Discussion Questions for Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid

An anole lizard in a wind experiment by Dr. Colin Donihue of Washington University in St. Louis. Photo Credit: Colin Donihue

This Summer, we’re reading a compelling story on climate change biology titled, Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid by Thor Hanson. This compelling book is full of interesting information on how species are responding to change. Scientists are always asking questions and the discoveries often to lead to more questions. As we read, we love to ask ourselves questions too! Below is our list of discussion questions for you to think through as you read along with us.

Come join us on Wednesday, August 17th from 3–4 pm EST for our book discussion and share your thoughts and perspectives on a few of these questions. Please register in advance for our book discussion. Feel free to also use these questions as a springboard for conversations with your friends, colleagues, or local book club.

1. What chapter or story was most interesting to you?
2. How does Hurricane Lizard function as an example of science communication? Where does it fall short or excel in its storytelling?
3. Hanson’s conclusion urges readers to do “everything you can” in response to climate change through personal choices that can add up to influence a cultural change. What do you think about this approach?
4. What other examples of climate adaptation have you observed in your work or where you live?
5. Henry David Thoreau was not a trained scientist but he was enthusiastic about nature and he meticulously wrote down what he saw at Walden Pond. Over time, his observations became valuable in charting climate change. As citizen science projects are expanding, do you think we should put more effort into training citizen scientists in observation and data collection skills to produce accurate and high quality data? Why are citizen science contributions important?

Brought to you by the USFWS Library, America’s Wild Read is a virtual book club where we aim to inspire you to connect with the outdoors and nature through literature. We hope you will read along with us as we feature various conservation books every quarter — contemporary, traditional, new, and classic.