Customer Reviews

Seven Names for the Bellbird: Conservation Geography in Honduras

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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.

(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!

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.

Kudos to the author for writing this book - very few books written specifically about Honduras. Honduras has much more national park than Costa Rica (who does a GREAT job marketing that they're a "natural" country) but gets very little attention. Anyone who's hiked Sierra de Agalta or camped in La Muralla knows what a breathtaking country Honduras is. Kudos for writing this book.