The grizzly paused in knee-deep water, staring straight at the man behind the camera. Abruptly he bolted, racing full tilt toward Thomas Bancroft, his eyes glued to the photographer’s face. The bear kept coming, closer and closer, as Bancroft snapped pictures and frantically debated what to do. Suddenly a sockeye darted out of the water, and just as quickly, the powerful animal veered away to chase the fish.

A biologist and scientific policy advisor, Bancroft planned his weeklong trip to the Katmai National Park and Preserve intending to photograph bears, but he ended up finding a great deal more. Having spent much of his professional career in Washington, DC, working to protect places like the Alaska wilderness and now struggling with a deep personal loss, when he finally walked among its salmon, bears, and caribou, emotions overwhelmed him.

Wild things are essential to human wellbeing. Whether standing in a crystal-clear river feeling dozens of sockeye salmon swim around his legs, watching gulls lurk around a feeding bear, meeting a thrush by a Lake Clark cabin, pondering conservationist Dick Proenneke’s determination, flying over spectacular volcanoes, mountains, and glaciers, or sitting beside a pilot who has lived his entire life in wild Alaska, Bancroft felt a profound awe and respect for Alaska’s wild creatures and landscape. He also found himself contemplating his own life choices, family relationships, and career. More than just a biological perspective on Alaska’s wonders, a discussion of potential environmental impacts from human actions, a personal travel account, or a collection of dynamic photographs, Beyond the Wonder is a beautiful meditation on nature—one that highlights the importance of untamed places and the role they play in crafting a better world.

Thomas Bancroft has been a lifelong birder and naturalist. Washington State University Press recently published his book Beyond the Wonder: An Ecologist’s View of Wild Alaska. The Press called his book “a beautiful meditation on nature—one that highlights the importance of untamed places and the role they play in crafting a better world.” He holds a Ph.D. in Biology and an M.A. in Zoology from the University of South Florida. His research focused on birds and their conservation. Thomas served in leadership roles for several conservation organizations, where he championed the use of scientific information in U.S. public lands policy and stewardship decisions and was often interviewed for TV, radio, and print media. He is a frequent speaker and writes regularly for the Mountaineers, Washington Ornithological Society, and Audubon chapters. His photographs have appeared in numerous books and publications, including Audubon, Birding, American Birds, and Mountaineer Magazine, as well as at the Smithsonian Natural History and the Burke Museums. Bancroft received the Mountaineers 2020 Service Award for his volunteer work.