Book Review - Forest of the Sea: The Remarkable Life and Imperiled Future of Kelp - Island Press, an Imprint of Princeton University Press

 

     David Helvarg takes us on an historical journey through this imperilled ecosystem, filling us with grief, anger and disbelief that we have exploited it beyond all reason, and have pushed an abundant, self-renewing resource almost into oblivion. Aside from the inherent functions of kelp forests as carbon sinks, more efficient even than terrestrial rainforests, they provide critical habitat for myriad species, from abalone to cod.

     You may ask yourself immediately, what is the commonality between abalone and cod? Answer - they have both been over-exploited almost to the point of extinction. Human short-sightedness and greed are at play, as they always are, in ignoring the integrity of a healthy, functioning ecosystem. The removal of a top predator, such as the Sea Otter, causes ecosystem collapse and rich kelp forests supporting all manner of life become urchin barrens. We can plainly see what overharvesting does, yet blindly we do it again.

     As is so often the case, having caused resource collapse, we spend millions of dollars attempting restoration. Tragically, with sickening predictability, we are always willing to sacrifice long term stability for short term financial gain. 

     Over harvesting, the traditional sin, has been joined by the more insidious issue of warming oceans, which are potentially life-threatening for all marine organisms. Can we reverse the trend? It is doubtful, and even were rapid remediation to occur, the long term damage will linger for decades, possibly centuries. In a senseless orgy of pernicious perversity the Trump administration is proactively reversing the  progress that has been made, eliminating years of enlightened legislation. More is needed, not less, yet we are now facing more acid rain, increased plastic pollution, seabed exploration and species extinction.

      Sylvia Earle, the doyenne of marine conservation, expresses it well, "We are altering the nature of nature, and we have to begin to restore life." We have known this for a long time but still lack the collective will to take meaningful action and time is running out.

      It is impossible to read this book and not come away with dismay and incredulity at human greed and stupidity, yet it is important that it has been written. Perhaps someone will heed the clarion call that action is needed NOW.

     We must cling to hope; hope and reality, however, are often poles apart. The stark reality of environmental damnation stares us daily in the face.

     One wishes that a triumphal march were being composed for the oceans; realistically it is more likely a requiem. 

     I earnestly hope that I will be proven wrong.

Forest of the Sea: The Remarkable Life and Imperiled Future of Kelp - Island Press, an Imprint of Princeton University Press

David Helvarg

Hardcover - US$30.00 - ISBN: 9781642833829

264 pages - 12 black-and-white illustrations 

6 x 9 inches (15 x 22.5 cm)

Publication date: 05 May, 2026

     

Local Nature

"The month of April is proverbial for its fickleness, for its intermingling showers, and fitting gleams of sunshine; for all the species of weather in one day; for a clear mixture of clear and cloudy skies, greenness and nakedness, flying hail and abounding blossoms. But to a lover of Nature, it is not the less characterised by the spirit of expectation with which it imbues the mind.”

William Howitt

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

     This is our most familiar raptor, seen frequently throughout the region, even in heavily developed urban areas.

     It is generally believed that Red-tailed Hawks  establish permanent, perhaps life-long pair bonds, and love is in the air at this time of year.

Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)

      This beautiful little bird enlivens our winter landscape and seems immune to cold temperatures and deep snow, thriving under the most inhospitable conditions.

     It is a common breeding species in southern Ontario, although its nests are notoriously difficult to find.

Common Merganser (Mergus merganser)

     True to its name, this species is a common winter resident, especially on large bodies of water, and most rivers harbour many pairs as soon as they become ice free. Rapidly flowing water, augmented by snow melt is no impediment.

     Here is a female flying up stream.

     And a couple of pairs.....

     Common Merganser is a gregarious species.

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)

     As soon as it gets past the first week of March I look for the early arrivals.

     This year the first two migrants were seen on 8 March in a sodden field along Hawkesville Road in St. Jacobs.

American Crow (Corvus brachrynchos)

     This intelligent, engaging bird never fails to yield great delight. It was quick to exploit any feeding opportunities yielded by the spring thaw.

Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) and Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

     Starlings are present throughout the winter, but their flocks are augmented by Red-winged Blackbirds as soon as the latter species returns to southern Ontario.

Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)

     As is to be expected, a careful scan of these mixed flocks revealed Brown-headed Cowbirds, too.

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

     As long as there is open water a few hardy individuals will spend the winter here, but I suspect that this bird is a recently arrived migrant.

Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)

     This pair was hunkered down, sheltering from the wind.

      The great surge of migration occurs in April with each day promising new species.

       Stay tuned!

A Visit to Colombia - Part 9

10 December, 2025

Jardin - Medellín

     After our usual excellent breakfast we loaded up and departed Jardin for Medellín, where we would spend one night before flying home. 

     This was essentially a travel day, but we did stop for about an hour and a half to do some birding along the way.

     I don't recall the insects being especially irritating, but here Selwyn is coating Victoria with repellent.

     It is always agreeable to see "our" birds in their winter quarters so we were happy when a Swainson's Thrush (Catharus swainsoni) put in an appearance.

     One is never surprised to see birders glancing skyward. 

     A Hook-billed Kite (Chondrohierax uncinatus) quickly became the focus of our attention.

Photo: Pam Sadler

      Piper peltatum is a shrub of the drier Neotropics in the black pepper family.

     Among the most fascinating insects to be found throughout much of Central and South America are Leafcutter Ants (three genera - Atta, Acromyrmex and Amoimyrmex)

     There are four castes in a colony, Minims, Minors, Mediae and Majors. 

      

     Very briefly, their functions are as follows.

• Minims are the smallest and skinniest workers, and tend to the growing brood or care for the fungus gardens. Head width is less than 1 mm.
• Minors are slightly larger than minim workers, and are present in large numbers in and around foraging columns. These ants are the first line of defence and continuously patrol the surrounding terrain and vigorously attack any enemies that threaten the foraging lines. Head width is around 1.8–2.2 mm.
• Mediae are the generalized foragers, which cut leaves and bring the leaf fragments back to the nest.
• Majors, the largest worker ants, act as soldiers, defending the nest from intruders, although recent evidence indicates majors participate in other activities, such as clearing the main foraging trails of large debris and carrying bulky items back to the nest. The largest soldiers (Atta laevigata) may have total body lengths up to 16 mm and head widths of 7 mm

     Pam's excellent pictures below show Mediae and Majors; possibly Minors but of that I am not sure.

    A Blue-necked Tanager (Stilpnia cyanocollis) is a breathtakingly beautiful bird.

Photo: Victoria Ho

     Heliconias (genus Heliconia) are found throughout the Neotropics and are much favoured by hummingbirds.

Photo: Pam Sadler

     This tree seems well defended against all comers; I think it is a type of Prickly-Ash (genus Zanthoxylum).

Photo: Pam Sadler     

     I am not quite sure what this bird is. A female euphonia (genus Euphonia) perhaps?

Photo: Pam Sadler

     An Olivaceous Piculet (Picumnus olivaceus) launched itself into the air.

Photo: Pam Sadler

     A Streak-headed Woodcreeper (Lepidocolaptes souleyetii) was occupied doing what woodcreepers do.

Photo: Pam Sadler

     We had lunch in a restaurant which was interesting to say the least. Latter day gauche might describe the decor!

Photo: Pam Sadler

Photo: Pam Sadler

     Other than us, there were not many patrons. Perhaps they were waiting for the music to begin.

Photo: Pam Sadler

     

Photo: Pam Sadler

     I had a bowl of soup which was quite agreeable, and most of the others chose tilapia.

     When we left to board the bus, one might conclude that one dinosaur found another!

Photo: Pam Sadler

     We motored on towards Medellín.

Photo: Pam Sadler

     As we entered the outer reaches of the city, the traffic simply defied the imagination. I have seen traffic snarl in many cities around the world, but nothing compared to Medellín.

     We arrived at our hotel late afternoon and waited with our luggage while the front desk processed our reservations.

     The rooms were very well appointed.

     The view from the window was quite pleasant.

Photo: Pam Sadler

     This bovine formed part of the decor of the hotel.

Photo: Pam Sadler

     It is perhaps odd to our sombre, northern sensibilities, but there was a certain charm about it; hard to characterize but it was there.

     And that's no bull!    

Book Review - The Descent of Man: An Annotated Edition of Darwin's Classic Work - Princeton University Press

      Your initial reaction when viewing this book might be amazement at the work that has gone into it. It truly is monumental!

      When Charles Darwin published The Descent of Man in 1871 it was noteworthy and sensational, postulating theories and opinions that were were considered scurrilous by many, and sacrilegious by even more. To even hint that humans evolved from lower life forms flew in the face of established dogma, verged on heresy and was received with horror by the religious establishment. Theories of sexual selection and the gradual modification of Homo sapiens engendered outrage and condemnation since man was deemed to have been made in the image of God, perfect in form and immutable in nature.

      This annotated version is a magnum opus compiled by two experts in different fields, thereby combining the scientific and cultural aspects of Darwin's keystone work.

     It is laid out in an easy-to-read format with a numerical cross reference to the original text and the explicatory notes. For those who have not previously read The Descent of Man you will be coming at it from the best possible perspective, with interpretation and historical background as you progress through the book. As someone familiar with the work, I learned on every page and had the benefit of an expanded examination of Darwin’s foundational treatise. The commentaries by the two authors are crisp, sharp, informative and welcomed. You will meet all the luminaries of the day involved in the rapidly evolving theories of the origin of man.

     A couple of sections with coloured plates provide  marvelous insights into the intellectual developments of the period, and are just plain visually appealing.

     It is touching to see where The Beagle lay at anchor in Tierra del Fuego. I have actually gazed out at this very spot, and I visited a cemetery where two captains of The Beagle are buried, having committed suicide.

     The ornamentation of male birds, driven by female sexual selection is gloriously presented.

     This is one of those reference books that you know will stand the test of time. It will be as relevant and illuminating fifty years from now as it is today. A remarkable work in every way. 

The Descent of Man: An Annotated Edition of Darwin's Classic Work - Princeton University Press

James T. Costa and Elizabeth E. Yale

Hardcover - US$54.95 - ISBN: 9780691194042

816 pages - 8 x 10 inches (20 x25 cm)

2 colour inserts - 77 black-and-white illustrations

Publication date: 21 April, 2026