BOOK READINGS

PRESENTATION EXAMPLES

Wildlife Matters: Animals as Indicators of Ecosystem Health

When southern sea otters returned to parts of the Pacific coast, kelp forests rebounded because sea otters reduced populations of sea urchins that had been overgrazing the kelp. The return of a single predator transformed an entire ecosystem.

What if the opposite is also true?

What if subtle changes in animal behavior are among the first signs that an ecosystem is beginning to change? Drawing on research with river otters, sea otters, California sea lions, western gray squirrels, and other North American wildlife, behavioral ecologist Dr. Heide Island explores how scientists use animal behavior as an early indicator of ecosystem health. By learning to recognize these behavioral clues, we can detect environmental change sooner, make better conservation decisions, and become better students of nature. You’ll leave with practical, science-based ideas for applying those lessons in your own community.

The Collaborative Hive: Science, Stewardship, and Honey Bees

“I really go through your honey.”

I always appreciate hearing that, but it also reminds me how easy it is to overlook what goes into every jar. A single honey bee produces only about 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey during her entire lifetime. To produce just one pound of honey, a colony collectively visits roughly two million flowers and flies an estimated 55,000 miles, all while gathering pollen to nourish the colony members that will produce wax, rear young, and continue the work of foraging. Every spoonful represents the extraordinary collective effort of tens of thousands of bees.

In this presentation, you’ll discover how nectar is transformed into honey through repeated regurgitation, enzymatic processing, and evaporation, why bees invest so much energy producing wax comb to store every precious drop, and how the social organization of a colony makes this remarkable feat possible. We’ll also look beyond the honey jar to explore the incredible diversity of native bees that quietly pollinate our forests, gardens, and farms. Together, managed honey bees and native pollinators are essential to healthy ecosystems, yet they face growing challenges from parasites, pesticides, habitat loss, poor nutrition, and climate change. Whether you keep hives, cultivate a garden, or simply want to support wildlife, you’ll leave with a deeper appreciation for the lives of bees and practical, science-based ways to become a collaborator in pollinator conservation.

After learning how much work goes into a single jar, you won’t ask why local honey costs what it does. You’ll wonder why the bees haven’t demanded a raise.

RECENT PRESENTATIONS

Island, H.D. (February 7, 2026). River Otters, Sea Otters, and a Changing Coast – Reasons for Hope.  Presented at the Sound Waters Stewards Conference, Coupeville, Washington.

^Reed, M., ^Jensen, J. and Island, H.D. (November 9, 2024).  An Investigation of Southern Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) Play among Three Ex Situ Populations: How Play Can Support Otter Conservation, Education, and Welfare. Presented to Western Society of Naturalists, Saturday, November 9, 2024. Western Society of Naturalists Annual Meeting, Doubletree Hotel, Portland, Oregon. 

Island, H. (July 26, 2021).  Coastal River and Sea Otters of the Pacific Northwest.  Elakha Alliance, Restoring Oregon’s Sea Otters. Remote Webinar.

Island, H. (June 16, 2021). Salish Sea River Otters and Comparative Population Research.  Camano Wildlife Habitat Project. Remote Webinar.

Island, H. (March 24, 2021).  Nature as a Learning Laboratory – Seeing the Environment as an Animal Researcher.  Expanding Your Horizons. Edmonds University. Remote Webinar.

Island, H. (Feb. 6, 2021). Coastal River Otters of the Puget Sound. Sound Waters University, Remote Webinar. Whidbey Island, Washington. Supplemental Reading List Referenced in Talk 

Island, H. (Nov. 20, 2020). Marine Foraging River Otters of Whidbey Island.Whidbey Camano Land Trust.Public, Remote Webinar. Whidbey Island, Washington.  Access Video Here

PRESS COVERAGE

Natural History Magazine, June 26, 2026. Book Reviews: Romp! A journey through the natural history of otters and why they matter.

Whidbey News Times, Marina Blatt, June 5, 2026. Whidbey Scientist Chronicles the Hidden Lives of Otters.

Psychology Today, Animal Behavior. Marc Bekoff, April 29, 2026, The Fascinating Lives of Otters and Why They Matter. Psychology Today, Animal Behavior.

Forbes Magazine, August 18, 2023. Amanda Kooser, When Otters Attack: Expert Weighs in on Spate of Incidents.

Daily Montanan, August 10, 2023. Darrell Ehrlick. Recent Otter Attack in Montana (Almost) Unheard of. Otter Expert: “Attack seemed to have the perfect combination of elements.”

Skagit Valley Herald, October 26, 2019. Kimberly Cauvel. Whidbey Island takes a look at area otters.

Seattle Weekly, August 21, 2019. Julia-Grace Sanders. What can otters tell us about watershed pollution?

Whidbey Camano Land Trust Newsletter, July 31, 2019. Ron Newberry.  A Professor’s Passion: Studying Otter Behavior.

South Whidbey Record, July 5, 2019. Laura Guido. Whidbey’s elusive river otters: Professor to discuss study of the sleek creatives on July 17, 2019.  

Whidbey News Times, July 5, 2019, Laura Guido. Whidbey’s elusive river otters: Professor to discuss study of the sleek creatives on July 17, 2019.  

PODCASTS

Flight School with Jennifer Lauck (June 5, 2026). The Romp Knows Something You Don’t A conversation with scientist and author Heide Island on otters, community, and what it actually takes to get a book published. Substack.

Totally Biased Reviews, Asha Dore (July 2026). TBR with Heide Island, Romp! A Journey through the Natural History of Otters and Why They Matter. TBR