THE GOODS : ECONOTES : An Odd Couple in the Interest of Nature

A project that began as a nuts-and-bolts guide to the state’s endangered species has emerged, just in time for the 25th anniversary of Earth Day, as a stunning tribute to California’s natural world.

“Life on the Edge,” published by BioSystems Books in Santa Cruz, is educational and poetic. It combines artwork, wildlife photography, history, science, mythology, maps, essays and interviews in a 550-page volume that presents a coherent picture of California’s biodiversity and its 115 endangered species.

And it is an unusual collaboration between environmentalists and businesses. “It is intended to be an educational tool, not a position statement,” says Carl Thelander of BioSystems Analysis Inc., a private resource consulting firm that collaborated with the National Audubon Society and Southern California Edison to produce the book.

“It’s very unusual,” says Thelander. “We went beyond an encyclopedic species account. We wanted to provide a context of the landscape and history of California so people could understand what brought us to this point.”

The book is organized by sections that represent a group of organisms: mammals, birds, fishes, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. Each section is introduced by artwork with a Native American creation story, such as the Owens Valley Paiute “Creation of the Earth” and the Karok “Origin of Fire.”

The project began with Edison’s decision in 1988 to put together a manual of endangered species for internal use.

“We have crews covering a 50,000-square-mile service area, and just in everyday activities there is a lot of potential to harm nature,” says Dan Pearson, Edison senior biologist. “Edison goes to a lot of trouble to protect endangered species.” The company put together an Endangered Species Alert in a three-ring binder, and got so many requests from agencies and developers it decided to enlarge it.

Pearson thinks the finished product is splendid and so does the State Library of California, which honored the book at a March reception as “a major contribution to understanding California.” The Audubon Society will use “Life on the Edge” as the key resource for teachers taking its Endangered Species Education Program and hopes to get a copy in every public school library in the state.

Priced at $75 for hard-bound and $45 for soft-bound, the book is available in bookstores, or by calling (800) 983-5433.