Despite this being nonfiction I didn't look up what happened to the project until after i finished... and now I"m pretty bummed, because SPOILER ALERT the dam gets built anyway. I picked this up from the Friends of Library booksale at the Boise Public Library last summer and didn't get around to reading it until I moved and found myself without a library card for a week (my backlog of used books could keep me going for a while).

The biology of the Macal River and Belize is covered early on, but pretty soon the story turns into a political fight, which isn't quite what I was expecting from the title, especially as things quickly get bogged down in corruption and cronyism. An interesting look at a recent clash between environmental deals and the need for electricity with a sketchy government officiating deals. ( )

3.5 stars ( )

Sharon Matola runs the Belize Zoo. At her zoo, they rescue and rehabilitate injured or orphaned animals. When there was a dam proposed in Belize that would threaten the habitat of the few remaining scarlet macaws in Belize, she made it her purpose to fight the dam with everything she had. The author travelled to and from Belize for a number of years to document what happened.

This was really good. The book also takes a look at the history and politics of Belize, as well. It's so frustrating, though, the corruption in the government! I found the book quite gripping and wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen. Of course, I have a particular interest in the environment and wildlife. ( )

One gets used to nature and science books often being a bit of a slog. Not so with this fast paced, interesting, and entertaining account by Bruce Barcott of Sharon Matola's efforts to save the scarlet macaws in Belize. Known throughout Belize, as the "Zoo lady", Matola is an enigmatic figure who takes on a corrupt government officials, international corporations, and dubious environmental reports to wage a fight for the nesting grounds of the last 200 scarlet macaws in Belize. Barcott does a great job weaving a story of politics, history, and science together into a compelling narrative that you simply don't want to put down. I highly recommend this book if you want to know more about what Belize is all about. ( )

Bruce Barcott's The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw reads more adventure novel than non-fiction book--a book which is, as it turns out, mostly about dams.

Read the rest of my review at http://www.contrarymagazine.com/Contrary/Barcott.html.