Islands of Abandonment: Nature Rebounding in the Post-Human Landscape
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- Create Date：2021-07-29 06:51:30
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Cal Flyn
- ISBN：1984878190
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Summary
A beautiful， lyrical exploration of the places where nature is flourishing in our absence
Some of the only truly feral cattle in the world wander a long-abandoned island off the northernmost tip of Scotland。 A variety of wildlife not seen in many lifetimes has rebounded on the irradiated grounds of Chernobyl。 A lush forest supports thousands of species that are extinct or endangered everywhere else on earth in the Korean peninsula's narrow DMZ。
Cal Flyn， an investigative journalist， exceptional nature writer， and promising new literary voice visits the eeriest and most desolate places on Earth that due to war， disaster， disease， or economic decay， have been abandoned by humans。 What she finds every time is an island of teeming new life: nature has rushed in to fill the void faster and more thoroughly than even the most hopeful projections of scientists。
Islands of Abandonment is a tour through these new ecosystems， in all their glory， as sites of unexpected environmental significance， where the natural world has reasserted its wild power and promise。 And while it doesn't let us off the hook for addressing environmental degradation and climate change， it is a case that hope is far from lost， and it is ultimately a story of redemption: the most polluted spots on Earth can be rehabilitated through ecological processes and， in fact， they already are。
Some of the only truly feral cattle in the world wander a long-abandoned island off the northernmost tip of Scotland。 A variety of wildlife not seen in many lifetimes has rebounded on the irradiated grounds of Chernobyl。 A lush forest supports thousands of species that are extinct or endangered everywhere else on earth in the Korean peninsula's narrow DMZ。
Cal Flyn， an investigative journalist， exceptional nature writer， and promising new literary voice visits the eeriest and most desolate places on Earth that due to war， disaster， disease， or economic decay， have been abandoned by humans。 What she finds every time is an island of teeming new life: nature has rushed in to fill the void faster and more thoroughly than even the most hopeful projections of scientists。
Islands of Abandonment is a tour through these new ecosystems， in all their glory， as sites of unexpected environmental significance， where the natural world has reasserted its wild power and promise。 And while it doesn't let us off the hook for addressing environmental degradation and climate change， it is a case that hope is far from lost， and it is ultimately a story of redemption: the most polluted spots on Earth can be rehabilitated through ecological processes and， in fact， they already are。
Reviews
John | Tales from Absurdia
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Full review to come shortly。。。Islands of Abandonment is EXCELLENT。 This is the climate change book that we need right now。Strong contender for my book of the year。Buy it， read it， shout about it。
Estevon
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For a book that I legitimately enjoyed， I spent more time daydreaming or even napping through the audiobook than I have in a very long time。 The prose is beautiful and consistent， and is read with such a pleasant lilt that I was often ushered into a sleepy state。 This is the sort of science book that doesn't try to cram a bunch of cool facts into your head， but instead tries to paint a picture of the wonders of nature。 For a book that I legitimately enjoyed， I spent more time daydreaming or even napping through the audiobook than I have in a very long time。 The prose is beautiful and consistent， and is read with such a pleasant lilt that I was often ushered into a sleepy state。 This is the sort of science book that doesn't try to cram a bunch of cool facts into your head， but instead tries to paint a picture of the wonders of nature。 。。。more
Stan
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One of the best non-fiction books I've read in a while。 Gorgeous， hypnotic style， detailed scientific research peppered with literary references， the environmental focus， the structured sections which lead to the conclusions on climate change -- 10/10。 Read this book through e-lending， but ordered the hardcover; this is a book to keep。 One of the best non-fiction books I've read in a while。 Gorgeous， hypnotic style， detailed scientific research peppered with literary references， the environmental focus， the structured sections which lead to the conclusions on climate change -- 10/10。 Read this book through e-lending， but ordered the hardcover; this is a book to keep。 。。。more
Keen
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4。5 Stars！I love reading books like this。 I have never heard of Flyn before， but at times this was a real treat of a book！ Her moody， atmospheric writing is the kind of prose which creeps into your bones and settles deep into you， staying with you for long after。 She finds so much dereliction and yet so much beauty in here， managing to conjure up something magical or exciting about the most desolate of abandoned places and allows you to see things in new ways。This was one of those books where I 4。5 Stars！I love reading books like this。 I have never heard of Flyn before， but at times this was a real treat of a book！ Her moody， atmospheric writing is the kind of prose which creeps into your bones and settles deep into you， staying with you for long after。 She finds so much dereliction and yet so much beauty in here， managing to conjure up something magical or exciting about the most desolate of abandoned places and allows you to see things in new ways。This was one of those books where I learned all sorts， I came across some lovely new words like， Domicology （the study of the life cycles of buildings） and benthic fauna （which live on the floor of a body of water）。 I also had no idea that the blaes which was often the backdrop throughout much of my childhood and adolescence， was a by-product of the Scottish oil industry。Often this is a piece of work which is a source of optimism， not something you can say about many books of this nature。 The places of regrowth and regeneration are both inspiring and hopeful， but there are also plenty of reminders about the terrible damage done and the cost of capitalism in its most extreme forms。Flyn certainly gets to see a fair bit of the world in here， from Montserrat and remote areas of Tanzania to Chernobyl， Estonia， The Place a Gaz in the Zone Rouge at Verdun as well as some of the quieter， forgotten islands of her native Scotland。 The chapter of the Diamond Alkali works in New Jersey is terrifying， we encounter a landscape poisoned with PCBs， TCDD and other dioxins。 Apparently there is no safe level for dioxins， at 170’000 times more deadly than cyanide， it is one of the most toxic substances known to man。 The belated discovery of this pollution in 1983 was enough to trigger a state of emergency， closing roads and tracks in the vicinity of the abandoned plant。 Federal investigators were bussed in in hazmat suits， the residents， who had been living there for years unprotected， looked on in horrorWe learn that through a process biomagnification（another splendid word！） those at the top of the food chain are the worst effected， hot spots include the coasts of the UK， Brazil， the Strait of Gibraltar。 We learn that the N E Pacific orcas are facing imminent population collapse due to PCB contamination。Elsewhere she tells us about some interesting evolutionary developments， in one South African park 98% of female elephants are now born without tusks （the base rate is 2-6%）。 Finches in the UK have developed longer beaks as they make it easier to use bird feeders。 And there is a species of mosquito confined to the London Underground which can no longer breed with the ones above ground。She explores the “blight” of Detroit， once America’s fourth largest city， with a population of around 1。85 million in the 1950s， but which has now been in terminal decline for seven decades。 Apparently upwards of 24 of its 139 square miles lie vacant， an area larger than Manhattan。 The census from 2019 puts the population at around 670’000。There is better news with Estonia gaining around 500’000 hectares of forest since the fall of the Soviet Union， making it one of the most forested countries in Europe， and 90% of that has naturally regenerated。 A pattern which has been borne across the former Soviet Union with one analysis estimating around 10 million hectares of forest regrowth in eastern Europe and European Russia alone。We see that map comparisons of the continental USA is also cause for encouragement， especially when we see how bare it looked a century ago。 Apparently forests are declining in around a third of the world’s countries， stable in a third and growing in the final third， though forests in the tropics remain in retreat by around 5。5 million hectares a year。 But she also cautions against getting too carried away， reminding us that， “What forest regrowth offers us is a chance to pay our debts， to atone for past sins， it is not a pardon， but a reprieve。”So this was a hugely enjoyable read， Flyn’s knowledge， research and way with words ensure that this is a book of many pleasures。 She strikes a compelling balance which offers cautious optimism， but reminds us just how bad it can get。 At times this put me in mind of Kassabova’s “Border” and to a lesser extent George Monbiot， either way I would highly recommend this。 。。。more
Devogenes
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This is probably a contender for my favouritist book ever read。 It is a masterpiece both in concept and execution and is so much more than a travelogue of abandoned places。 It is that， and in that regard it is extremely interesting。 Flyn goes to places that are profound in and of themselves and in what they represent， and this book would be worth reading if it was simply a description of this person's considerably courageous visits to these far flung and haunted places。 But Flyn uses her explora This is probably a contender for my favouritist book ever read。 It is a masterpiece both in concept and execution and is so much more than a travelogue of abandoned places。 It is that， and in that regard it is extremely interesting。 Flyn goes to places that are profound in and of themselves and in what they represent， and this book would be worth reading if it was simply a description of this person's considerably courageous visits to these far flung and haunted places。 But Flyn uses her explorations as the foundation for engaging with a variety of deeply important philosophical/scientific topics。 These include some obvious things like the ethical and biological implications of industrial pollution and nuclear contamination to topics that are much less discussed but very dear to me such as the problematic presuppositions of invasion biology and the culture of non-human animals and the effects thereon of domestification and husbandry。 There is also interesting discussion about the nature of anarchic scavenger cultures that exist on the periphery of industrial civilization。 To paraphrase what I think might be a main thesis of the book， we are seeing the broad-scale collapse of biological systems we are only beginning to understand。 Ecosystems have been irrevocably damaged by our negligence and rapacity。 But in these islands of abandonment， where nature is left to its own devices in a post-human landscape， Flyn sees the possibility not for restoration of what has been lost， but redemption in the possibility of a future we can't imagine or control。The question that the book ends with is whether that redemption involves the continuation of human civilization at all， a question of the deepest ethical importance。 While Flyn herself goes with the 'hope for humanity' crowd， I think she fairly represents the legitimate viewpoint of those who think that humanity has failed the evolutionary test， at least from an ethical perspective。 I'm not sure where I fall exactly。 Anyways it's a beautiful book and rarely have I found myself resonating so strongly with an author。 。。。more
Michelle Edwards-Monien
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I think it was okay and there were interesting parts but it was not what I had expected。 Maybe more fitting for the sciences person？
Dd Burlin
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Excellent， but a wee bit repetitive。 Very excited that this author is so young。 Much to look forward to！
Sue
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Not just absolutely fascinating subject， and hopeful， but one of the most beautifully written things I have ever read。 What a pleasure to read。
Cheryl
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“…this latency of life。 It drifts around us all the time， invisible， like an ether。 It’s in the air we breathe， the water we drink。 Savor it: each breath， each sip， is thick with potential。 In this cup of nothing is the germ of everything… Places like Bikini Atoll and Chernobyl and the Lothian bings show us that the absence of man is often all the stimulus required to start the resurrection。 Time is， after all， the great healer。 The question is: How long does it need？ Then: How long have we got？ “…this latency of life。 It drifts around us all the time， invisible， like an ether。 It’s in the air we breathe， the water we drink。 Savor it: each breath， each sip， is thick with potential。 In this cup of nothing is the germ of everything… Places like Bikini Atoll and Chernobyl and the Lothian bings show us that the absence of man is often all the stimulus required to start the resurrection。 Time is， after all， the great healer。 The question is: How long does it need？ Then: How long have we got？”A few times the writer sounds like Annie Dillard， but overall， a dry and clear view of portions of our planet that appear to flourish with our neglect， and shines a light on the various depressing ways we have devastated it and how maybe， nature knows what to do when we abandon it。 Hopeful and depressing at the same time， but worthwhile to read and think about…The fantasy is this: you and I survive， and together we start again。 Do it better this time。 It’s a seductive argument， and， in the case of the Black Death， this was not untrue。 （Medieval society was radically reconfigured in the decades that followed the horrors of the plague; the system of serfdom collapsed due to the lack of laborers， and the lowest classes gained higher wages and better access to land and resources。） But it is also a line of thought both hubristic and inhumane in its disregard for the hurricane of tragedy and grief that would unfold， and sweep all of us up into it， however well we might prepare。Faith， in the end， is what environmentalism boils down to。 Faith in the possibility of change， the prospect of a better future—for green shoots from the rubble， fresh water in the desert。 And our faith is often tested。 The doomsday theses of Jem Bendell， Paul Ehrlich， and their ilk are not born of ambition or spite， but drawn from observation， careful study。 From the facts， in other words， as well as we can make them out。But I cannot accept their conclusions。 To do so is to abandon hope， to accept the inevitability of a fallen world， a ruinous future。 And yet everywhere I have looked， everywhere I have been—places bent and broken， despoiled and desolate， polluted and poisoned—I have found new life springing from the wreckage of the old， life all the stranger and more valuable for its resilience。The great biologist E。 O。 Wilson proposes that we might surrender half the Earth’s surface to nature as a bulwark against future disaster—as a storehouse of biodiversity。 In this， he draws from his theory of island biogeography， which holds that the greater the area， the wider the array of species a piece of land might support。 He too thinks of “islands” in the metaphorical sense， and his breakthrough findings have been of great inspiration to the contemporary rewilding movement， which now sets its goals at the “landscape scale。”Julian of Norwich， in the account of her thirteenth revelation， said that God came to her in corporeal form and told her that there must be sin in the world—it “behooved that there should be sin”—and yet， despite it all， everything was going to be all right: that all shall be well， and all shall be well， and all manner of thing shall be well。 I am no mystic。 I have received no visitation， no annunciation。 There may be no absolution。 But I do know this: all is not lost。 。。。more
Lynne
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I think this is perhaps the most thought-provoking book I have read this year。 The author immerses herself in areas that have been abandoned because of war， cultural devastation， or natural events。 The book is a haunting look into what happens when an area suffers ruination and humans leave。 Nature has a way of taking over。 It isn't just recovery; things are going to be different。 At what point should we let go and see how the earth will begin anew？ Meteor， volcano， climate change all can have a I think this is perhaps the most thought-provoking book I have read this year。 The author immerses herself in areas that have been abandoned because of war， cultural devastation， or natural events。 The book is a haunting look into what happens when an area suffers ruination and humans leave。 Nature has a way of taking over。 It isn't just recovery; things are going to be different。 At what point should we let go and see how the earth will begin anew？ Meteor， volcano， climate change all can have a devastating effect， but the natural world is still there。 Ecologists have worked at saving species， sometimes without success。 There have been extinction events in the past history of the earth， and evolutionary creativity increases and things come back in some way。 From mountains in Tanzania to the city of Detroit， to a walled off area because of war， to the Salton sea in our west， all places in crisis， the author finds resilience and hope。 This is a fascinating book。 。。。more
Vera
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Brilliantly written， this book presents some almost unbelievable imagery that is， in fact， very real。 I can't help but admire the author's bravery in seeking out these abandoned or derelict places， and also that she manages to keep a message of positivity throughout despite everything she sees and learns。 A fascinating read， incredibly visual and full of important and true messages。 Brilliantly written， this book presents some almost unbelievable imagery that is， in fact， very real。 I can't help but admire the author's bravery in seeking out these abandoned or derelict places， and also that she manages to keep a message of positivity throughout despite everything she sees and learns。 A fascinating read， incredibly visual and full of important and true messages。 。。。more
Neil
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A fabulous read。 An expose of new and fascinating material。 Beautifully written， examples well chosen and arranged。 Held my attention like iron filings to a magnet。 I truly enjoyed it。
jeremy
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and yet everywhere i have looked， everywhere i have been—places bent and broken， despoiled and desolate， polluted and poisoned—i have found new life springing from the wreckage of the old， life all the stranger and more valuable for its resilience。 relentlessly intriguing and gorgeously written， cal flyn's islands of abandonment is a travelogical exploration of the subtitular "nature rebounding in the post-human landscape。" the scottish writer leads us to a dozen locations across four contine and yet everywhere i have looked， everywhere i have been—places bent and broken， despoiled and desolate， polluted and poisoned—i have found new life springing from the wreckage of the old， life all the stranger and more valuable for its resilience。 relentlessly intriguing and gorgeously written， cal flyn's islands of abandonment is a travelogical exploration of the subtitular "nature rebounding in the post-human landscape。" the scottish writer leads us to a dozen locations across four continents， each forsaken and deserted by humans following "nuclear meltdown， toxic contamination， stalemate warfare， political and social collapse。" reflecting on her visits in language poetic and philosophical， flyn's accounts of these left-behind locales are vividly portrayed and often breathtaking to behold。 in each place， flyn finds nature regenerating， reorganizing， and resurging itself absent the presence of human beings （and their heretofore incurable hubris）。 sort of a mashup of alastair bonnett's unruly places: lost spaces， secret cities， and other inscrutable geographies and alan weisman's the world without us， yet unique unto itself。 this is a corrupted world， yes—one long fallen from a state of grace—but it is a world too that knows how to live。 it has a great capacity for repair， for recovery， for forgiveness—of a sort—if we can only learn to let it do so。 *hopefully the paperback edition corrects the glaringly blunderous mislocation of mount st helens （she's a washingtonian， not an oregonian） 。。。more
Chelsea Shurmantine
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I think this book is timely and fascinating。 Really puts perspective on nature as e during rather than submissive。
Susan Tunis
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This book was fantastic！！ The premise immediately put me in mind of Alan Weisman's excellent The World Without Us。 But Ms。 Flyn's book is looking at far more than nature rewilding places humans have abandoned， i。e。 political no-man's-lands， disaster sites， and heavily polluted areas。 （Yes， there is the obligatory visit to Chernobyl， but also major sites of industrialization in New Jersey， and a visit to the volcanic island of Montserrat。） She's also taking a far broader definition of abandonment This book was fantastic！！ The premise immediately put me in mind of Alan Weisman's excellent The World Without Us。 But Ms。 Flyn's book is looking at far more than nature rewilding places humans have abandoned， i。e。 political no-man's-lands， disaster sites， and heavily polluted areas。 （Yes， there is the obligatory visit to Chernobyl， but also major sites of industrialization in New Jersey， and a visit to the volcanic island of Montserrat。） She's also taking a far broader definition of abandonment， for instance looking at urban blight in Detroit。 She's looking at those trying to bring back extinct species， and she's looking at invasive species。 Every chapter brings something new and interesting。 But aside from the informative aspects of the book， the writing is just beautiful。 Ms。 Flyn's love of both the natural world and the world of men shines through， as does her natural curiosity。 What a delightful companion to spend this literary globe-hop with！As you can imagine， when chronicling sites of devastation， there are many reasons to feel pessimistic about what we have done， and continue to do， to this planet。 And though she looks at this damage with clear eyes， she chooses optimism。 She looks to rebirth。 I'm not sure that I can be as optimistic as she is。 Nonetheless， I was glad to see her quote Julian of Norwich near the book's end: "All shall be well， and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well。" 。。。more
Varpu Reiniaho
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One of my favourite non-fiction of the year so far。
Frederick Bailey
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Great book until the end when it gets a bit preachy
Lisa Wright
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A book on the brutalized places on Earth should be a depressing read， but this is the opposite。 In demilitarized zones， in slag heaps and nuclear wastelands， life has found a way。 Cal Flyn conveys the beauty of these biodiverse regions in rich prose。 Wildlife and threatened species rebound as soon as humans step back。 A very beautiful and reassuring read。
Shana Yates
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3。5 stars
Grace
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This is beautifully written and much more optimistic than I was expecting。Split into three sections， Cal Flyn explores sites that are scarred by everything from nuclear disaster and war， to landscapes changed by escaped vegetation imported for greenhouses and crops。She doesn’t shy away from the ecological catastrophe we are facing， but the overall vibe is fairly positive， how the plant and animals have managed to thrive in places we have ruined。I also loved the idea of the Medea cycles， but I wo This is beautifully written and much more optimistic than I was expecting。Split into three sections， Cal Flyn explores sites that are scarred by everything from nuclear disaster and war， to landscapes changed by escaped vegetation imported for greenhouses and crops。She doesn’t shy away from the ecological catastrophe we are facing， but the overall vibe is fairly positive， how the plant and animals have managed to thrive in places we have ruined。I also loved the idea of the Medea cycles， but I won’t go into that too much。If the idea of climate change and the end of the world scares you a lot， then I’d still say avoid this， but if you can stomach coming close up to that then it really is an excellent read。 。。。more
Yanick Punter
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Interesting， hopeful and depressing。 I was mainly interested in how nature recovers， but the book has stories of the people in these "islands of abandonment"。 Human suffering and abondonment usually go together。 I also found it depressing when spontanous nature is replaced by gardens or lawns。 In Detroit for good reason， because the untended nature there and crime go hand in hand。 Sometimes I worry about how much nature we leave behind。 I can't know， and while species can be fragile， nature as a Interesting， hopeful and depressing。 I was mainly interested in how nature recovers， but the book has stories of the people in these "islands of abandonment"。 Human suffering and abondonment usually go together。 I also found it depressing when spontanous nature is replaced by gardens or lawns。 In Detroit for good reason， because the untended nature there and crime go hand in hand。 Sometimes I worry about how much nature we leave behind。 I can't know， and while species can be fragile， nature as a whole is very resilient。 。。。more
Mary Coder
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I am already enamoured with this book！ Its getting five stars i can promise you that！ I have always believed that the earth will be here thriving long after we are gone。 Have you ever imagined that？ That is what's at the core of this book。 I love its meaning。 Its full of wonder，magic，beauty，delight and harmony， but its also jarring， scary， terrifying，haunting and sad。 Flyn has brought all of these emotions to bear for us in this gorgeous revealing of the power of growth， rebirth and survival in I am already enamoured with this book！ Its getting five stars i can promise you that！ I have always believed that the earth will be here thriving long after we are gone。 Have you ever imagined that？ That is what's at the core of this book。 I love its meaning。 Its full of wonder，magic，beauty，delight and harmony， but its also jarring， scary， terrifying，haunting and sad。 Flyn has brought all of these emotions to bear for us in this gorgeous revealing of the power of growth， rebirth and survival in nature and in all of us。 It will move you。 It may be my favorite book so far this year。 。。。more
Roger Morgan-Grenville
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The kind of idea I would have liked to have had， and book that I would liked to have written， myself。 Beautiful and elegiac encouragement to seek out some of the abandoned places myself。
Deb Lancaster
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Heartbreaking。 Rich。 Some of the best writing I've come across in a long time。 I can't say enough good things about this book。 Everyone should read it now。 The truths in it are hard to look at。 A beautiful， terrifying book infused with deep deep sadness and grief but still， somehow， roots of hope。 Heartbreaking。 Rich。 Some of the best writing I've come across in a long time。 I can't say enough good things about this book。 Everyone should read it now。 The truths in it are hard to look at。 A beautiful， terrifying book infused with deep deep sadness and grief but still， somehow， roots of hope。 。。。more
Petri Saarela
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Dystopian and apocalyptic visions have become more and more prevalent in contemporary literature， perhaps due to our suicidal ways of living in modern era。 Cal Flyn has gone on a journey to several locations where the fantasy has achingly turned into reality and where nature is actually fighting back。 Islands of Abandonment is melancholic and somber account of our situation but at the same time it is strangely comforting and hopeful。Humans are such small cogs in the grand scheme of things that i Dystopian and apocalyptic visions have become more and more prevalent in contemporary literature， perhaps due to our suicidal ways of living in modern era。 Cal Flyn has gone on a journey to several locations where the fantasy has achingly turned into reality and where nature is actually fighting back。 Islands of Abandonment is melancholic and somber account of our situation but at the same time it is strangely comforting and hopeful。Humans are such small cogs in the grand scheme of things that it's humbling to see how even out of our worst offences something beautiful may rise and grow。 This doesn't mean that we get a free pass to do whatever， that environmental terrorism doesn't matter。 What it does mean， is that even after we are gone， something does eventually rise up。 It may not be in a shape or from that we'd appreciate， but it's natural nevertheless。 What the book does point out， is that every life form， species etc is unique - after it's gone， it's gone。 Something else will take it's place， but that specific life form will be forever gone。 That's the saddest part of this all。Cal Flyn writes in such wistful and even lyrical way that it perfectly fits into this kind of narrative。 My only critique was， that at times writing was bit too meandering， in a sense that you almost forgot where we actually were， what we were doing。 Wonderful book all in all， gives hope for the future even though it might not be good for us humans。 。。。more
Emily Gora
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Gripping and fascinating， written in beautiful language。 Impossible to read without going online and researching more about the places she describes。
Clare Russell
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I thought this was extraordinary。 Beautifully written and researched， and full of a strange optimism for the power of nature to renew and recover， in spite of seemingly insurmountable man-made obstacles。 Highly recommended
Ed Stoddard
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An excellent and thought-provoking look at a subject that has long intrigued this reviewer: when humans abandon a landscape for economic， political， environmental or other reasons， nature often reasserts itself， often in surprising ways。 I plan to do a longer review for the Daily Maverick， but one thing stands out is Flyn's assessment of reforestation in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe， attributed here largely to the abandonment of collective farms after the of communist rule。 Flyn do An excellent and thought-provoking look at a subject that has long intrigued this reviewer: when humans abandon a landscape for economic， political， environmental or other reasons， nature often reasserts itself， often in surprising ways。 I plan to do a longer review for the Daily Maverick， but one thing stands out is Flyn's assessment of reforestation in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe， attributed here largely to the abandonment of collective farms after the of communist rule。 Flyn does her on the ground reporting on this issue in Estonia。 This reviewer spent several years in the 1990s in the Baltic states and I wrote more than one story about the rise of the Baltic wild and the increase in the region's population of wolves and other wildlife。 At that time， this was largely attributed to the collectivisation process itself and the depopulation of rural areas as tens of thousands of peasants were banished to Siberia or eventually forced into cities as part of a state-directed industrialisation drive。 Neglecting this crucial historical background to this inadvertent rewildling means that on this issue， Flyn has not seen all of the forest for the trees。 。。。more
seyhan Sitti
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This book brings upthe shameful topics of human’s brutal interventions and their damage to nature。Simultaneously， it gives so much hope。
Kelly Furniss
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