A Writer's Guide to Conserving Grasslands

Trevor Herriot grew up exploring the aspen parkland and grasslands of southern Saskatchewan, deeply connected to the natural world around him. His passion for the prairies led him to become one of Canada’s most vocal proponents for the protection of grassland birds through his writing.With a recently released first novel, The Economy of Sparrows, and several award winning non-fictions books under his belt, we were keen to sit down with Trevor to learn more about what drives his grassland focused writing, and explore the threats and issues that are top of mind for many across the prairies.Help bird habitats today, simply by sipping on a cup of Birds and Beans coffee! When you purchase through this link, Birds and Beans will even donate 10% of the purchase price to Birds Canada. Thank you!  Recommended reading from this episode:The Economy of Sparrows - Trevor HerriotGrass, Sky, Song - Trevor HerriotHours and the Birds - R. D. SymonsThe Wind Birds - Peter MatthiessenThe Singing Life of Birds - Donald KroodsmaThe Spell of the Sensuous - David AbramArctic Dreams - Barry LopezBraiding Sweetgrass - Robin Wall KimmererThe Unsettling of America - Wendell BerryOr anything written by Scott Weidensaul or Aldo LeopoldIf you’ve got another book that listeners would love, please leave your recommendation in a review! Trevor Herriot is a naturalist, grassland conservationist, and the author of several award-winning books, including Grass, Sky, Song and the national bestseller River in a Dry Land, both of which were short-listed for the Governor General’s Award for Nonfiction. He is a recipient of the Kloppenburg Award for Literary Merit and the Saskatchewan Order of Merit. He and his wife Karen live in Regina, and spend much of their time on a piece of Aspen Parkland prairie east of the city. His latest work, The Economy of Sparrows is his eighth book, but first novel.Jody Allair is an avid birder and naturalist who enjoys sharing his enthusiasm for the natural world. He is the Director of Community Engagement at Birds Canada and has written numerous articles on birds, birding and connecting with nature. You can find him on Twitter and Instagram at @JodyAllair.Andrea Gress (she/her) secretly thinks Piping Plovers are better than all the other birds...studied Renewable Resource Management at the University of Saskatchewan. She pivoted towards birds, after an internship in South Africa. Upon returning, she worked with Piping Plovers in Saskatchewan, and then as the Ontario Piping Plover Coordinator. Years of sharing her love of plovers with beach goers has turned into a full time communications role with Birds Canada.  Join the Birds Canada Birdathon today! Sign up here.