A new book by wildlife biologist Rawge Jones reveals what nature tours leave out. Finally, a nature book for adults!
Nature is often presented as tranquil sunsets, graceful animals, and postcard-worthy moments. But beneath that polished surface lives a stranger, messier, and far more fascinating reality. In Behind the Binoculars, wildlife biologist and photographer Rawge Jones invites readers into the parts of the natural world that tour guides rarely mention: the embarrassing, the gross, and the wildly unforgettable.
Jones blends science, storytelling, and striking photography to reveal nature in its rawest form. From awkward mating behaviors to unsettling survival strategies, Behind the Binoculars explores the moments that make people laugh, cringe, and reconsider what “beautiful” really means in the wild.
“Nature isn’t always polite,” says Jones. “Sometimes it’s uncomfortable. Sometimes it’s embarrassing. But it’s always fascinating.”
The book takes readers beyond the rehearsed narratives of guided tours and into raw encounters that unfold when curiosity refuses to look away. With humor, honesty, and scientific insight, Jones shares stories that rarely make it into a tour guide’s speech, yet define the authentic animal world.
Nature tours are wonderful.
With your boots in the marsh or under the oak trees, it’s one of the best ways to meet the wild animals that call those places home.
It’s easy to talk about nature’s beauty, the sunlight through a spider’s web, and the colors of a dragonfly’s wings. But nature isn’t always pretty. Sometimes it’s gross. Sometimes it’s awkward. Sometimes it’s downright embarrassing.
How do you explain that a spider has two penises? Or that female dragonflies sometimes have to play dead to escape a male that won’t take no for an answer?
This book takes you into those moments, the fun, the macabre, the uncomfortable, and the fascinating sides of the animal world that don’t always make it into the tour guide’s speech.
Meet Rawge: Wildlife Biologist, photographer, musician, author.
Rawge Jones is a certified wildlife biologist with more than 35 years of field experience managing a small refuge and studying the hundreds of species that call it home. His career has been spent with hiking boots on his feet and binoculars in his hands.
Along the way, Rawge developed a gift for wildlife photography. Known for his patience and uncanny ability to get close enough to capture rare and once-in-a-lifetime shots, his images have been featured in magazines, interpretive displays, and private collections across the country.
For additional information, author events, purchase links, or interview requests, visit rawge.com
