Our wild kin - work in progress

Our Wild Kin is the story of a bond with wild animals that was lost and then found. As a child, I made things out of acorns and leaves and talked to my neighbors: squirrels, birds, and the occasional deer in the forest behind my family home. But, as an adult, priorities and pressures moved me away from the natural world and my relationship with wild animals.

​After my children left home, I felt an emptiness in my life––a lack of purpose and direction. A chance encounter with a baby bird made me realize that what was missing was the awe and inspiration I had as a child with wild animals. Determined to rekindle this relationship, I volunteered at my local wildlife shelter and experienced magical moments with my wild neighbors while learning how to live better alongside them. As much as I was learning about wildlife in the Pacific Northwest where I live, the wild animals were also teaching me more about myself as a fellow creature.

My quest led me from volunteering with local Douglas squirrels and owls to observing polar bears in the Arctic, elephants in Thailand, rhinos in South Africa, wolves in Yellowstone, whale sharks in Mexico, orangutans in Indonesia, toucans, and other animals in Costa Rica and finally an expedition to the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. I witnessed a polar bear mother hunt for seals for her babies, learned what it means to respect wild animal space in my encounters with elephants, and experienced the hope of the Galapagos as an example of successful conservation and peaceful co-existence between wild animals and humans.

​This book describes an emotional journey to find connection and purpose in the more-than-human world. It’s also a book of epiphanies with wild animal encounters and a conversation about complicated conservation issues that we face. But mostly, it’s a book that celebrates the awe that the natural world can inspire.
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Read the chapter "Gossip Girls" from Our Wild Kin here.

On a boat in the Arctic, a curious polar bear looks up at the ship's human occupants before taking a dip in the frigid waters.

Love is in the air in the Galapagos where the albatross mating dance is in full swing complete with bowing, smacking beaks and honks of affection.

In Indonesian Borneo, rescued orangutans live on man-made islands where they can live an independent life if unable to return to the wild.
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