Stranded: Finding Nature in Uncertain Times

"Marine biologist Bearzi celebrates the marvels of ordinary wildlife in these charming meditations. Collecting vignettes about the animals she observed while confined to her Los Angeles home during COVID-19 lockdown, she serves up thoughtful commentary on humanity’s place in nature and the value of all creatures." —Publishers Weekly "Bearzi's thoughtful and meditative essays will appeal to naturalists, conservationists, and anyone who appreciates all the other animals with whom we share this planet." —Booklist "When marine biologist Bearzi was forced to leave the ocean at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, she turned to a marvel of nature a bit more quotidian: her backyard in urban Los Angeles. Writing in the contemplative voice of early lockdown, Bearzi observes resilience in birds, bugs, and plants and finds peace and purpose for herself." —Alta Journal "These nature essays exemplify evenhandedness, curiosity, and close observation. […] The book is a passionate primer to appreciating everyday nature." —Shelf Awareness "Marine biologist Maddalena Bearzi chronicles her unexpected transition from studying oceanic life to exploring the diverse ecosystems in her own urban backyard during the COVID-19 lockdown. Through her keen observations and profound reflections, Bearzi encourages readers to find beauty in the ordinary and underscores the critical need for environmental stewardship." —Scuba Diving Magazine "Stranded reminds us of what we all too easily forget: the sustaining delights of finding beauty and wonder all around us." —Florence Williams, author of The Nature Fix and Heartbreak "Maddalena Bearzi's way with words is magical, and so is her ability to transform what seem to be ordinary animals into miraculous creatures doing outrageous things right under our collective noses. And she puts us humans in our place as Earth’s worst nightmare, but also the best hope for restoring and safeguarding the health of the only home in the universe just right for us—and the millions of other species that underpin our existence." —Sylvia Earle, author of Sea Change "What happens when a scientist, trained in the powers of observing wildlife, turns that curious eye on herself? Maddalena explores so beautifully her journey of reckoning with the wild wonder of the everyday world as she realizes what she has left unexplored is not just found in the vastness of the ocean but in her own backyard.” —Beth Pratt, author of When Mountain Lions Are Neighbors "Stranded is one of the first great pieces of environmental writing to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic."—Peter S. Alagona, author of The Accidental Ecosystem “Bearzi has found her place as a nature essayist of the highest order." —Craig Stanford, author of Upright “Maddalena ends with not just hope but teaching-words of personal responsibility, grassroots activism, and large-scale governmental and other action that may—may—help us in this amazing, rapidly advancing Anthropocene Epoch.” —Bernd Würsig, coeditor of Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals “Nature is everywhere! We will discover awe and wonder any time we open our eyes and really look. Maddalena Bearzi shares how she rediscovered this state of amazement by focusing on the nature hidden in her urban Los Angeles neighborhood. She shows us how the insights she gained by merging her sense of curiosity and scientific know-how are available to everyone as soon as we open our senses to the natural wonders around us." —Daniel T. Blumstein, author of The Nature of Fear: Survival Lessons From the Wild "Maddalena Bearzi's important book is a wonderful reminder of just how critical it is to get outside, rewild ourselves, and enjoy the diverse and magnificent fauna and flora who await our attention and appreciation. (Re)finding nature is healing on the individual level and spreads compassion and empathy in our mixed communities of human and nonhuman beings." —Marc Bekoff, author of Rewilding Our Hearts: Building Pathways of Compassion and Coexistence "It is ironic that this thing that ‘socially distanced’ all of us from each other brings us together now, to tell the stories of how we coped, how we changed, how we adapted as the world swirled around us, how we stopped going far and started going deeper." —Carl Safina, from the foreword