Tony Juniper

The Spix's Macaw is one of the rarest birds in the world due to its popularity in the pet trade. Collected nearly to extinction, the last few wild individuals were gathered up to start a breeding program. Filled with corruption, people with "white saviour syndrome" and the desperation of the Brazilian government to gain control of its own species again, this book examines the Spix's macaw and how the greed and selfish mindsets of individuals can threaten species and derail conservation efforts. Since many parrots find themselves in similar situations, these kinds of discussions are important in educating the general public (especially those who want to own a parrot) about the ethical issues surrounding parts of the pet bird trade.

While I was aware of the specie's fate I was very interested to get to delve into the details of what happened. Getting to meet some of the key players (some of whom aren't great) and getting to see some of the struggles. I appreciate that he didn't paint the trappers as the evil villains people like these are often painted to be and focussed on the causes and the reasons why this kind of behaviour even occurs in the first place. (I'm not saying they're saints of course and neither is the author, but they definitely aren't the root of the problem either). I am glad to see that there is more order than there were in the early days and that the Brazilian government is no longer being as excluded as they once were (unfortunately a common sentiment - people from third world countries need others to step in and have someone else take over when it comes to endangered species and get minimal input. Although thankfully things are getting better, these kinds of practices still exist in conservation and local communities often don't get enough of a voice).

Since this book was published, some captive-bred individuals have been released into the wild, and seem to be doing better than the last attempt. Although the captive population is definitely growing, giving the species a better chance of survival, only time will tell how successful these efforts have been.… (altro)

The rush of modern life these days means that we have precious little time to engage with nature, let alone consider exactly the role that it plays in the ecosystem of our country. Yet unbeknown to us nature just gets on with it. But our meddling with the way things work; industrial farming, building on flood plains, clearing forests and moors and trying to build flood defences really doesn’t help.

Juniper looks at a number of schemes and working examples where people and organisations have had the foresight to see if they can work with the natural world around them, and more importantly their results from doing so. Subjects covered include flood protection, water security, using nature to heal, marine ecology and restoring fish stocks, restoring the insect population and ensuring that the soils of the land are healthy. These projects are profitable and sustainable too; there are examples of companies spending small amounts of money, and saving large sums later on as they don’t have to rectify a larger problem later on.

Sadly though the present government doesn’t share this view, and it still thinks pandering to large companies whose only desire is profit is the way to do it.

It isn’t

These projects Juniper writes about are much needed. We need insects to pollinate plants for food, rivers to absorb winter floodwaters, and a full and healthy eco system. In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t cost much. Written with passion he has a convincing set of arguments for changing our way of doing things in this country.… (altro)

Excellent book about the benefits, functions and well... all the stuff that nature does for us. Each chapter deals with a different aspect of nature and what it does for us. The book is written in easy to understand language without "dumbing down" and minimal biographical waffling by the author. I learned lots of new things which is always nice. I wish the book were longer.

NOTE: Subtract 1 star for failing to include references in the book. The author apparently wants you to visit his website if you want to see the references he used. I find this a silly idea for a SCIENCE book!… (altro)