriced natural benefits like pollination, the water cycle, marine and forest ecosystems, and more. After painting a stark and unsettling picture of our current quandary, Heal outlines simple solutions that have already proven effective in conserving nature and boosting economic growth. In order to ensure a prosperous future for humanity, we must understand how environment and economy interact and how they can work in harmony--lest we permanently harm both.

The Lively Place: Mount Auburn, America's First Garden Cemetery, and Its Revolutionary and Literary Residents


Stephen Kendrick - 2016
    This cemetery, located not far from Harvard University, was also a place that reflected and instilled an imperative to preserve and protect nature in a rapidly industrializing culture—lessons that would influence the creation of Central Park, the cemetery at Gettysburg, and the National Parks system. Even today this urban wildlife habitat and nationally recognized hotspot for migratory songbirds continues to connect visitors with nature and serves as a model for sustainable landscape practices. Beyond Mount Auburn’s prescient focus on conservation, it also reflects the impact of Transcendentalism and the progressive spirit in American life seen in advances in science, art, and religion and in social reform movements. In The Lively Place, Stephen Kendrick celebrates this vital piece of our nation’s history, as he tells the story of Mount Auburn’s founding, its legacy, and the many influential Americans interred there, from religious leaders to abolitionists, poets, and reformers.