The wolf is a lightning rod in discussions about wildlife recovery. Theodore Roosevelt called them "beasts of waste and desolation." If you can have a conversation about the wolf and not raise any tempers, you are doing well. When I had to pick the animal that would open my new book, Tenacious Beasts, I swallowed …
Newstalk Interview on Tenacious Beasts
Jonathan McCrea interviewed me for Newstalk in Ireland about my new book, Tenacious Beasts. This 15 minutes of listening gives you a sense of what I was trying to achieve. I found out today the book is going into a second printing already. People like to hear about wildlife successes, it seems! Enjoy Jonathan's FutureProof …
How a Resurgence of Whales Can Change the Ocean
One of the most exciting recoveries I studied in Tenacious Beasts was the recovery of whales. Humpback and sperm whales are back. Humpbacks in the North Pacific have rocketed from 1,200 in the 1960s to 26,000 today. Sperm whales have recovered enough to become a serious headache for longline fishermen. The recovery gives reason for …
Continue reading "How a Resurgence of Whales Can Change the Ocean"
Climate-Busting Sea Otters
One of the delights of my recent research has been to discover animals that can help us fight the climate change battle. Sea otters, now recovering on the Pacific Coast of North America, are one of them. Their contribution to the maintenance of kelp forests is good for the climate and good for a productive …
Interview with Marc Bekoff about Tenacious Beasts
Psychology Today recently published an interview I did with animal behaviorist Marc Bekoff. Marc gave me the chance to talk about some of the motivations behind my book Tenacious Beasts. I unpack the idea that we need an updated conception of animals. "Why There's Hope for the Survival of Strong-Willed Beasts" Photo Credit: Heidi Pearson …
Continue reading "Interview with Marc Bekoff about Tenacious Beasts"
When Wildlife Isn’t So Wild.
Bears are wild animals. Dogs are pets. It's pretty simple, right? Events in my hometown this summer had me rethinking this. I wrote a short essay on the topic for The Philosophical Salon. One part of the essay explores a growing disenchantment with the words 'wild' and 'wilderness.' Another looks lovingly, and a bit critically, …
Christopher J. Preston 