For the wild places : profiles in conservation / Janet Trowbridge Bohlen ; foreword by Al Gore.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bohlen, Janet Trowbridge.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Conservationists--Biography.

Conservationists.

Biodiversity conservation.

Habitat conservation.

Endangered species.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

xiv, 218 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : Island Press, 1993.

Summary:

For the Wild Places profiles five of the unsung heroes of Conservation biology - scientists who have dedicated their lives to studying and saving endangered species and habitats. In each chapter, Janet Bohlen recounts the adventures, frustrations, and successes of these frontline soldiers who are working in the field to accomplish the goals of the conservation movement. Meet Patricia Chapple Wright, whose discovery of an unknown species of lemur led to the creation of a national park in Madagascar; David "Jonah" Western, who involves the local Masai of Kenya in his pioneering ecosystem approach to park management; George Archibald, who performs ritual mating dances with cranes and works globally to save their wetlands; Luis Diego Gomez, a botanist whose vision has helped Costa Rica begin a catalog of its species; and Rick Steiner, a fisheries expert who became an environmental activist when the Exxon Valdez spilled oil into Prince William Sound. Part biography, part scientific summary, and part travelog, the profiles contain specific information on the areas being studied - the problems and the solutions - as well as personal insights into the scientists' inspirations and frustrations. Janet Bohlen visited each site to better convey the day-to-day activities of field research and to discover what compels these seemingly ordinary people to undertake the rigors of conservation biology. In the process, Bohlen exquisitely captures the breathtaking beauty of the world around us. Her enthusiasm and respect for the researchers' experience and the landscape they inhabit is infectious. These snapshots of the scientists' work effectively communicate to a general audience the importance,fulfillment, and constant challenges of a life devoted to protecting the environment.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [205]-206) and index.

ISBN:

1559631252

1559631244

OCLC:

26975245