Informative, engaging, enhanced with impressive photography.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
In By Wind, By Wave: An Introduction To Hawai'i's Natural History, David Eyre survey's Hawi'i's environmental history. In Hawai'i there are more unique species acre per acre than any other place in the world. But Hawi'i's eco-system with its small pristine pockets of flora and fauna are being threatened by human-based developments and activities. Eyre's informative and engaging text showcasing stories of seventeen animals (some native, some exotic, some near extinction, some flourishing) is wonderfully enhanced with the impressive photography of David Boynton and reveals the complex relationships between the land, the ocean, plants, animals, and people. By Wind, By Wave is "must" reading for anyone concerned with protecting and preserving Hawi'i's natural beauty and eco-system diversity.
Comprehensive and Fun !
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
Eyre wrote this "textbook" because he wanted to captivate Hawaiian students (of all ages), bring their environment alive and not bore them in the process. He succeeds very well because he doesn't attempt to cover everything that's alive in Hawai`i, but instead concentrates on a few prime examples of animals, concepts and processes. When he's explaining a topic or an animal, he fully explores their Hawaiian cultural significance as well. Eyre also consistently scatters interesting text boxes throughout the book with topics like More Facts, Views (which are quotations) and Just Wondering.Eyre begins with a basic introduction to the islands - where they came from and how life evolved here. Then he moves right into discussing the Honu (green sea turtle), which is the oldest of the living reptiles. Other topics include the now rare O`ahu Tree Snail, the Hawaiian `Alala (crow), "Hawaiian Settlement: Human Intrusions," and the dog as food (our aversion to that is cultural, you know). Hawaiians found dogs and pigs to be very good as both pets and meals and didn't understand our preference for ham! No Hawaiian natural history would be complete without covering the pig, the gecko and the cockroach - they're all there. The author also discusses the impact of western settlement on the Hawaiian population and the introduction of alien species. It's very easy to forget that such common things as the mosquito, monarch butterfly, praying mantis and the termite are relatively new introductions (not to mention ostriches, wallabies and poison dart frogs, of course). They are all explored too. Two wallabies arrived in 1916 as circus animals and were purchased by a developer to attract buyers to his new subdivision. They escaped (of course), and their 100 to 150 descendents are living on the craggy ridges of Kalihi Valley on O`ahu right now!Eyre's book closes with a very good chapter on "Aloha `Aina - Responsible Stewardship" and two chapters about people who have demonstrated such stewardship for Hawaii's culture and her wildlife. This book is essential reading for anyone who is interested or concerned about Hawaii's natural environment - resident and visitor alike.
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