Author talks wildlife

Portland writer, musician and educator Josephine Woolington will present her book of essays "Where We Call Home: Land, Seas, and Skies of the Pacific Northwest" at Paulina Springs Books on Monday, June 19.

In her debut work, Woolington turns back the clock to review the events that have challenged Pacific Northwest wildlife, in an effort to provide a deeper sense of place.

Woolington invites readers to reconnect with the natural world through essays that blend science and prose. She sheds light on the diverse species whose populations are slowly declining from the lands, seas, and skies of the Pacific Northwest.

Through interviews with local educators, Indigenous leaders, scientists, and artists from the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, the Haida Nation, the Yakama Nation, the Makah Tribe, and beyond, readers are invited to decenter our singular perspective in favor of a more empathic, collective approach.

The flora and fauna of the Pacific Northwest are resilient. As they adapt to a world far removed from its wonders, we must realize our own interconnectedness to nature and to one another.

Woolington colors the rich history of the Pacific Northwest within the eye of its beholder so that society can learn to live intentionally in the land that sustains us all. From the coastal tailed frog to the sandhill crane, the yellow-cedar to the camas flower, these stories reimagine what it means to live mindfully in the colorful region we call home.

Josephine Woolington is a writer, musician, and educator. She lives in the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, where she was born and raised.

Her curiosity about all living things guides her creative endeavors and inspires her to understand how landscapes-and those who live in them - change over time.

Woolington presents "Where We Call Home: Land, Seas, and Skies of the Pacific Northwest" Monday, June 19, at 6:30 p.m. at Paulina Springs Books, 252 W. Hood Ave. For information call 541-549-0866, or visit http://www.paulinaspringsbooks.com.