Wild, wild life
// November 26th, 2011 // Media
Somewhere between zoo gigs and History Channel appearances, Lee Hales finds his niche as a storyteller of science
By Ben Myers, Staff Writer
The natural world is full of splendor, mystery and passion, and serenity in nature is a common human experience. Why, then, do subjects involving environmental science, biology and other things ending in “ology” tend to bounce off the collective skull of the masses? Why, for those of us who aren’t scientists, is it so much easier, or preferable, to feel science than to know it? And must these spiritual and intellectual realms be so irreconcilable?
Lee Hales doesn’t think so. The Slidell resident is dedicating his life to disseminating factual scientific information. But he aims to reach people through the soul, trusting that the information will trickle up to the brain. That is, he tells stories.
“I could stand in front of people and spout ‘this is the chinchilla,’” Hales says. “But if I can show behavior and relate to them, the story is as important as the facts.”
