Tickets for the Ark: From wasps to whales – how do we choose what to save?

by Rebecca Nesbit

Our planet hasn't seen the current rate of extinction since the demise of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, and global conservation efforts are failing to halt this. As a society, we face choices which will determine the fate of Earth's estimated 8.7 million species, including humans. As wildlife declines, conservation needs to make trade-offs. But what should we conserve and why?

Are we wrong to love bees and hate wasps?

Are native species more valuable than newcomers (aka invasives)?

Should some animals be culled to protect others, or for our own economic interests?

What do we want the 'natural world' to look like, and how can we shape a world in which wildlife and people can thrive?

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Animals, Nature

256 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 17, 2022

About the author

Writing fiction has inspired me ever since I was asked to write a story about ‘an amazing journey’ in my year 3 English lessons. I took it up seriously in 2010 when I began my first novel 'A Column of Smoke'.

I graduated from the University of Durham in 2005, and went on to study butterfly migration for my PhD. I now work in science communication.

I have a particular interest in writing fiction about the ethical issues which often arise when scientific discoveries influence society.

Reviews

[Zoe (Zthecapybara) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great concept of modern conservation and the decisions that must be made. The only downside is that the topic is incredibly broad, maybe this should be covered with more than one book to allow more depth in some areas.

[Vikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like many, my passion for nature conservation is something fundamental to my nature, and for a long time it drove me to act to save our wildlife without really thinking deeply about what I was doing. But the reality is there that are many difficult balancing acts and ethical dilemmas bundled up in the decisions we have to make when trying to preserve what we can of our precious biodiversity. What do we do about non-native species? Do we concentrate too much on ‘glamorous' species? What role should indigenous people play in the preservation of wildlife on their traditional lands? What is a ‘natural environment' anyway? You can find discussions on all this and more scattered across the internet and in magazines, but what's been badly needed is for it to be brought together succinctly and thoroughly. 'Tickets for the Ark' does just that. In eight chapters Rebecca Nesbit covers the key issues facing nature conservation in a concise and balanced way. She doesn’t provide the answers, but she clearly presents all the arguments, leaving the reader well equipped to form their own views on how best we should proceed. A must read for anyone who cares for the natural world and supports our efforts to save it.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5

Somehow both thought-provoking and irritating. Also what’s with the typos. My favorite was “tw2o million”. Who let that go to print.

[Nic Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading through the numerous case studies Dr Rebecca Nesbit compiled for this book. The book was clearly well researched. However, with the intention of providing a “balanced view”, I worry that Dr Nesbit offered an overly complicated and pretentious view of past, current and future conservation strategies. This book was not written for policymakers, ecologists, land owners, conservation groups or any other stakeholders she criticised in this book, but the average citizen who is concerned with conservation. In an attempt to inform, my fear is this book indicates that conservation is so complicated, our scientific understanding lagging and our social policy so inequitable that effective conservation practices are almost unattainable.

Although I believe Dr Nesbit would be horrified by that analysis, the book offers no new ideas or solutions to the criticisms raised other than having more conversations with more stakeholders. She widely criticises popular conservation ideas without presenting her own. If you take this book at face value, i believe it offers a discouragement to modern conservation. I feel with Dr Nesbit’s background, she could have offered a more nuanced perspective.

[Kiril Valchev · Rating 5 out of 5]

В " Tickets for the Ark ", британският еколог Ребека Несбит, противопоставя осем двойки организми (пет от които може да видите на корицата), хвърляйки светлина върху някои от най-належащите и трудни предизвикателства, пред които сме изправени, в борбата за съхранение на заобикалящото ни биоразнообразие. Менажерията, която ще срещнете из страниците, не се изчерпва със споменатите 16 вида. Те полагат основите на дискусията в съответната глава: мита за дивата природа; отношението ни към величествените и харизматични животни и тези, чиито външен вид и поведение, считаме за непривлекателни; инвазивните видове; определянето на консервационно значими организми; причините за и последиците от интродуцирането и реинтродуцирането на видове; отстраняването на едни животни и растения, с цел запазването на други; защитените зони и човешките общности.
Изключително интересно четиво, чийто автор заслужава похвала, за балансираното представяне на различни, често конфликтни, гледни точки.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you value?
How would choose between two species?
What is more important? How do you measure importance?
With emphasis on including ignored / silenced voices, this will have you questioning your values.

[Emily McGovern · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loads of interesting parts but it did get a bit repetitive. My copy had A LOT of typos in it, which led me to question whether what I was reading was entirely accurate...

On the plus side, it has made me think more about conservation and the dilemmas about protecting one species over another.

[Andreu Escrivà · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 (però és que els llibres interessants sobre la matèria no en són tants!). Curt, directe, provocador i amb bona base científica. Un bon llibre de biologia de la conservació, i això que amb algunes propostes no n'estic gens d'acord.

[Foggygirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

On my to read list for over a year before I got around to finally reading it. Very thought provoking read.