BOOK SCIENCE Interview with Dan Flores author of Wild New World
Dan Flores, environmental historian and award-winning author of Wild New World, Coyote America, and American Serengeti, traces 65 million years of North American natural history. He discusses the Chicxulub reset, lost megafauna and White Sands footprints, evolving ideas of extinction, the rise of conservation and the Endangered Species Act, and bold de-extinction work using CRISPR to recapture dire wolf traits.
01:09:15
Americans' Forgotten Ecological Past
- Many Americans lack an integrated sense of North America's ecological past and its losses.
- Dan Flores wrote Wild New World to put that forgotten environmental history back into public memory.
Living On The Land Shapes The Writer
- Dan Flores prefers living outside cities and built houses on acreage near towns in West Texas, Montana, and New Mexico.
- That lifestyle keeps the natural world front and center in his daily life and writing.
Environmental History Requires Cross-Discipline Synthesis
- Flores trained as an environmental historian and blends humanities with paleontology, genomics, and ecology.
- He cites Sapiens as inspiration for aiming at big-picture, public-facing deep-time narratives.
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Intro
00:00 • 3min
Why Dan Wrote Wild New World
02:53 • 3min
Place, Solitude, and the Writer's Life
05:24 • 3min
Writing Habits: Solitude vs. Distraction
08:11 • 1min
Inspiration and Scope: Environmental History
09:15 • 3min
Why Books Still Matter
11:59 • 2min
Challenges of a Deep-Time Narrative
14:07 • 4min
Starting at Chicxulub: A Reset for North America
17:38 • 2min
Voice and Tone: Fun Meets Scholarship
19:55 • 3min
Audience and Teaching Influence
22:54 • 1min
Structuring an Epic Narrative
24:03 • 3min
Human Arrival: Newest Evidence at White Sands
27:05 • 4min
Pleistocene Encounters at White Sands
30:41 • 2min
Later Arrivals: Bison and Mammoth Timelines
32:54 • 4min
The Idea of Extinction Evolved
37:03 • 6min
America's Dual Legacy: Destruction and Wilderness
43:19 • 4min
Conservation, Nixon, and the ESA
47:23 • 4min
Favorite Lost Species and De-extinction
51:02 • 7min
How Colossal Recreated Dire Wolf Traits
57:46 • 4min
Classic Nature Books That Shaped Flores
01:01:43 • 1min
Advice for Aspiring Science Writers
01:02:57 • 39sec
Podcast and New Book Projects
01:03:36 • 3min
Where to Find Dan's Work
01:06:58 • 40sec
Outro
01:07:38 • 2min
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Homestead
Building a Green Lifestyle in the Modern American Countryside
Dan Flores
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The wolves of Mount McKinley
Adolph Murie
#261
• Mentioned in 87 episodes
Silent Spring
Rachel Carson
Published in 1962, 'Silent Spring' by Rachel Carson is a seminal work in environmental science.
The book documents the harmful effects of DDT and other pesticides on the environment, including their impact on bird populations, other wildlife, and human health.
Carson argued that these substances should be called 'biocides' due to their broad impact on ecosystems.
The book was serialized in 'The New Yorker' before its full publication and generated significant public and scientific debate.
It led to a reversal in U.S.
pesticide policy, the banning of DDT for agricultural use in 1972, and the establishment of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency in 1970.
Carson's work challenged the prevailing attitudes towards scientific progress and human control over nature, advocating for responsible and careful use of pesticides and highlighting the need for environmental stewardship.
#
American Serengeti
Dan Flores
#15485
• Mentioned in 3 episodes
The Birds of America
John James Audubon
The Birds of America is a seminal work by John James Audubon, published between 1827 and 1838.
It features 435 hand-coloured, life-size prints of various bird species in North America.
The book is celebrated for its detailed and animated illustrations, depicting birds in their natural habitats.
Audubon's innovative approach included painting birds in realistic poses, often from life observations rather than stuffed specimens.
The work includes images of extinct and possibly extinct birds, as well as unidentified species.
It is regarded as one of the most spectacular series of ornithological prints ever produced and a significant achievement in the history of natural sciences and art.
#8113
• Mentioned in 6 episodes
A Sand County Almanac
And Sketches Here and There
Aldo Leopold
A Sand County Almanac is a seminal work by Aldo Leopold, comprising essays that describe the natural world around his home in Sauk County, Wisconsin.
The book is divided into three main sections: 'Sand County Almanac,' which details seasonal changes and observations; 'Sketches Here and There,' which includes personal experiences and observations from various landscapes; and 'The Upshot,' which explores philosophical issues in wildlife conservation.
Leopold introduces the concept of a 'land ethic,' emphasizing the moral responsibility to treat the land with care and respect, recognizing the intrinsic value of the environment beyond resource extraction.
The book has been highly influential in the environmental movement and continues to be widely read and studied today.
#4827
• Mentioned in 9 episodes
Coyote America
A Natural and Supernatural History
Dan Flores
In 'Coyote America,' Dan Flores provides a detailed and accessible narrative that combines historical, anthropological, folklore, and biological insights into the life and adaptation of coyotes.
The book explores how coyotes have thrived despite centuries of human attempts to eradicate them, highlighting their intelligence, social behavior, and ability to adapt to various environments.
Flores also delves into the cultural and historical contexts of coyote-human interactions, from their role in Native American mythology to their modern-day presence in urban areas.
The book advocates for coexistence with coyotes and challenges the historical and ongoing persecution of these animals.
#14
• Mentioned in 400 episodes
Sapiens
A Brief History of Humankind
Yuval Noah Harari
This book surveys the history of humankind from the Stone Age to the 21st century, focusing on Homo sapiens.
It divides human history into four major parts: the Cognitive Revolution, the Agricultural Revolution, the Unification of Humankind, and the Scientific Revolution.
Harari argues that Homo sapiens dominate the world due to their unique ability to cooperate in large numbers through beliefs in imagined realities such as gods, nations, money, and human rights.
The book also examines the impact of human activities on the global ecosystem and speculates on the future of humanity, including the potential for genetic engineering and non-organic life.
#11694
• Mentioned in 4 episodes
Wild New World
Dan Flores
#211
• Mentioned in 101 episodes
Walden
Henry David Thoreau
Published in 1854, 'Walden; Or, Life in the Woods' is a series of 18 essays that reflect Thoreau's experiences living in a small cabin near Walden Pond from July 1845 to September 1847.
The book is a personal declaration of independence, a social experiment, and a voyage of spiritual discovery.
Thoreau details his life in the woods, discussing the construction of his cabin, his daily activities, and his philosophical reflections on economy, social relations, and the importance of living in harmony with nature.
The work is considered a cornerstone of American literature and a foundational text in the Transcendentalist movement, emphasizing the benefits of a simplified lifestyle and the importance of individual freedom and self-reliance.
#21738
• Mentioned in 2 episodes
Travels
Michael Crichton
In 'Travels,' Michael Crichton recounts his diverse and compelling journeys, both physical and spiritual.
The book begins with his experiences as a medical student at Harvard, where he shares candid insights into his time and the challenges he faced.
It then transitions to his extensive travel experiences, including climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, tracking mountain gorillas in Rwanda, and exploring remote areas of Pakistan.
Crichton also delves into his interests in metaphysics, discussing topics such as meditation, psychics, and other New Age phenomena.
The book is a personal and introspective account of Crichton's quest for self-discovery and his broader exploration of the world and its mysteries.
Join host Tripp Collins for a sweeping conversation with environmental historian and author Dan Flores about his award-winning book Wild New World: The Epic Story of Animals and People in America.
In this episode, Dan takes us on a 65-million-year journey through North America's natural history—from the Chicxulub asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs to the present day. We explore the continent's lost megafauna, including woolly mammoths and dire wolves, and discuss the heartbreaking extinctions of iconic species like the Carolina parakeet and passenger pigeon.
Dan shares insights into his writing process, the challenges of weaving together paleontology, genomics, and environmental history into a compelling narrative, and why he believes books have a unique power to "rearrange the furniture in your head." We also dive into America's evolving relationship with nature—from the hubris of market capitalism and wildlife slaughter to the birth of the conservation movement and the passage of the Endangered Species Act.
Plus: Dan reveals exciting news about his involvement with Colossal Biosciences and their groundbreaking work on de-extinction, including genetically edited dire wolves, and previews his upcoming book project Homestead: Building a Green Lifestyle in the Modern American Countryside.
Topics covered:
- Deep time history and the Chicxulub impact
- Ancient human migration to North America (23,000-year-old footprints at White Sands)
- The extinction crisis and changing attitudes toward conservation
- De-extinction science and CRISPR gene editing
- The role of nature writing in American culture
- Why books matter in an age of podcasts and film
Find Dan Flores:
- Podcast: The American West
- Books: Wild New World, Coyote America, American Serengeti
- All books mentioned on Book Science
Book Science:
- Website: TrippCollins.com
- Show notes & transcripts: https://www.trippcollins.com/episodes
- Check out the Book Science Book Shop
- Instagram: @booksciencepodcast