“I see my responsibility as being able to listen,” says scientist Katy Payne. As part of the Elephant Listening Project, Katy has listened to African Forest elephants for years. She knew that eavesdropping  could help scientists protect these important species.”

Katy Payne had listened to whales for some fifteen years . When she got back to Oregon, she was sitting in the elephant barn at the Washington Park Zoo in Portland, listening to the elephants. She wondered if these creatures communicated as whales did, using infrasound – sounds too low for humans to hear. The scientist in Katy had to know. Thus, the Elephant Listening Project was created and still works to study the calls of forest elephants. This middle school book examines the plight of the architects of the forest. It is filled with information on this key species. One third of the African rain forests come from the seeds dropped by elephants. Their daily activities help the forest flourish.  Could this information on the way they communicate help protect them, could the combination of sound and behavior help scientists decode what elephants are saying to each other? The information is still being collected today. This book of 56 pages is filled with photos supporting a clear, concise text. It also includes QR codes to allow the reader to see and hear the forest elephants.  This is a must for collections on conservation of both forests and species.

Reviewed by Kathy George, Gray Public Library, Gray