Ben Madilynn
Source: Patrice Schoefolt / Pexels
Every now and again, a new book comes along that can truly be a game-changer. Nature advocate, former pro-boxer, and rewilding facilitator Vanessa Chakour’s Earthly Bodies: Embracing Animal Nature is one of them. In it, she draws parallels from her own struggles “to our unease of feeling like prey; challenging the entrapment of our limiting beliefs; contextualizing the turmoil of fractured landscapes; and affirming our primal ache to belong.”
I unhesitatingly say if Earthly Bodies doesn’t change your head and heart and get you outside—to rewild yourself and to expand your self-centered mindset and remain positive—little will. Here’s what Vanessa had to say about her riveting book that explores our inner and outer landscapes through the lens of wild animals.
Why did you write Earthly Bodies?
I wrote this book for all animal bodies, including my own, who do their very best for us every day, and for misunderstood, beloved relatives like bats, coyotes, and wolves who cannot speak for themselves. I’ve always had a deep emotional bond with the Earth and other animals. Raised on books like Charlotte’s Web that portrayed animals as beings with rich inner and emotional lives, I fell in love with all species. I was fortunate to grow up in Western Massachusetts, where I spent every moment I could in the woods and imagined that, like Snow White, I could talk to woodland animals and befriend them.
But as I grew older, I became increasingly aware of harmful narratives that portray other animals as inferior or expendable. This dissonance, along with society’s aggression toward more-than-human animals and our own animal bodies, has fueled my activism, led me on a path of healing and rewilding, and inspired me to write Earthly Bodies. When we forget that we are nature, we destroy the very home that we and all other animals depend upon to survive and thrive. I hope to inspire others to rewrite harmful narratives and become stewards, not overlords, of their local ecosystems.
‘Earthly Bodies’ by Vanessa Chakour
Source: Penguin Life/Used with permission.
How does your book relate to your background and general areas of interest?
My lifelong passion for nature has always been intertwined with my interest in relationships, both human and more-than-human. I’ve spent countless hours exploring the outdoors, foraging for wild edibles, and studying herbalism. As I became more intimately acquainted with the plants and fungi growing around me, I began to see myself as an animal aware of her ecosystem. A veil was lifted, revealing the intricate web of life that connects us to all other beings.
At the Wolf Conservation Center, where I offered workshops and retreats for over eight years, I deepened my understanding of interspecies coexistence. While people came for the wolves, I discovered how plants can serve as an accessible bridge between humans and the natural world, inspiring people to fall in love with the land under their feet.
Collaborations with the Jaguar Rescue Center in Costa Rica further enriched my understanding of coexistence. Witnessing animal rescue, rehabilitation, and release inspired the framework of Earthly Bodies: enclosures, rehabilitation, soft release, and homing. These four stages represent the challenging journey many animals undertake to return to their natural habitats.
Who do you hope to reach with your interesting and important book?
I hope to reach anyone who is seeking a deeper connection with the living Earth and our wild kin. I believe that people looking to rewild and reclaim their bodies may find this book particularly resonant and relatable, especially because of the personal memoir elements I share. I want to awaken empathy in readers, inspiring them to realize the wonder of ecological interdependence and our vast, multi-species extended family.
What are some of the major topics you consider?
I explore universal human experiences of vulnerability, loss, and the search for belonging. By exploring the lives of 23 wild animals, from wolves to sea lions, I draw parallels to our own struggles and delve into themes such as the fear of being prey, the pain of fractured landscapes, the struggle to find a home, and the desire to fit in.
I also illustrate the necessity of relying on the intelligence of gut instinct, of the magnetic pull of attraction, of the body’s mandate for restorative rest, and of the sacred bonds of love. We often cut ourselves off from identifying with wild animals—like wolves, foxes, bats, bears, and other animal relatives—out of fear, ignorance, disgust, or misunderstanding, yet our earthly human bodies can lead us in our pursuits of pleasure, love, wonder, healing, and connection.
How does your book differ from others that are concerned with some of the same general topics?
By integrating memoir into each chapter, I create a chronological thread that ties the book together. I explore parallels between my own struggles and the struggles of other species, offering a personal and, hopefully, a relatable perspective on the themes I discuss. The behavior or experience of an animal may sometimes offer a framework for the memoir elements, and at other times, we seem to be living parallel lives. In essence, I am one of the animals in the book trying to escape my enclosures, rewild, and find a home.
Are you hopeful that as people learn more about animal natures they will be more open to developing and maintaining a relationship of coexistence that is a win-win for everyone?
Yes, I am hopeful. By challenging harmful narratives and listening to scientists, naturalists, Indigenous voices, and others who know that we are inseparable from nature, we can cultivate a more compassionate and regenerative future.
It is essential to move beyond the anthropocentric paradigm and recognize the intrinsic value of all living beings. While humans have become a threat to the natural world from which we evolved, the answer is not to distance ourselves from nature. We evolved by interacting with plants, fungi, and other animals, and we can be a healing force for our local ecosystems. When we distance ourselves, we lose sight of who and what we’re protecting.
By becoming students of Earth, understanding and respecting the interconnectedness of our ecosystem, and taking action today, we can create a more harmonious future for both humans and our wild kin.
