Earth heroes! People who are passionate about nature, in one form or another: wildlife, climate change, humane treatment of animals, you name it. A favorite of mine is wildlife conservationist and author Alan Rabinowitz.
Alan is currently President and CEO of Panthera, a cat conservation organization based in New York. Though he works hard to save cats (tigers, jaguars, leopards, lions, snow leopards, etc), Alan is as stalwart an ally of a tortoise or a butterfly as he is a big carnivore. One of the (many) amazing things about Alan is that until he was in college, he had such a severe stutter that he could barely talk. As a child, he made a promise to his pets that if he ever found his voice, he would speak for them. Through sheer grit and determination, Alan mastered his stutter. And then he kept his promise to animals.
During explorations in remote northern Burma (Myanmar) in 1997, Alan discovered a new species, the diminutive leaf deer (Muntiacus putaoensis).
If you are looking for a book that will keep you up all night, pick up a copy of Jaguar: One Man's Struggle to Establish the World's First Jaguar Preserve.
When you're done, I guarantee you'll be irresistibly drawn to Alan's other books about his fascinating career. And maybe to finding a way to be part of his efforts.
Jen I agree. Alan is a particularly vibrant voice for wild nature, an earth hero in every sense of the word.
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