Here in Cape May we are especially tuned to migration, as this region is truly one of the world’s great hotspots for observing spectacular migrations. One of the glories of migration, however, is that some sort of migration may be observed any place on earth, and across the globe there are a number of truly great migratory phenomena, in which huge numbers of animals move great distances in breathtaking numbers.
Princeton ecologist David Wilcove has written a new book about migration, No Way Home. This is an excellent and very important book. Wilcove outlines many of the key principles of migration through six chapters, each focused on a particular group of migratory creatures. Two chapters focus on airborne migrants, two on land-based mammals, and two on aquatic species. Amidst discussions of migratory songbirds, monarch butterflies, wildebeest, bison, whales, and salmon, Wilcove gently provides a thorough lesson in the dynamics of migration. The prose is lively and filled with meaningful anecdotes; it’s a well-crafted narrative that reads effortlessly.
Conservation is at the heart of every chapter. It’s a sad truth that virtually every great migratory phenomenon on earth is in decline. As a global society, we’re having trouble protecting sedentary species; migrants can only be preserved when we protect habitat all along migratory routes, which often cross international boundaries and cover huge distances. We must also appreciate that sometimes animals that seem to be abundant may still be vulnerable. Wilcove brings up poignant examples of migrations that have vanished, ranging from well-known stories like that of the extinct Passenger Pigeon to lesser-known collapses, such as the disappearance of the Rocky Mountain locust and the decline of South Africa’s bontebok, a once abundant migratory antelope now restricted to zoo-like small, fenced reserves. The picture painted by Wilcove is one of an unraveling world, as he describes how our great migrations are truly in jeopardy.
Wilcove manages to be an optimist, however, and he cites examples of positive conservation efforts that are underway. This is the greatest strength of the book: it is an intelligent call to action written engagingly for the layman. It’s not a scholarly text, though Wilcove is celebrated for his scholarly writing. No Way Home is written for the general audience, the average citizen for whom this message is most important. Serious birders are going to read the chapter on bird migration and, as certain basic facts are presented, think, “yeah, I know about that.” Butterfly enthusiasts will react similarly when reading about monarchs, and other naturalists will do the same for other chapters. Still, we’re all likely to find nuggets of new information. More importantly, however, John Q. Public can read this book, understand important ecological concepts, and (hopefully) become motivated to support conservation efforts. Without the basics, the message would be lost on those learning about migration for the first time.
There are signs that Wilcove’s message is getting out there. I have twice heard him interviewed on different public radio programs. The book was favorably reviewed by Sandy Bauers in the Philadelphia Inquirer. I’ve seen the book displayed with some prominence in mainstream bookstores. I’m cheering for this book to become a huge success, hoping that thousands of readers will learn from the book and will be motivated by its message.
Buy a few copies of this book and give them to friends and relatives. Talk about it over the water cooler with your non-birding friends. Populations of our migratory songbirds are continuing to decline. Other migrations are equally threatened. Time is short; we still have opportunities to reverse the declines, but we must recruit more people to our side of the argument. No Way Home is a masterful work that can help us accomplish that goal and, with luck, protect some of the world’s greatest wildlife spectacles, our planet’s mass migrations.
Wilcove, David S. No Way Home: The Decline of the World’s Great Animal Migrations. Illustrations by Louise Zemaitis. Washington, Island Press/Shearwater Books, 2008. 245 pages, hardcover, ISBN-10: 1-55963-985-7; ISBN-13: 978-1-55963-985-9.
To order a copy of a title reviewed on the Birder’s Bookshelf, please call CMBO’s Northwood Center (609)884-2736 or the Center for Research & Education (609)861-0700.