Review
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Choice-
"Emphasizing a holistic use of what is present in the landscape,
rather than what managers presume should be there, Orion (Oregon
State Univ.) delves into the somewhat controversial field of
invasive ecology, using both and animal examples in
ecosystem restoration. She thoughtfully discusses the ethics of
restoring function to ecosystems and looks at species migrations
and movements in a broader context than would most land managers
having conversations on landscape scales. She also points out
many examples in which understanding the roles and relationships
of problem species could lead to multiple solutions for ecosystem
and society. A permaculture perspective is not widely
seen in restoration science; however, Orion calls for managers
and scientists to recognize destructive patterns, especially with
changing climate, habitat shifts, and society's attitudes toward
conservation. This thought-provoking book is an interesting read
for anyone dealing with natural resources or agricultural
sciences who aspires to be an environmental steward of a
ier planet. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers,
graduate students, researchers/faculty, and
professionals/practitioners.”
Library Journal, Starred Review-
"Here is a brilliant, alternative way of dealing with nonnative,
invasive species. Oregon State University permaculturist Orion’s
emphasis is on s, and her survey of relevant literature is a
virtuoso incorporation of books, journals, electronic resources,
and personal communications, written in commendable expository
prose. In the face of overwhelming political correctness, which
dictates that invasive species should be eliminated, the author
offers ways to exploit and adapt to them in addition to extolling
the virtues some of the species exhibit. As an instructor, Orion
teaches ways to manage ecosystems with an eye to long-term
results, free of icides and destructive attempts to remove
species seen as undesirable. She pays special attention to the
behaviors of ‘primitive' societies in relation to their
surroundings. In her view, pre-Columbian America was already far
from pristine; it underwent many changes wrought by Native
Americans, especially through fire. This thoughtful,
controversial, and well-documented book is guaranteed to
infuriate many and to provoke us into rethinking our attitudes
about what is natural and best for the land. With essays such as
'The Myth of Wilderness,' the reader is challenged to confront
revolutionary ideas about our landscapes. VERDICT: Ideal for all
interested in natural history, agriculture, s, climate
change, ecology, and anthropology.”
Booklist-
"Ecosystem restoration, broadly defined as reinstating native
flora and fauna by controlling invasive species, is a noble goal.
But in the case of s, it is often achieved through the use
of harsh pesticides. This irony is not lost on botanist Orion,
who encourages fellow environmental professionals to factor
in the larger picture and “turn on the macro” to meet
desired end goals. Systematically pointing out avenues for
improvement in our approach to restoration, from consuming more
local foods to changing how we work with “pristine” nature, Orion
provides us with a practical worksheet that takes
the permaculture view, a holistic way of looking at habitat. This
slender volume might be too “textbookish” to be accessible to the
lay reader but Orion’s reminders that the very definition of
“native” is in flux (a process exacerbated by climate change) and
her eco-friendly suggestions about what to do with “unwanted”
species should be essential reading for all. Plenty of real-world
instances of invasive flora and fauna (e.g., kudzu, zebra
mussels) make the case effectively.”
“Some of our most productive and tasty s in the permaculture
landscape are vilified as invasive weeds that need controlling.
This is a mindset that also promotes a delineation between
conservation and agriculture. My personal response is to
cultivate fewer conventional annual vegetables and grow and eat
as many of these weeds as is appropriate, creating an extensive,
diverse, and resilient forage system in my own backyard. It is
time to stop putting land management into boxes and create
wildlife habitats and food in stacked systems.
"Tao Orion explains how to take advantage of the vigor of
‘invasive’ edible and useful exotics and harvest them. This is
how to bring ecosystems back into balance. This is adaptive
permaculture thinking at the broad-scale level. Chelsea Green has
produced yet another pioneering book, demonstrating how
permaculture is way ahead of conventional land-management
practices.”--Maddy Harland, editor of Permaculture magazine,
cofounder of The Sustainability Centre in the UK, and a Fellow of
the Royal Society of Arts
“An interesting and valuable contribution to the ongoing
refutation of invasive species ideology. Detailed and
wide-ranging, Orion extends and deepens several analyses of
invasionism, and offers several interesting new perspectives. She
points to holistic systems management as an alternative to the
current war on invasives. Land managers and invasionists would do
well to give it a careful read.”--D.I. Theodoropoulos, author of
Invasion Biology: Critique of a Pseudoscience
“Beyond the War on Invasive Species creates an essential pathway
for deeper care of the Earth. The holistic perspective of
invasives is shared through deep experience and thoughtfulness
and ultimately leads us to a greater and more aligned role in
restoration of our home’s ecosystems in these changing times.
This book offers a critical role in civilization’s evolution and
highlights actions that recognize deeper values that benefit our
society as a whole.”--Katrina Blair, author of The Wild Wisdom of
Weeds: 13 Essential s for Human Survival
“In her fascinating and highly readable book, Beyond the War on
Invasive Species, author Tao Orion points out the shortcomings of
our current approach toward landscape restoration and invasive
species. Rather than seeing these exotic s and animals
simply as invaders that need to be eradicated, she argues, we
should recognize the beneficial role they play in the environment
and the many essential services they could provide to human
beings. “Embracing rampancy,” as Orion exuberantly puts it, turns
the perceived problem of invasive species into practical
solutions that also allow us to make peace with both the land and
ourselves.”--Larry Korn, author of One-Straw Revolutionary: The
Philosophy and Work of Masanobu Fukuoka
“This book brings much-needed balance to the overheated debate
about so-called invasive species. Tao Orion’s meticulously
researched yet engaging work shows that the true culprits are
nearly always human-caused disturbance and development, and that
species shifts are a symptom, not a cause, of this habitat
destruction. Beyond the War on Invasive Species is an important
book that offers a path away from unsuccessful restoration
efforts―based on poor science and policy―and toward new,
ecologically sound programs for building and preserving
biodiversity.”--Toby Hemenway, author of Gaia’s Garden: A Guide
to Home-Scale Permaculture and The Permaculture City:
Regenerative Design for Urban, Suburban, and Town Resilience
“Beyond the War on Invasive Species is part of a new, much more
nuanced conversation about ‘invasive’ species that is taking
place in science, agriculture, and land management. It provides
an analysis of the new science that looks for ecosystem function
as well as harm from newly arrived species, looks at species
migration in the context of climate change, and broadens our
conversation to look at these organisms in the context of the
human ecological footprint. Orion offers land management
guidelines, based in permaculture design process, that help to
chart a new way forward in our new land of novel
ecosystems.”--Eric Toensmeier, author of Paradise Lot and
Perennial Vegetables
“Tao Orion has brought together personal experience, careful
study, and visionary thinking to turn us toward becoming useful
people of place. Her exploration widens the narrow concept of
invasion (so often repeated but seldom carefully thought through)
and elucidates the trouble of short edness. We are not
threatened by aliens, but rather we are turning our backs on the
big picture.”--Tom Ward, author of Greenward, Ho! al Home
Remedies and cofounder of Siskiyou Permaculture
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About the Author
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Tao Orion is a permaculture designer, teacher, homesteader, and
mother living in the southern Willamette Valley of Oregon. She
teaches permaculture design at Oregon State University and at
Aprovecho, a 40-acre nonprofit sustainable-living educational
organization. Tao consults on holistic farm, forest, and
restoration planning through Resilience Permaculture Design, LLC.
She holds a degree in agroecology and sustainable agriculture
from UC Santa Cruz, and her interest in restoration was piqued
when studying botany, wildcrafting, and alism at the
Columbines School of Botanical Studies in Eugene, Oregon. She has
a keen interest in integrating the disciplines of
agriculture, sustainable land-use planning, ethnobotany, and
ecosystem restoration in order to create beneficial social,
economic, and ecological outcomes. When she is not writing, she
is busy keeping up with her toddler and wrangling a diverse array
of s and animals on her 6.5-acre homestead, Viriditas Farm.
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