Jonathan C. Slaght's Blog, page 2

The Fragility of Field Plans

When our truck broke through the ice of the Funtovka River, it nearly sank the 2012 field season. The river wasn’t particularly deep, maybe four feet at that spot, but the open water was a sufficient barrier to prevent the rest of our caravan—a pickup truck and a snowmobile—from following suit. The truck, a formidable Kamaz, … Continue reading The Fragility of Field Plans

An Undesirable Nest

This post first appeared on Scientific American as part of my East of Siberia series. Years ago I conducted songbird research at the Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Reserve: summers of sweat, field camouflage, and pulsing masses of biting insects in this humid, temperate rainforest. There were only two of us on the field team, me and a … Continue reading An Undesirable Nest

Science-Based Decision Making: An Example from the Russian Far East

This article, written for Earth Day 2017 and in support of the March for Science, first appeared on the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Medium page. I’m a wildlife conservationist and I work in Russia. Here is a tiny example, from that corner of the world that shows how maintaining a grounding in scientific principles benefits both … Continue reading Science-Based Decision Making: An Example from the Russian Far East

Fish Owl Book: Forthcoming!

I’m excited to announce that I’ve accepted an offer from the publishing house Farrar, Straus, and Giroux (FSG) to work on a book about my experiences with fish owls in Russia. FSG is a highly respected publisher with giants such as John McPhee, Tom Wolfe, Jonathan Franzen, and TS Eliot listed among their authors. I’ll be … Continue reading Fish Owl Book: Forthcoming!

For Fans of the Home Team

I was in Vladivostok, Primorye earlier this week where I had the pleasure to conduct a pair of interviews with local television stations about Vladimir Arsenyev and my translation of his 1921 classic “Across the Ussuri Kray.” The first interview took place at Arsenyev’s home in Vladivostok–now a museum–and was conducted at his dining room table. It … Continue reading For Fans of the Home Team

History in my Mailbox

Last week, at one of the many airports between Myanmar and Minnesota, I received an email from Carol Ueland, my undergraduate advisor at Drew University’s Russian Department. She forwarded me a Russian academic listserv message from a woman offering up a copy of Vladimir Arsenyev’s “Dersu Uzala” free to anyone who wanted it. Carol knew … Continue reading History in my Mailbox

End of Year Summary: 2016

Writing-wise, 2016 was a fantastic year for me. By my account I published 22 pieces—that’s about one article every two weeks. A full list is below. I also had an art show, was called the Jane Goodall of Fish Owls, and was on the BBC. Not sure how I can top this next year….with any … Continue reading End of Year Summary: 2016

A Long Walk through Leopard Country

My latest from Scientific American: In 2011 I was asked last minute to give a plenary talk about Amur tigers at a conference in Ussuriisk, Russia. Unfortunately, when I received this request I was twenty kilometers from the closest highway, and the conference was in only a few days. I was volunteering at the time … Continue reading A Long Walk through Leopard Country

A Tiger Conservationist in the Urban Jungle

My latest from Scientific American: For conservation biologists, not all adventures take place in the woods. Sometimes the pathways to be negotiated are hallways, not game trails. Sometimes our adventures are urban. In March 2015 I went to a clinic in Vladivostok for the first of a three-shot series to vaccinate myself against tick-borne encephalitis. … Continue reading A Tiger Conservationist in the Urban Jungle

Arsenyev in The New Yorker!

My recent translation of Vladimir Arsenyev’s 1921 classic, Across the Ussuri Kray, has been receiving some great press in places like MongaBay, Russian Life, MinnPost, and most recently (and incredibly) in The New Yorker. These placements have helped boost sales: for a while this book was the #1 top seller in the “Russia Travel” and “Mountain” … Continue reading Arsenyev in The New Yorker!