Thomas Bowen – författare

This work is a vibrant tribute to Richard Stephen Felger, who was one of the most influential scientists of the American Southwest and northwestern Mexico. Known as a desert botanist, Felger's work transcended regional boundaries, blending rigorous fieldwork with global ecological vision. This work offers an intimate and multifaceted portrait of a man whose tireless advocacy for biodiversity and biocultural conservation shaped generations of desert science.Edited by Benjamin T. Wilder, Bill Broyles, and Thomas Bowen, this book is both a celebration and a resource. The work is separated into four parts. With humor, insight, and deep empathy, Felger's own voice leads the journey in part 1, recounting his most memorable field experiences with masterful prose and sly wit. Part 2 brings together heartfelt reflections from colleagues who worked alongside Felger in the field, revealing the eccentric brilliance and relentless curiosity that defined his career. Part 3 explores his family history and the unconventional path that shaped his life's work, while part 4 presents a comprehensive bibliography of his most important publications. The book contains four maps that help take you around the world on Felger's journeys, and fifty images selected from the thousands of slides from his archive that further transport and anchor you in the adventure.Felger's own voice, paired with reflections from twenty colleagues, creates a rich, multifaceted narrative, offering readers a rare glimpse into the life of a scientific icon whose legacy continues to inspire desert researchers and conservationists across the globe.ContributorsJames AronsonThomas BowenBill BroylesAlberto BúrquezSusan Davis CarnahanMark Alan DimmittExequiel EzcurraGil GillenwaterRuss KleinmanAngelina Martínez-YrízarGregory McNameeCathy Moser MarlettGary Paul NabhanWallace J. NicholsWilliam R. NorrisHumberto Romero MoralesSue RutmanSilke SchneiderJeffrey SeminoffJane SpintiBenjamin T. Wilder

Adaptive social protection (ASP) helps build the resilience of poor and vulnerable households by supporting their capacity to prepare for, cope with, and adapt to large covariate shocks. This book outlines a framework to help guide the design and implementation of ASP.

Hot, arid, and uninhabited, the western Midriff Islands lie in the Gulf of California, surrounded by an often treacherous sea. Given these conditions, why would ancient people go there, and why would anybody go there today? Thomas Bowen addresses these questions in the first comprehensive history of these islands.Bowen draws on a wide range of sources, including the first archaeological field work ever conducted on the islands, written accounts dating back to the sixteenth century, oral histories of native people, contemporary interviews, and his own firsthand experiences. Among those cast in the islands’ historical drama are the Seri (Comcaac) people of Sonora, the extinct CochimÍs of Baja California, Spanish explorers, Jesuit missionaries, pearl fishers, egg collectors, guano miners, hydrographers, cartographers, small-scale Mexican fishermen, recreational anglers, writers, photographers, ecotourists, shipwreck victims, and, most importantly, scientists. The final chapter documents the impact of this human activity on the islands’ ecosystems and examines conservation efforts now underway. Compelling and richly illustrated, this broadly based work provides a unique picture of these extraordinary islands.