On the Wings of the Condor tells the story of an international journey like no other. Entertaining, thought-provoking and with a behind the-scenes look, readers will embark on a roller-coaster ride of what it means today to be a ‘conservationist’ in the ever-changing global landscape. Our open space is shrinking, flora and fauna are becoming extinct and the human race is at risk. One man, Bill Toone, decided to take a quantum leap to initiate local, national and international change. He went from a 16 year old San Diego Zoo trash picker to a world-class conservation biologist traveling to well over 100 countries; working in over 30. He held the position of Curator of Birds and later, Director of Applied Conservation Programs for the Zoological Society of San Diego and was in their employ for over 35 years. Toone is the Founder of ECOLIFE Conservation and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
Over the years, Toone has traveled deep into pristine forests, completed 100 mile transects, was besieged by fever, bone-crushing muscular pain, bitten by an 8” poisonous centipede large enough to consume small lizards, birds and mammals, bathed among zebu cows in a human and animal waste-laden river, threatened daily by parasitic flies, malaria-ridden mosquitoes, suffered through a severely sprained ankle, oozing sores from rat bites, ate maggot seasoned rice, was 3 days away from any sort of basic medical care, slept on wet mattresses, experienced the best of remote hotels with algae covered walls, witnessed extensive deforestation, a major butterfly die-off in the mountains of Mexico, international smuggling of endangered species parts and much more. Who knew a biologist would serve as a key witness in a murder trial? Toone’s testimony along with his accounting of vultures’ behavior sealed the fate of such an individual’s crime.
Through Toone’s explorations, On the Wings of the Condor will present how conservation as we have known it, is in a full-blown crisis mode. His stories over a 40 year career launched by a single species conservation with the iconic California condor to the establishment of a national park in Madagscar and much more sends a strong message that we, the humans of earth must become part of the solution. The earth will survive without us.
On the Wings of the Condor ISBN: 978-1-7331301-1-0
Retail: $14.95 and Available on Amazon
For Author Interviews, Speaking Engagements, Personalized Purchases, Reviews or Excerpts:
Contact: Bill Toone – btoone@ecolifeconservation.org 760-535-6556 or
Sunni Black – sunniblack@mac.com 760-802-1586
