Field Rambles Archives
Each issue mixes current topics in the birding world, book and media recommendations, and (really) short stories. All written by Mollee and best read with a beverage in hand as we muse together.
Book and media recommendations
- Book: This came up over and over on my recent Cuba tour…Cuba: An American History by Ada Ferrer is the most beautifully written history book I’ve ever read. It’s a must if you’re considering a trip to Cuba, and really, for anyone who wants to dive into this incredibly rich and dramatic history of Cuba told through the eyes of everyday people.
- Podcast: I’ve been listening to the podcast Peak Travel, which delves into how travel shapes communities in hotspots around the world. The episodes are thought-provoking about the harmful effects that tourism can have and what can be done about them.
- Article: Have you seen the NYT’s annual 52 Places to Go list? Well, Tariro Mzezewa, who also hosts the Peak Travel podcast I just mentioned, wrote this piece about how that list has transformed over the past 20 years as travel has evolved. I’m sad West Virginia still hasn’t made the 52 list…they’re missing out.
- Music: The Birders Soundtrack is available as a Spotify Playlist. It’s an original score from Colombian musicians inspired by the bird songs found in the film and a beautiful 30-minute listen. If you haven’t seen The Birders yet, you can watch the melodic journey unfold on Youtube.
- Book: I’m currently reading Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America by Leila Philip. It’s really good, and yeah, all about beavers. I’m making slow progress, but will absolutely share a review when I’m done, and I’d already recommend
Several folks replied to my first Field Ramble and said they’d look into Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Shaped America…please let me know if you do! It’s fascinating. I’m starting to feel like deep diving beaver ecology is a rite of passage we should all take. I’ll write a full review of it in my next newsletter.
But it’s a hard book for me to read while I’m on the road guiding and only getting a few pages in at a time. So that book is on pause while I work through Bratwurst Haven over the next few weeks. It’s a collection of short stories that, as I understand, will ultimately tie together. Is there anything better than a good short story? This book is published locally by West Virginia University Press and Jimmy found it at our new independent book store in Morgantown. It’s nice to have a book aficionado at home to make personal recommendations for me like this one!
Speaking of short stories, after a heart-pounding moment with a one-horned (Indian) rhino last week, my memory was jogged about one of my favorite reads last year. It’s called Whatever You Do, Don’t Run: True Tales Of A Botswana Safari Guide by Peter Allison. If you like reading short stories about wildlife adventures with a little love, a little heartbreak, and a ton of laughs, then check it out.
Since my previous writing, I managed to get out on one Hillstar Pelagic from Ocean City, Maryland. Winter pelagics can be especially tricky to manage with unpredictable weather, but our boat was rewarded with a great alcid showing and, in particular, hundreds of dovekie. The majority of the group had never been on a pelagic before…that’s often the case on these trips! Sometimes people seem reluctant to share that they don’t have much pelagic experience, but it’s so worth it to try it out and see how exciting these trips can be.
I had one conversation on the boat about how to get a deeper understanding of pelagic birds, and for that, I’d highly recommend Far From Land: The Mysterious Life of Seabirds by Michael Brooke. It’s a great read that looks at the amazing life histories and adaptations of seabirds around the world. I know that identification books and field guides are where we often start when learning about groups of birds, but these types of life history and ecology books are what can really help you get a full understanding and appreciation for different species. If you’ve ever felt like you don’t understand the hype for pelagic birding, Far From Land will fill your wonder.
Books!
- The passage of time is strange in Cuba. Blame it on the lack of internet access, I guess. Well, on the drives between our destinations in our last birding survey, I sped right through Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead. I put off reading it for a long time, nervous about the chords it would strike in me as it delved into some of the biggest societal struggles that Appalachia faces, but it felt so raw and true that I couldn’t put it down. It’s the first book I’ve truly binged in quite a while. Highly recommended.
- Thank you, Cindy, who chatted with me about another Barbara Kingsolver book that I’m nearly finished with now: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. It chronicles a year of living off of locally sourced and grown food for Barbara’s family in Virginia. I wish I would’ve recommended it to you a month ago so you could read it and get irresistibly excited for the growing season to get here, but it’s not too late for that! If you’re interested in gardening, local food economies, homesteading of any sort, or simply some great and highly informative writing, check it out.
- The gardening book that speaks growing in terms of adventures is called The Beginner’s Landscape Transformation Manual by Michael Hoag. Jimmy had it in his pile and recommended it to me, and I’ve been reading it, too. It’s self-published and makes me laugh to read alongside Kingsolver’s book…they are exact opposites in terms of polish. And yet, they’re great complements to each other. Gardening is on my mind more than most else lately.
More books here…
Tidbits from you
Each time I’m on a tour, in a meeting, or chatting with friends and receive a recommendation for something, I jot it in my notes app. And every so often, I compile those for myself. Why not share them with all of you, too? Here’s some cool stuff made, led, or recommended by y’all.
- Scott’s Alaskan book recommendations: I met Scott, a Homer resident and the owner of Tutka Tours, in Colombia this year. We’ve stayed in touch, and he’s recommended a slew of great books about the region to me. I’m starting with The Nature of Alaska: An Introduction to Familiar Plants, Animals & Outstanding Natural Attractions (a Waterford Press guide) and The Great Alaska Nature Factbook: A Guide to the State’s Remarkable Animals, Plants, and Natural Features by Susan Ewing. I will share more about them and his full list of recommendations (compiled in collaboration with the local bookstore in Homer) in a future Ramble.
- Alejandro’s book recommendation: Waiting for Snow in Havana: Confessions of a Cuban Boy was recommended to me by my co-guide Alejandro while in Cuba. I am looking forward to reading this “intoxicatingly beautiful memoir of growing up in a privileged Havana household — and of being exiled from his own childhood by the Cuban revolution,” according to GoodReads.
- Cathy’s book recommendation: Cathy and I talked about a lot of far-flung destinations while we traveled around Cuba together, and one book she recommended was Tibet Wild: A Naturalist’s Journeys on the Roof of the World by George B. Schaller. That’s exactly my kind of adventure read.
- Sally’s ear protection recommendations: I met Sally, a recently retired audiologist, last year, and reached out to her recently about her recommendations for hearing protection. I’m trying to get better about always having a few levels of hearing protection handy for home projects and travel alike. She recommended Howard Leight‘s full range.
- Laura’s blog and podcast: Laura Erikson was in Cuba right before me, and her recaps have been a delight to read over the past few weeks. Choose to read or listen to one of them, focused on the Cuban Tody, here.
- Vikas’ Youtube Channel: Vikas is an extraordinary filmmaker who shares his adventures from around the world in downright gorgeous videos, complete with self-composed original soundtracks. His Alaska coverage has been my recent inspiration, but you should check out his full library to see what destination strikes you.