Bad Naturalist: One Woman’s Ecological Education on a Wild Virginia Mountaintop - Paula Whyman

BOOK REVIEW by Nancy Pearlman

Bad Naturalist: One Woman’s Ecological Education on a Wild Virginia Mountaintop by Paula Whyman is a delightful story of one woman trying to reclaim a mountaintop in the Blue Ridge Mountains to its original natural state but she soon discovers that there were many different ecosystems that prevailed in the past. As Pantheists we want to not only preserve wild ecosystems but to try to restore those areas that have been damaged by humans. I could identify with Whyman who admits that she really didn’t know much about the native plants and animals in Virginia and had to learn which species were invasive and which were traditionally in the area but brought in by settlers and which were there for eons. She faced unexpected challenges in trying to keep some native plants without destroying them as she tried to get rid of introduced species. And then she had to decide to what condition would she restore the area. She chose to do it differently on different parts by creating a meadow on one section and leaving a forest on another section but had to decide what trees to remove and which to remain for the animals. The area had been grazed by introduced cattle and that posed a problem as well and the use of fire by indigenous inhabitants created another kind of ecosystem so she had to decide how to use fire. Her personal reflections and dilemmas in how to do the restoration and what she found in the area were written in a charming manner. Her efforts could be a model for all of us who want to help restore the landscape. The research and suggested readings are very thorough. I loved her sense of humor and her joyful spirit as she struggled with conflicting advice from experts.