The recovery of nature is one of the most urgent challenges we face, in the Caribbean and around the world. With more than 1 million species threatened with extinction and the specter of climate change and sea level rise upon us the path forward may seem insurmountable. But the good news is that we can all participate in the creation of a new sustainable world, though personal actions in our gardens and landscapes. Recovering Caribbean Nature comes at a perfect time and is a welcome new resource packed with detailed guidance on how to personally contribute to the restoration and recovery of nature.
George D. Gann, Executive Director, The Institute for Regional Conservation and Chair Emeritus, Society for Ecological Restoration.
Recovering Caribbean Nature is a monumental how to restore the Caribbean native flora. Decades of research, island reconnaissance, and visits to gardens, nurseries and still intact and pristine habitats, provide the authors with unique insights into a growing imperative to restore the regions native flora. As a conservation practitioner for BirdLife International, its given me a refreshing perspective on the Caribbean natural history. I even think it is the foundation for a much-needed Caribbean-wide rewilding movement one garden at a time.
Ian J. Davidson, Director-Americas, BirdLife International.
Jim Kushlan and Kirsten Hines have consolidated knowledge from a range of resources and their own studies over many years to provide Caribbean-specific information on how to protect, restore, and recreate Caribbean nature. I am confident this book will have a tremendous impact on inspiring more people to plant native, thereby providing more high-quality habitats that are needed to support and sustain the incredible diversity of endemic and migratory birds that call the Caribbean home. Present and future generations and locals and visitors alike will enjoy and benefit from a healthier environment flourishing with native plants and abundant birds.
Lisa Sorenson, Executive Director, BirdsCaribbean.
I learned from and enjoyed reading this book, Recovering Caribbean Nature. Its review of the environmental history of the Caribbean and its role in current nature conservation provide valuable examples that can be useful for both a community member and university classes. Recovering Caribbean Nature rightly emphasizes the roles played by gardens in conserving Caribbean birds, as we have discovered in the National Botanic Garden of Cuba. The authors provide accounts of plants suggested for nature recovery and describe the birds and other animals that might use them, information that will now be available to many people in the Caribbean. The book provides both practical advice and reflections on nature restoration that can guide conservation action throughout the Caribbean. Books like this may help the islands of the West Indies to be more resilient and beautiful and at the same time become a better place in the world!
Lourdes Mugica Valdés, PhD, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana.
Anyone with an interest in seriously regreening and recovering areas, particularly for birds, will want to check out Recovering Caribbean Nature by James A. Kushlan and Kirsten Hines. This book presents both scientific background and logistical applications about restoring nature across the Caribbean. Most importantly, perhaps, it presents clear guidance on establishing sustainable and naturalistic landscapes, from large public lands to private yards and gardens. In the process, the greening of private lands is stressed, especially by the creation of a matrix of recovered nature, a patch-by-patch invitation to improve areas where significant gains can be made for birdlife and other creatures. There are 63 very informative pages devoted to individual plant species and families, vitally important and evaluated, with about a half-dozen pages describing other tempting, but always to-be-avoided and non-native plants. And although Caribbean birdlife is stressed in the book, reviewed in 40 pages of overlap with the plants they prefer, the beneficiaries of the planting process is not limited to birds. Reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and invertebrates (especially butterflies) are all considered within the recovered landscapes. The book is also beautifully illustrated with color photographs.
The Birding Community eBulletin, Feb 2025, Paul Baicich and Wayne Petersen
