Deep within us we carry the genetic legacy of our distant ancestors. When we hear the mournful howl of a wolf, there is a shiver down our spine, a surge of adrenalin that we cannot control. We respond automatically and positively when we view a cute and cuddly creature or one of the “charismatic megafauna.” For some people, the call of the wild has become more of a whisper, but it’s there.
Recently I gave the keynote address for the 2011 Regional Urban Wildlife Symposium sponsored by the Open Space Alliance of Yavapai County, Arizona. Joe Phillips videotaped it and posted it on You Tube, so here it is if you want to hear and see my take on THE CALL OF THE WILD: ARE WE LISTENING?
Harris's Hawk is responding to climate warming in Arizona
Walt, reading this just now reminded me that in 1992, in Costa Rica, during my year of field work, long before I had heard of email sadly, I wrote a weekly newsletter called Stalking the Wild Banana in Costa Rica. One of the articles was called “Heed the Call” and was about listening to the Call of the Wild and our genetic legacy. Ah, life. I still have it, along with all the letters I wrote you during that year. 😉