Trash Animals
How We Live with Nature’s Filthy, Feral, Invasive, and Unwanted Species
Edited by Kelsi Nagy, Phillip David Johnson II
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Why are some species admired or beloved while others are despised? In Trash Animals, a diverse group of environmental writers explores the natural history of wildlife species deemed filthy, unwanted, invasive, or worthless, highlighting the vexed relationship humans have with such creatures. Each essay focuses on a so-called trash species—gulls, carp, cockroaches, magpies, among others—examining the biology and behavior of each in contrast to the assumptions widely held about them. Identifying such animals as trash tells us nothing about problematic wildlife but rather reveals more about human expectations of, and frustrations with, the natural world.
Contributor Bio
Kelsi Nagy is a graduate student of anthrozoology at Canisius College.