Curious by Nature: One Woman's Exploration of the Natural World

Monika Rohlmann is an environmental consultant in Barrie, Ontario.

Candace Savage has written 20 books and hundreds of magazine articles
about science and nature. She lives in Saskatchewan, and although much
of her writing relates to the prairie wilds, she gladly immerses herself
in nature experiences of all kinds, including coastal, northern, and
desert environs.

Curious by Nature is a collection of essays previously published in
various books and magazines during the past 20 years. The essays, which
are updated and grouped in themes, look at variety of
critters—grasshoppers, parasites, birds, mountain lions, wolves,
bears, and bison to name a few. Savage is most curious about how we
mitigate the tensions of coexistence between humans and animals. Can
grasshopper swarms be predicted and controlled with minimal pesticide
use? Are the skyscraper nests of peregrine falcons viable? If we
redistribute road kill into the back country, will bears awakening from
hibernation choose that instead of the farmer’s young calves? How is
it that the Boreal Forest breeds 80 percent of Canada’s land-bird
species? Each essay is sparked by a personal experience, and Savage
seeks first-hand information from scientists in the know.

Acting as interpreter, Savage skilfully guides us to a better
understanding of the natural world, steering us clear of the often
narrowly focused and exclusive language of science. Her work, she points
out, “puts the flesh of emotion back onto the bare bones of fact.”

Her writing is, in fact, magic. Light and clear, her words spiral
effortlessly into our consciousness. Avoiding philosophical ponderings,
and never dallying into making the wild take on human-like thoughts or
feelings, she delivers the goods straight. There are no doomsday
predictions. Instead, each essay sparks a hopefulness that human
ingenuity is boundless and nature’s resilience lasting.

This is a mandatory primer for the modern age: natural awareness for
the survival of our natural world.