On January 12th, Earth.Org had a conversation with zoologist, filmmaker and author Jackie Higgins about her book, Sentient: What Animals Reveal about our Senses. Sentient was published in the UK July 2021, and will have its US release on February 22nd 2022. With an Oxford background in zoology and years of professional work in documentary wildlife filmmaking, Jackie Higgins hits the ground running with her debut book. Sentient explores the natural world surrounding us through the lens of the animal senses exhibited by those who we share this planet with, revealing new and unexpected things about humans’ own capabilities. Scroll to the bottom of the article for the interview, and click here for Earth.Org’s review of Sentient.
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Jackie spoke with us about several topics, including:
- What it means to be sentient.
- The unique ways animals can perceive their world.
- The symbiotic benefits humans can derive from observing and protecting the natural world.
- Why she is still excited for all that is left to be explored.
You might also like: Watch: Earth.Org In Conversation with Author Jonathan Salk
Higgins had some fascinating insights into the role of humans in a world that is so replete with wonderful and delightfully intricate creatures. Ultimately we must remember that we will always be a part of the natural world and a part of nature, despite our best efforts to extricate ourselves from it. Remembering this important fact, we need to understand how to thrive alongside the animals we share this planet with, and that means observing and understanding their experience. In the long run, this will be a mutually beneficial relationship that can help us live in synchronicity with the natural world.
You can check out the highlights of Earth.Org’s conversation with Jackie here:
You can check the full length video of Earth.Org’s conversation with Jackie here:
