ISLANDS OF ABANDONMENT

An exploration of the effects of abandonment in the world’s desolate places.

Investigative journalist Flyn takes readers to a fascinating variety of remote locales that humans have abandoned for various reasons, including natural disaster, war, economic collapse, and disease. As the author notes, in the early days of the current pandemic, reports began to surface of wildlife making forays into the empty urban streets, indicating how quickly nature can recover from human incursion. Flyn dives deeper, exploring the long-term effects of abandoned locations. In each location, she found similarities: “new life springing from the wreckage of the old, life all the stranger and more valuable for its resilience.” With excitement and hope, the author celebrates a “stronghold” of endangered Persian leopards that now roam the border between Iraq and Iran; points out that Estonia has gained thousands of square miles of reforestation since the fall of the Soviet Union; and notes that brown bears were recently spotted for the first time in Chernobyl following the disaster. Though enthusiastic, Flyn is not letting humans off easy for their mistakes. She offers eye-opening statistics about the irreparable damage humans have created and grim warnings if such activity continues. In addition to the ecological effects, Flyn also discusses the psychological damage abandonment has wrought on humans still in the area. Through interviews with current and former inhabitants, the author shows how their experiences have transformed the meaning of home. Some, as in Detroit, have assumed care for the derelict lots and houses in their neighborhoods. However, Flyn argues that “collective guilt” can have a negative environmental impact, explaining that humans often assume that they know what is best for damaged habitats, resulting in overtreatment. She encourages all of us to exercise restraint, as “absence of man is often all the stimulus required to restart the resurrection.”

A compelling reflection on the extraordinary healing power of nature when it is left to its own devices.