Overview
A Passion for Wildlife chronicles the history of the Canadian Wildlife Service and the evolution of Canadian wildlife policy over its first half century. It presents the exploits and accomplishments of a group of men and women whose dedication to the ideals of science, conservation, and a shared vision of Canada as a country that treasures its natural heritage has earned them the respect of their profession around the world. Drawing on interviews and anecdotes, personal correspondence, and the published record, the book addresses topics as varied as game law enforcement, field biology, habitat conservation, environmental education, toxicology, federal-provincial relations, and international diplomacy. Accessible to anyone interested in nature, it will appeal particularly to wildlife managers, scientists, naturalists, as well as students of biology, wildlife technology, and environmental studies. The opportunity to experience the natural world with respect and delight should be a precious part of every Canadian's birthright. Seen in that light, the Canadian Wildlife Service is one of Canada's most important cultural institutions. The term cultural is used broadly, with reference to the entire fabric of behaviours and values that bind Canadians into a recognizable society. In that sense, CWS has helped us to discover how much our relationship with nature adds to our shared identity. I felt enormously privileged, in the fall of 1996, when Environment Canada invited me to write a 50th anniversary history of the Wildlife Service. Since then, I have met and interviewed more than 120 of the agency's employees, past and present. Not one left any doubt that a life devoted to the study and protection of wildlife was a life well spent. Driven by a passionate interest in the natural world, members of the CWS family have explored this land, often at considerable personal risk, returning to report on the wonder of what is ours and why it matters. In a country that often deprecates heroism, they are among our unsung heroes. - From the Preface to A Passion for Wildlife
Full Product Details
Author: J. Alexander Burnett
Publisher: University of British Columbia Press
Imprint: University of British Columbia Press
Edition: illustrated edition
Weight: 0.640kg
ISBN: 9780774809603
ISBN 10: 0774809604
Pages: 346
Publication Date: 04 January 2003
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
,
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Out of stock
The supplier is temporarily out of stock of this item. It will be ordered for you on backorder and shipped when it becomes available.
Reviews
Burnett's institutional history of the CWS, `one of Canada's most important and valuable cultural institutions,' is timely, and useful for environmental historians and anyone interested in wildlife policy in Canada ... Despite the large amount of complex information the book needs to convey as the first history of the CWS, Burnett is to be commended for introducing readers to some of the committed individuals, professionals who worked for the service `who actually care about wildlife in Canada. -- Laurel Sefton MacDowell, University of Toronto Quarterly, Winter 2004/05
Burnett's institutional history of the CWS, 'one of Canada's most important and valuable cultural institutions,' is timely, and useful for environmental historians and anyone interested in wildlife policy in Canada ... Despite the large amount of complex information the book needs to convey as the first history of the CWS, Burnett is to be commended for introducing readers to some of the committed individuals, professionals who worked for the service 'who actually care about wildlife in Canada. -- Laurel Sefton MacDowell, University of Toronto Quarterly, Winter 2004/05
Author Information
J. Alexander Burnett is a naturalist and freelance writer who has contributed dozens of popular articles on natural history and wildlife conservation topics to national and regional newspapers and periodicals.
