A Naturalist in Costa Rica: How Movement Shapes Identity

“A Naturalist in Costa Rica” picks up Alexander Skutch’s story when he went to that country in 1935, the year “The Imperative Call” ends. There his dream of establishing a permanent homestead in the unspoiled tropical forest of Central America in time became the reality of a simple farmhouse in the Valley of El General. The book records his life, work, observations and reflections during 35 years in that southern Pacific portion of Costa Rica. First published in 1971 (and long out of print), the book expresses a personal concern for spiritual and ecological balance that continues to engage us in the final decade of the 20th century. Appendices contain an annotated list, updated for this edition by the author, of more than 300 species of birds that he has identified near his home, an up-to-date bibliography of his writings, and a list of his awards and honours.