The following guest blog post was written by R.S. Silver, past manager of the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund.
Briony Penn’s new biography, The Real Thing-The Natural History of Ian McTaggart Cowan shows Ian, as one reviewer put it, “as a man of infinite adaptability, curiosity and commitment who used science to protect and promote the beauty of the province.”
Many of us first encountered Cowan when his influential 1956 handbook, The Mammals of British Columbia, invited us to join him in “unraveling the innermost secrets of the lives of mammals.” But, as the book clearly describes, Ian was not only a field biologist but also an educator, administrator and television pioneer who won more awards than any other Canadian scientist.
Cowan wanted his biography to be a shameless showcase for the natural history of BC. Penn has structured the book to follow his formative years as he painstakingly recorded in his journals what animals lived in the regions of the province, the Rockies and the north, before the dam builders, timber barons and oil companies silenced their calls and songs. Whether it is his early bioblitzes before the flooding of the Peace, Kootenay or Nechako Rivers, his pioneering work on predators in the Rockies or unraveling the evolution of small mammals in the coastal islands of the Great Bear, there is a story for every region.
The critical message that Cowan had was to engage people personally with that enthusiasm for the natural world and what it brings us all. This personal engagement and sharing of stories has been in danger of being lost with such a high emphasis on digital materials. Cowan was always ahead of the game and saw this coming. It was his wish to make the biography an excuse to inspire local people around British Columbia to go out and cherish the natural world around them.
“He just loved the natural world. He loved British Columbia, he loved being outside, he loved enthusing people with how beautiful it is,” said Penn. “I think every Canadian should know about him, because he’s the kind of person we can really feel proud of.”
The Real Thing is now available in bookstores and through online retailers.
For more information, please see http://cowantherealthing.com/.
Ian McTaggart Cowan was the founding Chair of the Board of HCTF in 1981 and held the position for 19 years.
His status in the conservation community gave the Foundation instant credibility and, under his leadership, the Board implemented policies and procedures to ensure both technical and financial integrity and accountability.
