Birds are my almanac; they tune me into the seasons, and to myself.
Priyanka Kumar
It had not been my plan to review a third book in a row, but having read this sensitive, captivating work it was impossible to resist sharing it with you.
Before going any further let me put my seal of endorsement on the publisher, Milkweed Editions, whose modus operandi is outlined as follows.
"Milkweed Editions is committed to ecological stewardship. We strive to align our book production practices with this principle, and to reduce the impact of our operations in the environment. We are a member of the Green Press Initiative, a nonprofit coalition of publishers, manufacturers, and authors working to protect the world's endangered forests and conserve natural resources. Conversations with Birds was printed on acid-free 100% postconsumer-waste paper."
The heartbeat of every naturalist on Earth must have a more pleasing rhythm knowing that there is at least some honour in the world!
And now to the book.
Priyanka Kumar came to North America from her native India as a child, already possessed of an ecological conscience, and steeped in the spiritual values of a traditional Indian upbringing, where nature is revered, cherished and in some instances even worshipped.
Educated and trained as a film-maker she gravitated to a love of birds as an antidote to the competitive, cutthroat world into which she was thrust, and the urban wastelands where she was compelled to live, "My thoughts were leafy green but all around me was the roar of a petrochemical civilization," she says.
She quickly graduated from the pursuit of competitive birding to the embrace of the interconnectedness of all of nature, experiencing dismay at human alienation from it. A sense of reconnection to the natural world was established in her in a manner verging on metaphysical.
Her husband, Michael, to whom the book is dedicated is a companion spirit, a compassionate, loving soulmate, and their children, Pika and Mia, have been raised as true heirs to nature, learning through their parents a love for, and appreciation of, all living things. The children see the world through eyes of wonder, with respect for life in all its glorious diversity, where a moth trapped in the house is to be lovingly carried outside to be released.
Priyanka finds spirituality and connection in eagles and curlews, cranes, mountain lions and bobcats, and even a sense of peace by staying in Mi Casita, a cabin owned and largely constructed by the great ecologist, Aldo Leopold, as his first home with his bride.
As much as Priyanka immerses herself in the therapeutic balm of nature, she faces the stark reality of human contempt and hostility to the flora and fauna with whom we share the planet, and the unwillingness of humans to coexist with other organisms, even though it is to our benefit to do so. While seeking Northern Goshawks in a New Mexico forest, she is confronted with the devastating evidence of a rapacious timber industry, an underfunded and toothless forest service that constantly witnesses the destruction of habitat for forest creatures big and small, and its tragic consequences.
The total disregard for the natural world is epitomized by the aftermath of the activities of an army of destruction - "Over several trips to Carson Natural Forest, I grew troubled by the trash heaps I saw lying about in the timber sale area. .....Michael and I collected beer cans and sundry bottles. If these loggers - the companies, the contractors, the workers - can leave trash lying around so callously in a hundred-year old ponderosa pine forest they have just plundered, how can we believe they have any respect left for the forest?"
One forest service employee holding holistic views in support of ecosystem protection recounts, "When a year back there was an injunction on logging because of the New Mexico Spotted Owl, I received death threats. At my office, at the grocery store, at the barbershop when I was getting my hair cut."
How utterly sad that it comes to this.
Time and again my heart ached for Priyanka and her family, while also appreciating and sharing her moments of joy. My values align with hers and I too despair for the future. At the end of the book she says, "An acquaintance with the natural world grows and deepens until it permeates our cells..." By that measure my own cells are saturated!
Sadly, most of the world is immune to nature, I fear.
Niggly bits
I am at a loss to explain why, but rigorous editing, or fact checking, seems to be a lost art in modern publishing.
1. On the publisher's page it is stated, "All interior illustrations drawn by John Jacob Audubon and engraved by Richard Havell, except the bulbul on page 34. I have never seen Audubon referred to as other than John James; I have several books of Audubon's works and other works about his life - nowhere is he called John Jacob. It is worth remembering that his original name, in French, was Jean-Jacques. And as for the bulbul being on page 34 - in fact it is on page 32.
2. Page 76 - speaking of a Black-chinned Hummingbird's nest, the claim is made, "The bird and its mate had ingeniously woven vegetal matter......" This is factually incorrect. Male hummingbirds take no part in nest-building or care of the young.
3. P. 212 - Reference is made to "Canadian Geese." they are not Canadian Geese, they are Canada Geese.
4. Throughout the book the word "seagull' is used, when, as any birder worth his binoculars will tell you, it should be "gulls."
5. Page 247 - An American Three-toed Woodpecker is described as follows, "....its jaunty black head with a white supercilium." A supercilium is a line running front to back above the eye. A three-toed woodpecker does not have a supercilium; the line starts behind the eye.
This is a fine book, well-written by a sensitive individual and I recommend it highly. The season for buying gifts is now upon us. Look no further. Buy a copy of this book for all your friends and they will be the better for reading it. Urge your local library to acquire a copy too.
A final word to Priyanka and Michael. You both have deep connections to Ontario; it's time to come home! Ontario awaits your return!
Conversations with Birds - Milkweed Editions
Priyanka Kumar - ISBN - 9781571313997
Hardcover - 281 pages - 5.5 x 8.5 inches (13.75 x 21.25 cm)
