A Conservation Notebook
Posted on 17. Jul, 2022 by Paul Sochaczewski in Books
A Conservation Notebook
Ego-Greed, and Oh-So-Cute Orangutans — Tales From a Half-Century on the Environmental Front Lines
Publishing details
Publication: June 28, 2022
ISBN: Trade Paperback: 978-2-940573-39-4
ISBN: eBook: 978-2-940573-40-0
310 pages
Prices:
- Paperback: $18.95
- eBook: $8.95
Note: The book is also available on order from independent booksellers
Description
Are you optimistic about the future of nature?
This is a highly personal volume from the former head of Creative Services for WWF International.
Some personal stories in the book include marine bioprospecting with a Japanese research vessel in Micronesia; how sacred forests in India, China, and Burma protect biodiverse-rich landscapes; a conversation with the Indian woman who carries on the centuries-old Chipko “tree hugging” movement; the palm oil conundrum; Zimbabwe’s “War of the Trees;” the Great Plastic Drinking Straw Distraction; the origin of the Hamburger Connection; and how disasters are godsends for nature conservation charities. I offer thoughts on how disputes over ownership of natural resources leads to bloody conflicts, whether nature conservation is better served by emphasizing economics or emotion, the impact of our need-fear relationship with nature, and how the morphing of White-Brown colonialism into Brown-Brown colonialism has had significant impacts on conservation. And I tell of my encounter with a rehabilitant orangutan named Bee-Jay.
Warning. This book contains no finger-wagging lectures, not too many depressing statistics, and no easy solutions.
It is a collection of adventures, traveler’s tales, and outlying ideas, reflecting five decades of work in the nature conservation-wonderland, linked by the theme that nature is too important to ignore.
Critical Praise
“In our rational scientific world, we seldom hear the voice and personal history of environmentalists. Paul Sochaczewski’s book is a refreshingly honest account of a lifetime reporting and working on the conservation front lines. Combining passion and realism, the book reinforces Michael Soule’s conviction that only love can save nature, for we protect only what we love. Sochaczewski’s story is an enduring inspiration against the daily onslaught of war, disease, poverty and short-term thinking that threaten our natural heritage. It is a wonderful tribute to the movements and characters behind modern conservation.”
—Tobgay Sonam Namgyal, former head of the Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation
“Paul Sochaczewski says it would take an evening of wine and talk to get a conservationist to give a pessimistic prognosis. Save the good wine for a more upbeat conversation. And do what he says. Talk with the kids. Listen to them. And do what they say. Sochaczewski tells great stories from the conservation front lines that some of us have even had a small part in. We’ve done what we could and it hasn‘t been enough. It’s the kids’ turn now to write their own stories. Wish I could be around to compare their adventures with Sochaczewski’s incisive tales.”
—Patti Moore, international environmental lawyer
“Paul Sochaczewski has pulled off an ambitious play. A Conservation Notebook is a rare combination of stories from a rich and amazingly adventurous life, a profound reflection on the often-conflicting challenges of nature conservation, and an anthropologist’s dream-diary telling of exceptional encounters from Southeast Asia and other exotic corners of the planet. Most books on conservation passionately defend a specific approach to the challenge of protecting nature, and dare to offer The Solution. Sochaczewski, however, examines the issues from a variety of perspectives, and very often through the lens of those who live with the issues on an immediate, day-to-day basis. His stories tell of people who are hurt, angry, grateful, and defenseless, and provide a human dimension that conservation wallahs in their ivory towers would be well advised to consider. This book is a must-read for all those involved in the race to save the planet.”
—Mark Halle, former director at IUCN, founding director of Better Nature
“A delightful and important book. Sochaczewski’s many adventures as well as his inquisitive mind and devotion to nature conservation are well documented in this timely memoir. A very human and personal look at the successes of the modern environmental movement and the big challenges that remain.”
—Daniel Navid, first secretary general of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, international environmental lawyer
“Paul Sochaczewski looks at nature conservation as a big canvas. For him the challenge is much more than saving a cute orangutan here, a brightly colored reef fish there. For this generous-spirited author, his main job while working at World Wildlife Fund International was to catalyze a global social movement. I’ve been involved in supporting public movements for most of my career, primarily in the healthcare field, and I found the most fascinating and insightful passages in his book related to the “business” of conservation, particularly the chapter “My Disaster Is More Important Than Your Disaster.” A Conservation Notebook has conservation field-stories aplenty, but for me the bonus is that Sochaczewski recognizes that conservation will never succeed unless large numbers of concerned individuals take action. And, like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, he lifts the curtain to reveal the sophisticated communications and fundraising techniques used by major nature-oriented groups. Fascinating, important, and hugely entertaining.”
—Rohit Sahgal, founding director The Voices Project, former director Global Health (Asia) at The Economist Group
“Paul Sochaczewski gives us an insightful account of his half-century engagement with nature conservation. He writes with empathy, intellectual honesty, and makes astute judgements. He knew many conservation protagonists, good and bad, large and small, and has the rare ability to see environmental problems through the eyes of those most immediately affected. During the 40-year scope of this book conservation has gone from being the passion of a small (and sometimes elite) minority to being a key concern of governments and civil society — in the process it has become a competitive business involving big egos and a constant fight for money and influence — Sochaczewski reveals rampant hypocrisy and arrogance in the NGO-world. Most important, A Conservation Notebook is a rich source of first-hand experiences and contains important and original observations of events that modern generations need know about. As he points out, conservation is rarely a precise black or white science but is full of subtlety and ambiguity. Everyone concerned about our planet’s future will be wiser and more competent in addressing conservation challenges by absorbing the personal experiences that Sochaczewski describes.”
—Jeffrey Sayer, founding director general, Center for International Forestry Research, and professor of Tropical Forest Conservation, University of British Columbia
“This fascinating and erudite account of one man’s environmental journey could not be more timely. Sochaczewski refreshingly describes many global conservation success stories from the viewpoint of an insider in the conservation battlefield. Yet he reveals the truth that, sadly, the environment has slipped down the agendas of most governments, corporations, and people, with more forest being cleared, more species going extinct, a huge increase in pollution and climate change threatening major upheaval. It is unusual for a book on nature conservation to be a page-turner, but this intimate account is a mesmerizing read.”
—Rupert McCowan, director of Royal Geographical Society-Hong Kong
“A Conservation Notebook is a lively personal journey through the conservation world. Sochaczewski’s incisive, humorous, and often-touching reporting covers conservation approaches practiced by committed indigenous people and guards, who often risk their lives for the cause of conservation, as well as the work of scientists and professionals who keep the conservation agenda alive in local, national, and global politics. His tales are spot-on and resonate with my professional experience — I started my professional life supporting elephant conservation in Sri Lanka and then promoting natural World Heritage sites in UNESCO, so I appreciate his coverage of both field work and conservation diplomacy. I particularly enjoyed and appreciated Paul’s insights which make this a balanced, serious, yet hugely entertaining memoir. I encourage you to read it to get a fresh, often iconoclastic perspective on how we might address the environmental challenges we all face.”
—Natarajan Ishwaran, former director of Ecological and Earth Sciences at UNESCO
“Having seen, in many locations, how the abuse of nature has wreaked havoc with people’s lives and has steadily destroyed biodiversity, I now acknowledge a single indisputable fact: Only a reversal of the onslaught on the natural world will enable our descendants to enjoy a balanced and prosperous future.
When endorsing one of Paul Sochaczewski’s earlier books, I wrote that ‘the seemingly inexorable destruction of Asia’s tropical rainforest is perhaps humanity’s single most egregious affront to the planet.’ To that stark statement I would add that the assault on nature is triggering local conflicts and inter-state wars, a situation under-appreciated by conservation enthusiasts.
“Don’t read this book seeking glib solutions. But do read it, please, to get a human and frequently moving story; for example, Paul’s imaginary encounter with the 19th-century naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace, on Shiva’s Beach, is but one of many exceptional passages which brought me to tears of laughter and sadness. And always within a thought-provoking context — that of the often wrong-headed ways the modern conservation movement goes about its business.”
—James Clad, former bureau chief South and Southeast Asia, Far Eastern Economic Review; former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for Asia
“In the 30 years since the Rio Earth Summit, we have experienced massive achievements in biodiversity conservation, and massive losses. Paul Sochaczewski asks “Are you optimistic?” and as he explores that question he recalls his encounters with people on all positions of the conservation spectrum. He is particularly sensitive to the role — as heroes and as victims — of people on the fringes — and invites us to understand their hearts as well as their physical needs. A Conservation Notebook is not a manual for conservation. But there are vital lessons of how people experience and respond to the natural world, and the implications for both biodiversity and social justice. The book is a great read, and full of insights. Sochaczewski doesn’t provide answers, and he doesn’t need to. If you are interested in conservation this book will open your eyes and help you consider your own next steps.”
—Chris Lyal, scientific associate, Natural History Museum, London, and UK focal point for CBD Global Taxonomy Initiative
“From endangered orangutans in Borneo rainforests to feel-good golf courses in Thailand, from sacred forests in India to the freedom fighters’ homeland in Zimbabwe to coral reef bioprospecting in Micronesia, Sochaczewski has roamed the planet in passionate pursuit of trying to find the best ways to achieve nature conservation. He offers readers riveting case studies from conservation hotspots that celebrate innovative solutions and expose unsustainable practices. A must read — I could not put this book down! WOW — I can’t wait to give copies to my friends.”
—Meg Lowman, author of The Arbornaut, National Geographic Explorer, CEO, TREE Foundation,
“Paul Sochaczewski grew up in New Jersey, whetted his appetite for nature adventure with visits to a secret waterfall with his father, and then after university decamped for five decades to the rainforests of Asia and less-visited corners of Africa. A Conservation Notebook is not a touristy recounting of drive-by sightings and handshake encounters, but rather a thoughtful and thorough first-hand look at major conservation challenges — the destruction of rainforests for oil palm plantations, the slaughter of wildlife, and politicians who enrich themselves and their business cronies at the expense of their powerless citizens.”
—Seth Beckerman, editorial consultant, international rural development
“Having worked in Hollywood writing for major television series, I know well the gospel that was always hammered into me and my colleagues: “Tell the story! Tell the truth!” Sochaczewski does both, masterfully, in this highly readable, personal, incisive memoir. It’s no mean feat to present information in a fun-to-read format, with lashings of humor, tragedy, fear, and courage, but he manages to relay all these emotions to tell his version of the modern conservation narrative. As a teacher I find my students are far more aware of environmental issues than I was at their age. But they resist having dry, emotionless information — facts, statistics, and doom and gloom scenarios — thrust at them. They respond to human stories, and A Conservation Notebook is a valuable resource with which to open their eyes to the conservation realities on the ground, on a global stage, through Sochaczewski’s personal stories about ego, greed, and the on-going battle between good and evil.”
—Edward Louis Gold, playwright, former Hollywood television writer, teacher