Seven Names for the Bellbird: Conservation Geography in Honduras [Hardcover]

Mark Bonta (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Seven Names for the Bellbird puts us at a table in the patio where Dr. Bonta, coffee in hand, listens to doña Clara, his mother-in-law, talk about her love for birds. From there we walk with him through Olancho, Honduras, as he goes from valley to montaña, from cattle rancher, to coffee farmer, to daily worker, and we hear everywhere the songs of birds echoing in the voices of people. Geographer-ethnographer, Dr. Bonta offers a fresh (and refreshing) account of the intimate interaction among the Honduran landscape, birds, and local inhabitants. Based on his several years of living in the country, first a Peace Corp volunteer, and then later as a researcher and husband and father, he argues that conversation of endangered species must begin with a view of how the lives of birds and humans intertwine, a view that removes the judgmental lens of “trashed landscape” from our eyes, and consequently a view that values the house sparrow as much as the threatened Honduran humming bird. Seven Names for the Bellbird creates in us a new understanding of how birds and people can, and do in fact, enrich other’s lives.”--Miles Richardson, Louisiana State University

(Miles Richardson, Louisiana State University )

About the Author

Mark Bonta is an assistant professor of geography at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. In the early 1990s, he was a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras, and he has returned many times since, living and working in the province of Olancho. He continues to participate in a wide variety of local environmental projects in Olancho, including protection of the Sierra de Agalta National Park and monitoring of the endemic tree cycad Dioon mejlae. This book was inspired by the sublimity and pathos of his adopted country.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 250 pages
• Publisher: TAMU Press; 1 edition (June 17, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585442496
• ISBN-13: 978-1585442492
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,094,660 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #43 in Books > History > Americas > Central America > Honduras

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sage Advice for Conservationists, November 6, 2003

By 

Rob Fergus "birdchaser" (Bucks County, PA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Seven Names for the Bellbird: Conservation Geography in Honduras (Hardcover)

Seven Names for the Bellbird goes beyond typical discussions of environmental problems in Latin America to show how real people and real birds interact in their shared landscapes. The wealth of details in Bonta's discussion makes a significant contribution to the study of human-animal interactions. Easily accessible and yet provocative, Bonta shows how conservation activities need to be based on local practices and control of resources--a lesson not just for environmentalists working in developing countries, but good advice for people working to protect their own neighborhoods.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books of the year, June 30, 2004

By 

Ron Mader "Planeta.com Founder" (Mexico) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Seven Names for the Bellbird: Conservation Geography in Honduras (Hardcover)

(From Planeta.com) -- Kudos to author Mark Bonta and to Texas A&M Press for publishing Seven Names for the Bellbird, one of the best books of the year. Few books document the challenges and merits of including locals in conservation. Bonta, a university professor and former member of the U.S. Peace Corps provides a frank account of biodiversity conservation and birding in of the most mountainous regions of the Americas. The beautifully written narrative is complimented by maps and photos. Excellent!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful Insight, March 25, 2004

By 

Steven E. Swierenga "Steven Swierenga" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Seven Names for the Bellbird: Conservation Geography in Honduras (Hardcover)

I too was a Peace Corps volunteer (99-01) working in Sierra de Agalta National Park and its surrounding communities. Mark's book wonderfully captures the "ornithophilia" of Olanchanos, and puts together a stong case for conservation at local scales that build upon existing needs and environmental concerns. A must have for all conservationists working in Honduras or anywhere else for that matter.