Christopher J Preston

Courtesy of author

Originally from England, Christopher Preston moved to the US in the 1990s for graduate school. He has lived most of those years in the West, where he enjoys the abundant wildlife and the outdoor activities permitted by the roomy landscapes. His work has appeared in The Atlantic, Smithsonian Magazine, Discover, Aeon and The BBC. His books and journal articles explore technology, wildlife, climate change, justice, and numerous other topics in environmental philosophy. His previous book, "The Synthetic Age," lamented the takeover of the natural world with technology. His new book, "Tenacious Beasts," investigates an alternative vision where threatened animals are recovering and reclaiming their place on the landscape.

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Awards: Silver Medal Winner of the 2018 Nautilus Award in the Ecology and Environment category

Encounters with the Magnificent

These writers have each encountered nature up close in all its beauty and ferocity. Today they will discuss the healing power of nature and what it can teach us about life and love.

WNPA Stage (Seats 146)
Sat, Mar 4, 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Multigenre
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area - National Parks (following presentation)  

Panelists: Sy Montgomery, Christopher Preston, Kathryn Wilder
Moderator: Melissa Sevigny

Animals Inspiring Awe

In this session, our authors Kristin Ohlson and Christopher Preston will share their incredible experiences with animal behavior ... and the science behind the things they saw. Big picture, what does it all mean?

Science City - Main Stage (Seats 195)  
Sat, Mar 4, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Science / Medicine / Technology
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area - Science City (following presentation)  

Panelists: Kristin Ohlson, Christopher Preston
Moderator: Laura Markowitz

Is There Hope?

In these unsettling times, where ever more dire climate research emerges, how can nature help save us?

WNPA Stage (Seats 146)
Sun, Mar 5, 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Multigenre
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area - National Parks (following presentation)  

Panelists: Peter Friederici, Erica Gies, Christopher Preston
Moderator: David Wegner

Books:

Tenacious Beasts

Wildlife Recoveries That Change How We Think about Animals
Nature / Environment / Outdoor Adventure
MIT Press
February 2023
ISBN 9780262047562
328 pages

Tenacious Beasts is quintessential nature writing for the Anthropocene, touching on different facets of ecological restoration from Indigenous knowledge to rewilding practices. More important, perhaps, the book offers a road map—and a measure of hope—for a future in which humans and animals can once again coexist. More/less

The Synthetic Age

Outdesigning Evolution, Resurrecting Species, and Reengineering Our World
Nature / Environment / Outdoor Adventure
MIT Press
February 2019
ISBN 9780262537094
222 pages