March 1, 2023
Wildlife technician de Gracia spent five months as a field worker gathering data on penguins on Antarctica's Livingston Island during 2016 and 2017. Working for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, she and others in the five-member crew performed work destined to end up with the international commission that set limits on the krill-fishing industry. In prose reminiscent of National Geographic articles, de Gracia reports on observing penguins, counting penguins, tagging and tracking penguins, forcing penguins to vomit so their diet can be studied (happily, she later notes that this invasive and sometimes deadly sampling protocol was no longer permitted after her season), and studying penguin eggs and chicks who, unfortunately, get eaten by other animals in fairly alarming numbers. She offers plenty of insights into her fellow scientists, each of whom copes with the close quarters, cold, and boredom in different ways. There are teases about a kiss with a Chilean researcher and mentions of her past work, adding personal flair to this quick read for penguin lovers.
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March 1, 2023
Debut author de Gracia, a wildlife technician, details the life of a field biologist in Antarctica: the training and the educational track she took to spend a season in Antarctica studying penguins, seals, and other wildlife. She doesn't glamorize the isolation, muck, penguin poo, weather, or lack of modern conveniences, such as the internet. The book also provides high-level coverage of the history of Antarctic exploration and discovery by different cultures, the formulation of the international treaties that currently govern the continent, and an overview of the current scientific studies. Along the way, the author also reveals the wonders of the natural world, the nature of science, and the nature of humans. VERDICT This is a well-written memoir of a scientific field study season. De Gracia engages and pulls the reader into the Antarctic summer, its climate, and its creatures; the penguins are, of course, completely enchanting. Recommended for all types of libraries.--Marjorie Mann
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March 15, 2023
A field scientist chronicles her experiences with penguins at the bottom of the world. For de Gracia, "the crazy joy of remote living" meant five months studying penguins "at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, just above" the Antarctic Circle. Cape Shirreff, a tiny cape at the north end of a rocky peninsula, was her home base, where she and a small crew worked out of a penguin excrement-encrusted cabin. The author brings us along on her adventures, from battling strong, bitter winds to lifting penguin feathers to count their eggs and babysitting fur seal pups. In a compelling blend of memoir, environmental writing, and scientific exploration, de Gracia shows how "Antarctica, beyond the charts and maps of climate change, is, like any other continent, a place of grief, sorrow, joy, love, and survival." While she was there, she felt a wide range of feelings and emotions, including awe, wonder, isolation, exhaustion, and boredom. The author's frank assessment of life in this remote region clearly demonstrates her love of that very remoteness, and she is urgent in her discussion of the importance of studying the marine ecosystem. Though the work is often unglamorous--e.g., pumping penguin stomachs to count the amount of krill they have eaten--it is essential to understanding the ongoing impact of climate change there. As de Gracia points out, the ice habitat in the Western Antarctic Peninsula has decreased by nearly half since 1979. Research can help us understand how species are responding to this rapid decline, but the author offers a stern warning. "For scientists drawn to polar lands, the stakes are high: you will probably be heartbroken." In this meditative narrative from the most remote of outposts, de Gracia reminds us of the interconnectedness of all life and the importance of viewing "ourselves as one species of many and our home as a living, breathing, feeling Earth." An intriguing, introspective account that shows why we "should care about penguins."
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