Being Wild

When nature regains its splendor...

Nature brings us a cloak of warmth and serenity to soothe our souls. Nothing could ever bring peace to our hearts more than the calming magnificence of the wild. Author James Harris invites you to celebrate the wonder of overlapping ecological niches within his acreage through the photographic images and narrative of Being Wild, a thirty-year story of the restoration of a totally destroyed habitat in Oregon.

All he ever wanted was to be a part of the natural world. A tour of duty in the Submarine Service etched his desire to be outdoors into his soul. After the military he tried working in the family business, but deeply desired to free himself from the intricacies of corporate life and enjoy nature.

His yearning for the outdoors led him to purchase a seventy-six acre parcel of land, which was affordable because it had been sorely abused. Through decades of hard work, this place has become a thriving and viable wildlife habitat - and home for many, many native wild species.

Harris' years of observing his environment have taught him to comprehend the many facets of the food cycle and given him the understanding needed to enhance individual habitats as he witnessed animals playing their respective roles in various over-lapping food chains.

Being Wild allows the reader to witness Harris' encounters and challenges as he narrates experiences on the creation of a sustainable wildlife sanctuary.

Learn more about animals and their needs as you get a glimpse of their world - from their perspective.

Discover the beauty this land once lost in Being Wild.

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.