Our Book
About Our Better Nature
We are thrilled to announce the release of our new book titled Our Better Nature and edited by the Vermont Alliance’s own Curt Lindberg and Eric Hagen.
Many members and friends of the Vermont Alliance - Tom Butler, Joe Roman, Alicia Daniel, Liz Thompson, Steve Shepard, George Schenk, Doug Tallamy, Sean Beckett, and Sue Morse - contributed thought-provoking essays and beautiful photographs.
Grounded in experience and science, Our Better Nature presents readers with stories, essays, and resources to guide and inspire action in favor of nature everywhere. Our Better Nature inspires individuals and communities to carry Vermont’s thriving framework for sustaining biodiversity beyond all borders and into meaningful actions that protect nature around the world.
Dedicated to pioneering biologist & author Edward O. Wilson (1929–2021)
A lifelong observer of nature, E. O. Wilson noted what we all must: Of all the challenges facing the planet, the loss of biodiversity and the current extinction crisis are among the gravest. In the face of this, and in light of Wilson’s optimism in spite of it, Our Better Nature offers messages of hope.
Stories of creative citizens whose successes with protecting and restoring nature are examples we can apply anywhere.
Essays by regional experts who help us understand the power of resilient ecosystems, of nature education for all ages, and Vermont’s dedication to conservation science.
Resources for turning our collective desire to protect biodiversity into actions that do.
Our Better Nature can be found on Amazon or in a bookstore near you: Norwich Bookstore, Bear Pond Books, Vermont Bookshop, Northshire Bookstore, Phoenix Books, Stowe Books, Sandy's Books and Bakery, and Tempest Book Shop.
Reviews
“This book could not be more timely, more charming, more useful, or more needed! Anyone who cares about our small and lovely state will want to spend time with it – its impact will spread beyond Vermont’s borders.”
—BILL McKIBBEN, AUTHOR WANDERING HOME, FOUNDER 350.ORG
“Faced by crises in climate, biodiversity and human well-being, we need a new mode of life that secures the Earth and all life intact. Vermont has responded by seizing on the natural rewinding of the past century, advancing a Conservation Design vision for the state’s future, and embracing the lives of so many individuals who are forging that future throughout this resilient landscape. Through diverse voices, Our Better Nature shares this grand, humbling, and hope-filled story.”
—DAVID FOSTER, HARVARD FOREST, HARVARD UNIVERSITY
“What a rare and lovely treat, to get to read such interesting and thoughtful essays written about nature, by people who have dedicated their lives to living close to and understanding the land of green hills and silver waters of Vermont. Through the eyes of these great writers and thinkers (and doers!), we get a bird-eye view of the beautiful and complex quilt of life in the Green Mountain state. Providing lessons that apply far beyond Vermont’s borders, these writers give us both a clear warning that this quilt is unraveling and invite us to join in celebrating, and saving, our natural world.”
—DAVID K. MEARS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AUDUBON VERMONT
“At a time when many key habitats and species are declining in Vermont and throughout the world, Our Better Nature serves as a well-crafted and timely reminder of the critical importance of redoubling efforts to enhance working and wild landscapes. A must read for anyone interested in learning more about the nature of Vermont and many of the efforts to protect it for future generations.”
—ANTHONY D’AMATO, PROFESSOR, DIRECTOR OF FORESTRY PROGRAM, UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT
Articles
“Book Review: Finding ‘Our Better Nature’” - The Bridge (September 6, 2022) by J. Gregory Gerdel. Many people are beginning to think earnestly about what needs to be done to sustain life, including human life, on this planet. Several Vermonters and Montpelier residents, not to mention the University of Vermont, have contributed to the recently released essay collection “Our Better Nature: Hopeful Excursions in Saving Biodiversity”.