On the Backs of Tortoises

Presentation by Elizabeth Hennessy about the giant tortoises of the Galápagos, a place seen as a last foothold of pristine nature. Conservationists have worked to restore this evolutionary Eden. Hennessy’s book tells the story of the island. The story of the tortoises shows how deeply human and nonhuman life are entangled. Elizabeth Hennessy is associate professor of history of science and environmental studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.