Tag Archives: wildlife conservation

Podcast

Sy Montgomery & Matthew Patterson, OF TIME AND TURTLES

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Turtles are jaw-droppingly amazing. Some can run faster than a 10-year-old; some can climb trees; others have shells that glow in the dark.

We talk with The Soul of An Octopus author Sy Montgomery and illustrator Matthew Patterson about this and more amazing things about turtles. Their acclaimed book is Of Time And Turtles: Mending the World, Shell By Shattered Shell.

We also share our list of Ten Best Shows of 2023

Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004.

Find us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram and Threads @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on X/Twitter @WritersVoice. Read transcripts at the Writer’s Voice Substack.

Sy Montgomery has a gift for bringing the reader intimately into the mind and world of animals, from her celebrated book The Soul of An Octopus, to the one we spoke with her about in 2022, The Hawk’s Way. Now, she’s teamed up with illustrator and turtle maven Matthew Patterson to bring us into the minds and world of turtles and the people who rescue them.

Their book, Of Time And Turtles is both heartbreaking — as they tell us about the plight of these ancient creatures, 60% of which are threatened or endangered — and inspiring, as they recount the stories of turtles brought back from the brink of death to finally be released back into the wild.

And what characters the turtles are! Firechief, Pizzaman, and other wonderful beings leap off the page into the imagination as the reader follows them from tragedy to triumph.

The real heroes of the story are the founders of Turtle Rescue League, Natasha Nowick and Alexia Belle. We hear about their remarkable operation in Massachusetts and about the thrilling rescue mission they organized (and that Sy Montgomery and Matt Patterson went on) to save endangered sea turtles washed ashore on Cape Cod — all in the middle of a nor’easter.

Of Time And Turtles tells us all about these amazing creatures and why we should care about them.

Watch A Video About The Turtle Rescue League

About The Authors

Sy Montgomery is the author of numerous books for adults and children, including The Hawk’s Way, How To Be A Good Creature and Tamed and Untamed. Listen to those interviews here.

Matthew Patterson is a wildlife artist and owner of Stoneridge Art Studios. In addition to Of Time and Turtles, he also collaborated with Sy Montgomery on a children’s book The Book of Turtles.

Podcast

Mike Rothschild, JEWISH SPACE LASERS & Adam Hart, DEADLY BALANCE

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Antisemitism and conspiracy theories. Also, how to protect wildlife by protecting people.

First, we talk with Mike Rothschild about his book: Jewish Space Lasers: The Rothschilds and 200 Years of Conspiracy Theories. It’s about the persistence of rightwing antisemitism and its link to conspiracy theories.

Then, scientist Adam Hart tells us about how people become prey for wild animals and why conservation to preserve wildlife needs to take human needs into account to succeed. His book is The Deadly Balance: Predators and People in A Crowded World.

Key words: Mike Rothschild, Adam Hart, antisemitism, conspiracy theories, wildlife conservation, podcast, book recommendations, author interview, book show, writer’s voice, Francesca Rheannon

Writers Voice — in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004.

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Read transcripts at the Writer’s Voice Substack

The Real Antisemitism

Rightwing antisemitism is on the rise. This is a real phenomenon, not to be confused with claims by the pro-Zionist lobby that anyone who criticizes Israeli policy toward Palestinians is an antisemite.

In fact, some of the most fervent supporters of the current Israeli government are also promoters of rightwing antisemitic conspiracy theories — like the notion that Jews are a “globalist” cabal that controls the world’s money supply or that Jews are promoting immigration to “replace” the white race.

Target: The Rothschilds

Many antisemitic conspiracy theories center around one family, the Rothschilds. Over the years, they have been blamed for everything from the sinking of the Titanic, to causing the Great Depression, and even creating the COVID-19 pandemic.

How did the Rothschilds become a lightning rod for the conspiracy theories of the last two centuries, and why do these theories persist so widely today?

My guest Mike Rothschild — no relation — explores these questions in his new book
Jewish Space Lasers. In it, he sorts out myth from reality to find the truth about these conspiracy theories and their spreaders.

About the Author

Mike Rothschild is a journalist and author of two books, Jewish Space Lasers and The Storm Is Upon Us: How QAnon Became a Movement, Cult, and Conspiracy Theory of Everything. He’s an expert on the intersections between internet culture and politics through the lens of conspiracy theories.

Read an excerpt from Jewish Space Lasers

Predators And People

This past October, a couple camping in Banff National Park in Canada was attacked and killed by a grizzly bear. But in general, attacks by bears and other wildlife in North America are pretty rare.

That’s not so true, however, in places like India or Kenya, where poor villages situated near wildlife areas can be threatened by attacks from such animals as tigers and lions. The consequences for both people and wildlife can be dire.

Protecting Wildlife and People

How to reach a balance between the needs of humans and wildlife in order to protect both is the subject of Adam Hart’s book. The Deadly Balance: Predators and People in A Crowded World.

He says wildlife conservation depends on making sure that humans have a stake in it, especially those who live in or near wildlife habitats.

About the Author

Adam Hart is Professor of Science Communication at the University of Gloucestershire. A biologist, broadcaster and author, he works on a range of topics including African ecology and conservation, insects and citizen science.

Read An Excerpt from The Deadly Balance

Next Week on Writer’s Voice

We talk with Sy Montgomery of the The Soul of An Octopus fame, along with illustrator Matt Patterson, about their acclaimed new book, Of Time And Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell. Don’t miss it!