Sudhakar Solomonraj censures himself in an initial chapter titled Fears and Tears in his 160-page just released book, Living Nature. He admits being ineffective and impatient in dealing with the irrational fears of fellow trekkers towards insects, animals and other forest beings. He was unable to identify with nyctophobia or the fear of darkness that some experience on night excursions. Also, he could not easily empathise with the trauma visitors experienced with leeches, which made them unwilling to "give another chance to the forest". Indian cities are unfortunately, way too sanitised to allow us familiarity with various life forms, putting the responsibility on nature club organisers, like himself, to counsel the uninitiated who run the risk of killing a snake or spider out of fear.

Solomonraj is the founder of the 40-year-old Wilson College Nature Club and was feted by Sanctuary Asia as Green Teacher in 2010. The man from Chennai joined the college as an undergraduate student in 1978 and has been associated with it since. In Living Nature (Notion Press, R799), whose foreword he signs off as "The Crazy Old Man", Solomonraj, 55, revisits journeys he has taken over four decades. During this time, he has been part of close to 100 camps and 250 trails. Photographs, research notes, maps and graphics that find their way to the book have been contributed by students and colleagues, who have continued to be part of the club even after leaving college.