Isles of Refuge

by Mark J. Rauzon

In Isles of Refuge, the first book solely devoted to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, field biologist Mark Rauzon shares his extensive, first-hand knowledge of their natural history while providing an engaging narrative of his travels. Braving seasickness, bad weather, and biting bird ticks, he journeyed from Nihoa to Kure to study and photograph plants and animals for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife rare palms, sharks, turtles, seals, and thousands of birds--finches, terns, petrels, noddies, shearwaters, curlews, boobies, tropicbirds, ducks, and albatrosses, or "gooneys," famed throughout the Pacific for their flying prowess and bizarre breeding rituals.

Isolation and access restrictions have led to the recovery of many of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands' animal and plant populations to pre-exploitation levels, but they have also resulted in the general public's ignorance of the islands and their ecosystems. Informative and enjoyable, Isles of Refuge invites readers to learn more about the history and natural wonders of this invaluable resource.

Genres: Nonfiction

216 pages, Paperback

First published December 5, 2000

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an informative and interesting book about the biology and history of the Northwestern Hawaiian islands, most of which are uninhabited by humans (at least over the last 100 years or so). The overwhelming majority of us will never get to visit these islands--which is as it should be, so as to protect the vulnerable species that live there--so this is a pretty good way to "go." Rauzon does best when he sticks to history and biology instead of his own personal experiences, which are tinged with a smidge of unintentional colonialism and sexism, but those are thankfully at a minimum. The book is also somewhat dated by now, though his warnings about global warming and coral bleaching are still, sadly, relevant.