The Last Island
A Naturalist's Sojourn on Triangle Island
Will be published approx. on 17. October 2002
Book
Hardback
192 pages
978-1-55017-296-6 (ISBN)
Description
At twenty-three, Alison Watt left the comfort of a relationship and urban life to spend four months studying tufted puffins on Triangle Island, a remote bird sanctuary far off the northern tip of Vancouver Island.
She spent her summer in the company of Anne Vallée, a serious young biologist whose dedication to her field made her a formidable and inspiring mentor. Now, in the sixteen years since Watt last visited the island, Anne has died, and from the moment Watt arrives to do more research, she is flooded with memories of the summer they spent together.
Told in a gripping diary form, The Last Island blends native legends, evolutionary theory, scientific knowledge and an appreciation for the delicate balance required for creatures as small as krill and as large as fin whales to survive. Watt brings the island to life, recreating through sensual detail the sounds, smells, sights, tastes and textures of this desolate bird haven. Perhaps even more importantly, she recreates the jagged inner landscape of a young woman worn and warmed by months of seclusion.
She spent her summer in the company of Anne Vallée, a serious young biologist whose dedication to her field made her a formidable and inspiring mentor. Now, in the sixteen years since Watt last visited the island, Anne has died, and from the moment Watt arrives to do more research, she is flooded with memories of the summer they spent together.
Told in a gripping diary form, The Last Island blends native legends, evolutionary theory, scientific knowledge and an appreciation for the delicate balance required for creatures as small as krill and as large as fin whales to survive. Watt brings the island to life, recreating through sensual detail the sounds, smells, sights, tastes and textures of this desolate bird haven. Perhaps even more importantly, she recreates the jagged inner landscape of a young woman worn and warmed by months of seclusion.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
British Columbia
Canada
Product notice
Laminated cover
Illustrations
40 colour illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 249 mm
Width: 174 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
594 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-55017-296-6 (9781550172966)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
After completing a biology degree at Simon Fraser University, Alison Watt went on to study botany at the University of British Columbia. She has worked as a seabird researcher and as a naturalist in parks across BC. Her non-fiction has appeared in Canadian Wildlife Magazine; her poetry has appeared in many journals including Event, Room of One's Own and Vintage, the League of Canadian Poets annual anthology. She is also a painter who works and teaches out of her studio on Protection Island, near Nanaimo.