Wildlife Crossings of Hope

We all need safe places to live and safe paths to travel. Animals, too.

Meet the people who are stitching the planet’s habitats back together.

Let’s explore together how scientists, engineers, and lots of everyday people are working to make sure that the wildlife so essential to Earth’s health and beauty continues to freely move through the landscapes, waterways, and skylines of this richly inhabited planet.

Combining first-person reporting with research and stunning two-color art from illustrator Jamie Green, Wildlife Crossings of Hope takes a personal, in-depth look at wildlife crossings, corridor projects, and dam removal efforts around the world, from an underpass for elephants in Kenya to the Un-Dam the Klamath movement in the U.S. to the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, which extends from southern Mexico to Panama.

Above all, this is a book that invites young people to think of themselves and wildlife as part of one community that urgently needs restoration and protection. Back matter includes actions for kids to take, a complete listing of the scientific names of all creatures discussed, source notes, a bibliography, an index, and more.

Books for a Better Earth(TM) are designed to inspire children to become active, knowledgeable participants in caring for the planet they live on.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Teddi Lynn Chichester grew up in California’s fertile Central Valley, land of farms, tule fog, and country western music. She spent many childhood summers hanging out with banana slugs and the world’s tallest trees in Northern California’s coast redwood forests, where her father worked as a State Parks Interpreter. She teaches writing and literature at the University of California, Los Angeles, and loves spending time with her sons Alexey and Nicolai, her orange tabby Benjamin, and her horse Mischa. When she’s not grading papers or reading books about the natural world, she volunteers at the nursery where native plants for the world’s largest wildlife crossing await the bridge’s completion. Teddi lives very close to Griffith Park, and though she never met the beloved mountain lion P-22 during her frequent hikes there, she still feels his presence all around.

Jamie Green is a maker and professional curious person. They graduated in 2020 from Ringling College of Art and Design with a BFA in Illustration. In 2019, they were recognized by the Society of Illustrators as the Zankel Scholar. They are the illustrator of the Arden High graphic novel series and the picture book Mushroom Rain by Laura K Zimmermann. They live in Chicago, IL.