Karsten Heuer and Leanne Allison spent 5 months being caribou as they following the porcupine caribou herd’s annual migration to the birthing grounds in ANWR. The story of the adventure of traveling with the herd is itself worth the read. However, what separates this book from other adventure narratives is the discussion and openness that Karsten shares of how being caribou for 5 months effected both him and Leanne personally. They opened themselves up to learn from the caribou and by doing so were forever changed. We have a deep connection to nature and to every creature we share this planet with. We have depended on each other for millions of years and this connection is what makes makes us human. Having the opportunity to learn from another species besides the human species is a gift that every student should have the opportunity to experience. One cannot walk away from the experience of learning from another species without a profound sense of appreciation and humility for the other creatures we share this planet with. Karsten and Leanne had the incredible gift of spending 5 months with another species and learning from them. being caribou for 5 months helped them learn what it really means being human.

“Mans heart, away from nature, becomes hard; the Lakota knew that lack of respect for growing, living things soon led to lack of respect for humans too.”
- – Luther Standing Bear