Trish O'Kane

Birding to Change the World is a densely packed book -- bursting with the title birds, teaching, community activism, social justice, Hurricane Katrina, universities, middle schools, and other animals in the wild -- yet it flows easily, and one never feels that the story is bogged down. Trish O'Kane, the author, is a fascinating person who has led an intriguing life. The story is bookended with her first teaching job - a volunteer one - in a women's prison in Montgomery, Alabama, and a teaching job years later in Vermont. There are flashbacks to other interesting and formative incidents. The central focus, as the title indicates, is birds. Ms. O'Kane has an admirable smoothness to her writing that makes it conversational. At 368 pages, it is a longish book, but I wanted to continue the conversation with the author beyond the memoir's end. I highly recommend Birding to Change the World and beg Ms. O'Kane to write another book!
Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by Ecco via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.… (más)

Trish O’Kane’s Birding to Change the World covered both the author’s personal journey to become a birder after facing tragedy and her growing role as an educator and activist within her community. Through her, it was easy to empathize with how people become enamored with and connected to birds and how important they can be in people’s lives.
She also explored with a fair and open mind, the various conflicting interests and sociological issues around environmental activism. These included a look into environmental classism and racism and the complexities of conservation in areas of importance for human use.… (más)