FOREWORD
by Edward O. Wilson
A LOVE OF nature is not separable from a sense of place. We enjoy depictions of organisms, but in reflection, memory of them dissolves into abstractions. The degree of separation is increased by envisioning only one group at a time. Thus butterflies of Mexico and then the birds of Mexico give pictures best suited to the tastes of those who know and love Mexico and, in addition, are already knowledgeable about butterflies and birds. But they count little for those not already committed by experience to one or the other.
What is pleasing and important about Walter Meagher’s presentation in Wild & Wonderful is that it conveys both a sense of place and its environmental wholeness. The beautiful photographs and background biology take us on a tour of Meagher’s place. Text and photos enable us to see and appreciate more fully the living, independent ecosystem he understands and loves. Our attention moves from one striking feature to the next. Wild & Wonderful conveys a sense of wholeness and function as he conceives it. It is a glimpse of rightness in the world.
I am convinced that such experiences are needed to make global conservation work. Biologists like myself who strive to protect natural ecosystems and species can only go so far with maps and argument. Ultimately the living world will be saved by those who care deeply about particular places, who go to them for renewal, for a strengthening of the sense of their own identity. I hope to see many more such books, of other places and by authors of ability and commitment who share Meagher’s vision.
Edward O. Wilson, Harvard University