About the Author

James Harris and his now sanctuary for all kinds of native wildlife have received several awards for outstanding stewardship over the last two decades, including the Outstanding Conservationist Award from the Soil Conservation Service, the Award for Outstanding Stewardship of Fish and Wildlife Resources on non-industrial Forestland from the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife and the Oregon Dept. of Forestry, the Richard H. Pough Award for Land Stewardship Excellence, Tree Farmer of the Year from the Douglas Small Woodland Owner's Association and others. Jim is not a flaming environmentalist or a tree-hugger, but instead a steadfast realist and naturalist. Rather than disrupt others by trying to convince or force them to make conscious choices that benefit wildlife, he has chosen to, by example, demonstrate what can be accomplished for wildlife with dedication and hard work on one's own land. Now that the wildlife habitat on his place has reached a very high degree of viability (the ability to sustain itself ) he spends most if not all of his free time in the woods with his Nikon cameras. He has become quite expert at quietly moving around and keeping hidden to observe native wildlife behaving naturally. City dwellers find that simply going for a walk with Jim can be an extraordinary learning experience. He's not particularly interested in social events or being cool, but quite intense about the well-being of the native wildlife that inhabit his place. "Being Wild" is all about helping others realize that it can be accomplished.