Voles, Not Moles

by Soren Bondrup-Nielsen

In this book wildlife biologist and ecologist Soren Bondrup-Nielsen reflects on his career as a scientist and on how his experiences as a researcher cultivated a deep sense of connection with nature. Bondrup-Nielsen’s love of the outdoors and adventure drew him to the fieldwork aspects of biological research, taking him to Northern Ontario in pursuit of the elusive boreal owl, to the Lake Superior region to survey birds for a year in what would become Pukaskwa National Park, and to Northern Alberta to study voles (not moles). His research collaborations would later take him to such places as Norway, Finland, Poland, and Russia, where he was always as interested in the people and the culture as he was in his actual study subject.

While structured as a memoir, this book is at heart a meditation on the role of science in society, contemplating issues such as human evolution, the nature of science, human population size, forestry practices, the role of wilderness preserves, the concept of biodiversity, climate change, and the importance of solitude. Like all good teachers, Bondrup-Nielsen is part curious observer and part storyteller, weaving a lesson into his intriguing narrative.

233 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very lovely read by a very smart person. Nielsen has had a long and fulfilling career researching and studying biology around the world, and I feel proud to say that Nova Scotia became his home during his tenure as professor of biology at Acadia University. The memoir is carefully organized. In each chapter, he visits a new place (from Northern Ontario to Norway to Russia to Peru) for one kind of research or another. He is impacted by the people he meets and the scientific discoveries he makes, and he comes away with lessons not only about mammalian biology but about what's important in life, and how humans fit into the natural world.

Nielsen dips into the scientific without ever being bogged down by technical terms, and he dips into the philosophical without becoming preachy. I think he has some very important wisdom about wildlife conservation, human evolution, and nature as a whole, and I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the world we live in and the impact we have.

[Wayne Woodman · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little heavy for me on the technical stuff but a good reflection on a life fully lived in an interesting career.