Whispers from the Wild - Susan B. Eirich, Author

Whispers from the Wild: An Invitation

Stories from the rescued wild animals of Earthfire Institute

“Every story is a jewel, you will laugh, cry, and fall deeply in love with every animal in this beautifully written book.”

“This book is a must read for all those searching for words to describe their own emotional connection with all life…There is poignancy and beauty in every offering.”

Extraordinary stories of rescued wildlife that have reshaped our understanding of connection and compassion…

Founded in 2000, Earthfire Institute is a sanctuary for rescued wildlife native to the Yellowstone to Yukon Wildlife Corridor. Living with these wild animals over their lifetimes, founder and Executive Director Susan B. Eirich, Ph.D. vividly illuminates the incredible connection of these animals to each other and to the humans who care for them. Through inspirational storytelling, Susan shares her experiences with these animals, in play, in love, and through their passing. From a wolf who maneuvered her way into cabin-living, to a developmentally delayed bear who deeply moved all who met him, these are the stories of the animals of Earthfire–a taste of the laughter, joy and love they brought, and the insights they offered.

Experience the magic of Earthfire Institute through the eyes of the animals who transformed lives and touched hearts.

Filled with hundreds of stunning color photographs and exclusive artwork, Whispers from the Wild is an immersive experience into the world of wild animals.

Whispers from the Wild—where wild souls and human hearts connect. Get your copy today and be inspired by the voices of the wild.

eBook

Due to Amazon’s publishing schedule, the hardcover version of Whispers from the Wild is not yet available globally. However, the paperback and eBook versions are both available worldwide.

The Whispers from the Wild audiobook is now available!

Told in Susan’s own voice, this author-narrated audiobook carries an intimacy and emotional immediacy that only lived experience can convey. Her storytelling is reflective, compassionate, and deeply personal—drawing listeners into a world where the boundaries between human and wild grow softer and connection becomes undeniable. Both a celebration and a quiet call to awareness, Whispers from the Wild reminds us that we share this Earth—and that listening may be the first act of healing.

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A Note from Susan

We humans are in a time between stories, exploring a new way of relating to wildlife and nature. My wish for this book, long in the making, is to contribute to a new paradigm where we viscerally feel the truth that we are all connected. Then we and our Earth can begin to heal.

The wild ones have the ability to open us to an enchanted world of unexpected depths, delights, and mutual exchange. We just have to learn how to tune in to them. Our roots are in nature. Any aspect of nature will work, but for many of us animals are the easiest portal into the mystery and miracle of Life.

The stories in Whispers from the Wild illustrate the individuality and the many dimensions of wild animals—their playfulness, intelligence, and ecstatic joy in being alive. I hope they help you feel ever more a part of the rich web of living beings as they did for me—a magical world where, as we walk through forests and fields, we realize that everything around us is alive, resonating, in harmony with itself, us, and something vastly larger.

My hope is that these stories give you a sense of the deep companionship that is available to us when we realize who the animals actually are—vivid, intelligent fellow beings sharing our Earth.

“These stories are rememberings of what humans and the other living beings who came before us once knew, that we share this gift of Earth and life, and that we must care for each other. They are moments of realization, efforts toward listening and speaking in ways we have all inherited yet forgotten, turned away from. They are connections between hearts and minds and voices across the divisions that ‘civilization’ has imposed on our imaginations of what is real, human and animal. They are stories of loving, of being loved, and they open us to what is necessary at this crucial time.”

– Stan Rushworth

Author, Going to Water: The Journal of Beginning Rain

“Dr. Eirich writes with wisdom, wit, and compassion. Her inspiring real-life stories remind us we are all members of nature’s family and that all life is soul. I fell hopelessly in love with every creature in this magical book! I can’t wait for volume two.”

– Linda Bender, DVM

Author, Animal Wisdom: Learning from the Spiritual Lives of Animals

“The author’s love and deep delight in the many wild animals she has known and cared for infuse every morsel of her entertaining and intriguing writing. Story after story of animal adventures will keep you entranced, even as you ponder the richness of each animal’s life, personality, and uniqueness. Susan specializes in poetic descriptions of their particular ways of enjoying food, environment, friends, and the lives they cherish with each other. You will smile as you read and reflect on the interconnection of all life on Earth.”

– Dahr Jamail

Author, The End of Ice: Bearing Witness and Finding Meaning in the Path of Climate Disruption

“An astonishing glimpse into the very essence and nature of wildness and wildlife. Susan Eirich’s pioneering and penetrating observations of her intimate and direct interactions with rescued wild wolves, cougars, coyotes, grizzlies, foxes leap off the page, lifting and expanding for all time our understanding of the profound oneness of life. A sense of wonder is everywhere present, and we are in its thrall.”

– T.C. McLuhan

Author, Touch the Earth, The Way of the Earth, and Cathedrals of the Spirit

“Whispers from the Wild: An Invitation offers intriguing, entertaining insights about the unique personalities of animals, not dissimilar to our intrinsic human natures. Eirich’s academic qualifications in psychology provide a solid foundation for delving into the animal mindset, a rare glimpse into an otherwise foreign world. This book is a fascinating read written by a wise, compassionate soul and is a beautiful gift to humanity. It was a joy and an honor to edit Dr. Eirich’s unique and inspirational experiences with animals.”

– Annaliese Reid

Editor

“If we are by any measure to regain our sense of balance with the natural world, we must make real connection with the integral nature of our animal selves. This beautiful book tells the story of Earthfire, a sanctuary where connection between humans and “wild” animals can be explored, where deep, meaningful, and seemingly impossible relationships emerge. If humanity is to recover from the disastrous consequences of the Anthropocene, we will need this book’s stories to point us in an important and critically necessary direction of repair. We are invited to discover the animal world speaking to us, conveying their need for the importance of loving connection, forming bonds which bridge the human world with the natural world, reminding us of the miracle of all Life on Planet Earth.”

– Stephan David Hewitt

Publisher, Hand to Hand Books

“This is a rich and riveting read. In an increasingly impoverished landscape bereft of stories of commitment, connection and compassion with our animal kin, Susan’s journey of trials and triumphs is a true thirst-quencher for souls seeking inspiration on ways to be in service of all life.”

– Matthew Zylstra (Ph.D., Pr.Sci.Nat)

Founder, The Organization for Noetic Ecology

Whispers from the Wild: An Invitation

A Note from Susan

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