David for blog res erased
David and his dog, Reggie, reading together
David’s Book Rec: An Immense World
Written By: David Barickman
David Barickman
Part 2 of our “Staff Picks” series for National Book Blitz Month
An Immense World, by Ed Yong, is a rare book with the potential to change how you perceive the world around you, especially the natural world. This might seem like a bold claim, but I think it’s true.
Since its publication in 2022, this book has been impactful for many readers. It won multiple awards in nonfiction that year and appeared on more than 20 “Best Books of 2022” lists.
Ed Yong, the author, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist whose engaging storytelling connects key facts, educating the reader while also being entertaining. Yong’s quick pacing kept me reading as he moved from one fascinating creature to another.
The subtitle of An Immense World sums up the book nicely: “How animal senses reveal the hidden realms around us.” For me, this book pulled back a curtain on a world I was largely unaware of. Yong organizes the book into chapters that explore various senses, such as smell and taste, sound, and heat, along with categories I had never considered, like contact and flow, echoes, and electric and magnetic fields.
Yong begins the book with a topic many will find relatable—dogs! I quickly learned how differently my dogs experience the world compared to me. He provides examples of some of the feats they can accomplish with their sense of smell, such as “finding buried bones at archaeological sites…uncovering lingering oil pollution on beaches…detecting turtle nests so that the eggs can be protected.”
In fact, smell defines a dog’s world so thoroughly that dogs who are not allowed to smell regularly can develop behavioral problems. Yong cites a study that found dogs who engaged in regular nose work became more optimistic after just two weeks. This opened my eyes to the importance of allowing time and space for my dogs to sniff and smell the world around them.
For someone without a background in biology, it can be easy to view nature through an anthropocentric lens. Yong’s book helps to shift this perspective by revealing a vast world beyond human perception. The many living creatures around us each experience the world in diverse and equally vibrant ways.
While I loved the entire book, I especially enjoyed the section on echolocation, which included bats. As a nature lover from Indiana, I have always admired bats and knew they used echolocation to navigate. However, I had no idea of the extent to which this sense enriches their experience of the world.
Importantly, Yong closes the book by discussing how humans are degrading the world for creatures that rely on these different senses. He examines the impact of noise and light pollution on migrating birds, bats, and insects, and considers how we might reduce these forms of pollution to coexist more harmoniously with wildlife.
If you enjoy learning about wildlife and are curious about how animals experience the world, I wholeheartedly recommend this book.
DJ Connors
Guest Blogger
DJ Connors, a Central Indiana native and late-to-life hunter, combines a lifelong appreciation for wildlife and the outdoors with a deep passion for exploring the natural beauty of the area he has called home for most of his life. As a husband and father of three, he is committed to ensuring his children have the same opportunities to connect with nature and appreciate the outdoors in their community. DJ’s unique journey into hunting emphasizes sustainability, responsible stewardship, and the importance of preserving these experiences for future generations.
Bridget Walls
Guest Blogger
Bridget is our first ever Communications and Outreach Intern. She is a graduate of Marian University, where she combined English, studio art, and environmental sciences in her degree studies. As treasurer for Just Earth, the university's environmental club, she helped plan events encouraging a responsible relationship between people, nature, and animals.
Jordan England
Guest Blogger
Jordan England is a lifelong Shelby County resident who graduated from Waldron Jr. Sr. High School (just a few miles from Meltzer Woods!). After earning her B.S. degree in Retail Management from Purdue University, she returned to Waldron to start a family with her husband, Brian. Together they have 3 young children and enjoy sharing with them their love of the community. Jordan is the Grants and Nonprofit Relations Director at Blue River Community Foundation, managing BRCF’s grant program, providing support to local nonprofits, and promoting catalytic philanthropy in Shelby County.
Cliff Chapman
President and CEO
As CILTI’s President and CEO, Cliff keeps CILTI’s focus on good science and stewardship. He’s mindful that the natural places you love took thousands of years to evolve and could be destroyed in a single day, and that knowledge drives his dedication to their protection.
Stacy Cachules
Chief Operating Officer
Among her many key duties as Assistant Director, Stacy has the critical task of tracking our budget, making sure we channel donations for maximum efficiency. When her workday’s done, Stacy loves to spend time with her two young boys—and when not traveling, she’s likely planning the next travel adventure.
Karen Wade
Board Member
Before retiring, CILTI board member Karen Wade worked for Eli Lilly & Co. In retirement she volunteers for a number of organizations, including the Indiana Master Naturalist program, Johnson County Native Plant Partnership CISMA, Meadowstone Therapeutic Riding Center, and Leadership Johnson County.
David Barickman
Development Systems Manager
Born and raised in Central Illinois, David spent many days as a child wandering around the river, forest and lakes there. He works behind the scenes as a key member of our fundraising team. When not working, David loves to be outdoors hiking, fly fishing, kayaking or woodworking.
Jamison Hutchins
Stewardship Director
Jamison leads our stewardship team in caring for the land that is so important to you. He comes to our team after eight years as Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for the city of Indianapolis, where his work had a positive impact from both health and environmental perspectives.
Ben Miller
Land Protection Coordinator
Ben is excited to have officially joined the CILTI team, after many years of collaboration in partner organizations. He spent ten years of his environmental career with the Indiana DNR: Division of Fish & Wildlife, first as a Fisheries Biologist and most recently leading the Healthy Rivers Initiative (one of the state’s largest land protection projects).
Jen Schmits Thomas
Media Relations
An award-winning communicator and recognized leader in Central Indiana’s public relations community, Jen helps us tell our story in the media. She is the founder of JTPR, which she and her husband John Thomas own together. She is accredited in public relations (APR) from the Public Relations Society of America, and loves to camp and hike in perfect weather conditions.
Shawndra Miller
Communications Director
Shawndra’s earliest writing projects centered around the natural world, starting when a bird inspired her to write her first “book” in elementary school. Now she is in charge of sharing our story and connecting you to our work. Through our print and online materials, she hopes to inspire your participation in protecting special places for future generations.
Phillip Weldy
Stewardship Specialist
Phillip enjoys nature’s wonders from an up-close-and-personal perspective as he works to restore the natural places you love. As an AmeriCorps member in Asheville, NC, he had his first full immersion in relatively undisturbed land while reconstructing wilderness trails in National Parks and National Forests.
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