In our current geological age, human activity has a significant influence on climate and the environment. Darryl Jones is an urban ecologist interested in how animals live successfully in areas dominated by human activities and structures.
(Be)wilder presents a range of readily accessible stories that highlight the deeper, more significant aspects of our role in natural environments and within complex ecosystems.
(Be)wilder is an attempt to ‘engage and stimulate, enrage and inspire, activate and illuminate’. The book is written, in part, as a travelogue and journal; a combination of sensible, research-informed recounts with engaging and, at times, humorous stories from living the research life. Jones and his teams of university undergraduates and others travel across Australia, Canadian Arctic, Kenya and beyond. The stories of the pigs in Borneo (with diminishing access to their natural habitats) and birds in Germany (managing to thrive among otherwise bleak and seemingly uninhabitable urban wastelands) offer insights into the environmental conservation issues at the heart of the book.
Jones emphasises the mental and physical wellbeing and benefits to humans when connected with nature. He encourages the reader to interact with nature whenever possible, with even low-key activities being of benefit (like spending time in a park, or sitting on your balcony listening to the birds).
Humans are undeniably and inextricably a part of nature and its ‘unimaginable complexity’ and species decline. (Be)wilder is a ‘call-to-action’ and timely reminder to step up for our own survival.
Review by Mark Parry
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Darryl Jones is a Professor of Ecology at Griffith University in Brisbane, where for over 30 years he has been investigating the many ways that people and wildlife interact. He is particularly interested in why some species have been so successful in urban landscapes while many others have not, and how best to deal with the ensuing conflicts.
His books include Getting to Know the Birds in Your Neighbourhood, Feeding the Birds at Your Table and Curlews on Vulture Street (all from NewSouth Publishing).
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