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The Understory: A Female Environmentalist in the Land of the Midnight Sun
Tragedy haunted her. Her instinct to survive drove her. On the savanna of Zimbabwe, Michelle Schuman watched the tears fall from the eyes of a baby elephant as it mourned its mother, a bloody emptiness where her trunk and face were missing because of ignorance and self-indulgence. Deep in the bamboo forest of the Virunga Mountains, she was touched by a Mountain Gorilla. On the once-pristine shores of Prince William Sound, she bore witness to the sobering spectacle of hundreds of seals ready to give birth, dragging their blackened, distended bellies through the oozing black death of greed spilling from the guts of the Exxon Valdez.
Although she also suffered an unbearable loss, and the dangers of working in remote areas of Alaska were real and tangible, the true threat to her survival was not from the natural world, but from the world of men who sought to tame her. Passion and peril are intertwined in this true tale of Michelle’s drive to make the natural world a better place; she found her greatest hindrance not in physical challenges but in human adversaries. In the understory, largely concealed from view, are saplings and shrubs, herbs and grasses, rooted in a carpet of moss, beneath the canopy of trees. They provide the sustenance for the magnificent forest, and this is the inspiring story of one woman’s battle from beneath the forest canopy to the beyond—in a scramble to undo what has been done.
Although she also suffered an unbearable loss, and the dangers of working in remote areas of Alaska were real and tangible, the true threat to her survival was not from the natural world, but from the world of men who sought to tame her. Passion and peril are intertwined in this true tale of Michelle’s drive to make the natural world a better place; she found her greatest hindrance not in physical challenges but in human adversaries. In the understory, largely concealed from view, are saplings and shrubs, herbs and grasses, rooted in a carpet of moss, beneath the canopy of trees. They provide the sustenance for the magnificent forest, and this is the inspiring story of one woman’s battle from beneath the forest canopy to the beyond—in a scramble to undo what has been done.
- GenresTravel
312 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 5, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 5, 2022
If only the world were full of humans like Michelle E. Schuman. An accomplished scientist, she understands just how delicate our beautiful earth really is and how important all of the creatures who live on it are and has devoted her entire life to tending it well. It's so refreshing to read about such a purposeful life spent stewarding and respectfully exploring our majestic planet. The Understory: A Female Environmentalist in the Land of the Midnight Sun is a clarion call for us all to start living in harmony with nature--to listen, to learn and to do better. Give a copy to everyone you love. It matters that much.
March 3, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and was so involved in the story I almost read it in one night. I was transported into another woman’s world so different from mine. My job has me at a desk all day and hers had her outside and flying in helicopters.
The author’s sense of adventure and travel was inspiring. I felt I was right there with her whether it was white water rafting or scuba diving. I especially loved hearing about her life in Alaska and the beauty of this majestic land. I appreciated hearing her candid stories about grief, family dysfunction and workplace discrimination. Embracing the transformation that takes place after going through difficult times is what changes us. I definitely related to the author’s journey of becoming more self-aware. The book is so well written. I highly recommend it.
The author’s sense of adventure and travel was inspiring. I felt I was right there with her whether it was white water rafting or scuba diving. I especially loved hearing about her life in Alaska and the beauty of this majestic land. I appreciated hearing her candid stories about grief, family dysfunction and workplace discrimination. Embracing the transformation that takes place after going through difficult times is what changes us. I definitely related to the author’s journey of becoming more self-aware. The book is so well written. I highly recommend it.
June 2, 2022
Solemn, yet stirring—a memoir full of love for life.
M. E. Schuman’s inspiring memoir provides not only an inside look at the life of an environmentalist, but a lasting view into the struggle of consequence with the powers that be. As a girl with the world ahead of her, she begins working with animals and veterinary medicine and then transitions when offered a conservationist position in remote Alaska. Year after year, she was faced with the handed-down issues from new job positions she inherited and strove to complete each project with passion and purpose while balancing family life and relationships on top.
Alaska can be a harsh environment, yet one extremely rich in biodiversity. The author wonderfully describes vivid scenery and landscapes, be it Chile, Australia, Alaska, or Cape Cod, making readers feel present, as if we have gone on her escapes with her. Flora and fauna are described almost intimately and familiarly, as if friends being thoughtfully remembered. Even when provoked or angered, animals like grizzly bears are acting in self-defense. The author cares for her job and her place in the world, as evidenced by how she treats locals, natives, animals, and plants of all areas she visits.
The author also does a breathtaking job of showing how fruitless a job with uncaring superiors can prove. As a woman trying to carve a place for herself starting around 1982, her position was often overlooked or discounted, and at times she was passed over in favor of a male counterpart for promotion or raise. She describes the ways she and her female cohorts were subjected to and some finally forfeiting from years of harassment. She mentions the difference in pay throughout her different positions, but perhaps most notably, she exposes environmental injustices that were covered up to either save some government office money or save someone’s reputation.
It is disheartening to hear confirmed that an industry can “minimize the threat from a regulatory agency” by pressuring for budget cuts, or that workers were told to “make the shore look like there was no oil on the rocks” after the largest oil spill in history because the vice president was to make an appearance. As dismaying as these scenes might be, they encourage a sense of pushing for better, and working together toward a common goal of reducing environmental disasters to save the only planet we’ve got.
Through all of her travels, trials, and tribulations, Michelle remains dedicated to herself. Despite push-back she may have faced, she is steadfast in her willingness to seek the truth and roams the world to connect with those she has yet to interact with, experiencing new cultures and customs as they’re presented in context. Most importantly, she remains true to her long-inspired goal of environmentalism, and her actions reflect this as well, leaving the reader with a call-to-action:
“Have we listened to [Mother Earth’s] call?”
M. E. Schuman’s inspiring memoir provides not only an inside look at the life of an environmentalist, but a lasting view into the struggle of consequence with the powers that be. As a girl with the world ahead of her, she begins working with animals and veterinary medicine and then transitions when offered a conservationist position in remote Alaska. Year after year, she was faced with the handed-down issues from new job positions she inherited and strove to complete each project with passion and purpose while balancing family life and relationships on top.
Alaska can be a harsh environment, yet one extremely rich in biodiversity. The author wonderfully describes vivid scenery and landscapes, be it Chile, Australia, Alaska, or Cape Cod, making readers feel present, as if we have gone on her escapes with her. Flora and fauna are described almost intimately and familiarly, as if friends being thoughtfully remembered. Even when provoked or angered, animals like grizzly bears are acting in self-defense. The author cares for her job and her place in the world, as evidenced by how she treats locals, natives, animals, and plants of all areas she visits.
The author also does a breathtaking job of showing how fruitless a job with uncaring superiors can prove. As a woman trying to carve a place for herself starting around 1982, her position was often overlooked or discounted, and at times she was passed over in favor of a male counterpart for promotion or raise. She describes the ways she and her female cohorts were subjected to and some finally forfeiting from years of harassment. She mentions the difference in pay throughout her different positions, but perhaps most notably, she exposes environmental injustices that were covered up to either save some government office money or save someone’s reputation.
It is disheartening to hear confirmed that an industry can “minimize the threat from a regulatory agency” by pressuring for budget cuts, or that workers were told to “make the shore look like there was no oil on the rocks” after the largest oil spill in history because the vice president was to make an appearance. As dismaying as these scenes might be, they encourage a sense of pushing for better, and working together toward a common goal of reducing environmental disasters to save the only planet we’ve got.
Through all of her travels, trials, and tribulations, Michelle remains dedicated to herself. Despite push-back she may have faced, she is steadfast in her willingness to seek the truth and roams the world to connect with those she has yet to interact with, experiencing new cultures and customs as they’re presented in context. Most importantly, she remains true to her long-inspired goal of environmentalism, and her actions reflect this as well, leaving the reader with a call-to-action:
“Have we listened to [Mother Earth’s] call?”
April 19, 2024
It seemed like the book was trying to make a point about how humans are ruining nature and nature is all-knowing. It was ineffective in making that point or any point, actually. At certain spots, the book is quite literary and moving; however, character development and the plot structure are confusing and insufficient. I wanted to like this book because a good friend of mine liked it, but I was dismally disappointed.
May 18, 2022
The book started out with descriptions of Alaska sights that are redundant from every other Alaskan author. The writing became real and raw when her husband suddenly died, but then, it took a right turn into a cross-country, lower 48, trip with a narcissistic boyfriend. It read like a detail-ridden journal and I finally put it down half-way through. Life's too short to waste it on a bad book.
January 30, 2022
heartfelt
Reviewed by Gail-Michelle’s adventurous spirit is amazing. The struggles are real and raw. She has a life story like no other. We all have our story but hers is unique and worth the read.
Reviewed by Gail-Michelle’s adventurous spirit is amazing. The struggles are real and raw. She has a life story like no other. We all have our story but hers is unique and worth the read.
August 16, 2023
Couldn't continue reading about a woman in a toxic relationship. Gave me a nasty pit in my stomach.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews