What was your last memorable animal encounter?

As I watched a group of mountain gorillas in Rwanda, a huge male crashed through the bamboo grove and sat down right beside me. He leaned his immense shoulder against mine, his weight shifting as he breathed. I can still feel that living, breathing weight today.

In what environment do you feel most at home? 

On an alpine meadow in the mountains of Colorado, especially in summer, when the lupines and mariposa lilies are blooming by day and the stars are dazzling by night.

My favorite tree in the world is _____.

A magnificent blue atlas cedar in the garden of an old monastery in Oxfordshire, England—so ancient that its branches bend low, touch the ground, and rise up again.

Nature would be better without _____. 

Human industry that values short term profits over the long term health of all life on this planet.

In Naming Nature, you write that one of your favorite sounds in nature is the great horned owl, whose call you describe as asking, “Who are you, who?” How do you answer that? In particular: who are you in nature? 

In nature, I am more alive, more aware, and more grateful.  In a way that’s almost magical, I am also becalmed—even in troubled times, nature eases my anxious mind and heals my aching heart.

How do you feel about getting older?  

My goal is to stay as young and playful as possible while getting as old and wise as possible.

What are some of your favorite words?

Mellifluous, for the sound. Hierophany, for the meaning. Meadowlark, for the song. Grace, for the grace.

Which of your book subjects or characters haunts you the most?

Merlin. That mysterious wizard, whose magic flows from nature, walks with me wherever I go, whispering riddles in my ear.

Are you the same person you were as a child?

In some ways yes (I still feel deep joy and wonder in life), and in other ways no (though I’ve learned a lot, I’m always aware how much more there is to learn).

You’re in a deserted island situation for an unknown period of time. You get three items and one book. What do you bring? 

A pen.
A journal with lots of empty pages.
A photo of my soulmate Currie.
A well loved collection of poetry.

Are you optimistic about the future? 

The choices we make and the stories we tell hold immense power.  They can change our world.  They give me hope that humanity can still rise and save our world and all its wondrous creatures.

Bring home Naming Nature today!