Nature and the natural world: general interest Books

Book SynopsisExplore the woods with i-SPY facts, photos and fantastic spots!Beat the boredom and take time out from screens with this pocket-sized book packed with facts, photos and fantastic spots for hours of fun!Kids will have fun collecting points outdoors with more than 140 things to find. From fungi to flowers, birds to badgers, they'll learn all about nature along the way. And once they've scored 1000 points, super-spotters can claim their official i-SPY certificate and badge.With more than 30 i-SPY books to collect, there's something for everyone!For even more fun outdoors check out i-SPY At the Park (ISBN 9780008529833).Trade Review“A fun, interactive way to encourage curious children to learn about the world around them.” – Parents In touch

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLERWINNER OF THE 2017 PEN ACKERLEY PRIZEWINNER OF THE 2016 WAINWRIGHT PRIZESHORTLISTED FOR THE 2017 ONDAATJE PRIZESHORTLISTED FOR THE 2016 WELLCOME PRIZEAt the age of thirty, Amy Liptrot finds herself washed up back home on Orkney. Standing unstable on the island, she tries to come to terms with the addiction that has swallowed the last decade of her life. As she spends her mornings swimming in the bracingly cold sea, her days tracking Orkney's wildlife, and her nights searching the sky for the Merry Dancers, Amy discovers how the wild can restore life and renew hope.Trade ReviewA lyrical, brave memoir. It's Liptrot's aptitude for marrying her inner-space with wild outer-spaces that makes her such a compelling writer . . . I enjoyed this book enormously -- WILL SELF * * Guardian * *The sheer sensuality of Liptrot's prose and her steely resolve immediately put her right up there with the best of the best. Liptrot is an Orcadian warrior with the breeze in her blood and poetry in her fingers, and The Outrun may even be a future classic. Wherever she journeys next, you will want to go with her * * New Statesman * *An exhilarating memoir . . . Anyone who has ever been unhappy or unwise will find much that resonates in this powerful, beautiful writing -- CATHY RENTZENBRINK * * Stylist * *An uncompromising account of addiction and recovery played out against the blasted fields of Orkney. Liptrot's writing is strong and sure. The Outrun is a bright addition to the exploding genre of writing about place and our place in the natural world * * Observer * *Remarkable . . . a meditative interior journey which Liptrot elevates to an art * * Spectator * *An unflinching examination of trauma, addiction and the restorative power of the natural world . . . It is a wild, wind-lashed book, and you come away from reading with the taste of salt spray on your lips -- Evie Wyld * * New York Times * *Brilliant . . . one of the most scabrously honest, sassy and moving books about addiction and recovery that I have read * * Scotsman * *An astonishingly beautiful book. Amy makes most nature writing seem flat and pedestrian. Her account of her addiction and recovery is electric, sexy, immediate and raw, leaving the reader reeling in her wake . . . This is a luminous, life-affirming book, and I have no doubt that I'll be pressing it into people's hands for years to come -- OLIVIA LAINGThere is a great deal of frank, flinch-making writing in this book, but it is always balanced by a sublimity and graciousness that is rare. This is a bold-hearted and brave-minded book. It is both terribly sad and awfully affecting. I look forward to its presence on some prize lists * * Scotland on Sunday * *Clean, clear and impressive . . . a sensuous book, full of summer nights and winter water. Liptrot swims, walks, lives alone on uninhabited islands and observes. And from that comes a portrait of the natural world she is absorbed into * * Herald * *

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Book Synopsis*** THE INSTANT TOP TEN BESTSELLER *** ‘This spare but elegant account is an unexpected delight, and as soothing as a walk down a tree-dappled lane at sunset’ – Daily Mail‘Gentle and timeless, Paul is the authentic voice of the countryside. This is the story of a man at one with the land.’ – Lara Maiklem, author of Mudlarking'It is impossible not to like Lamb, or this book' – Sunday Times Paul Lamb is a hedgelayer. From the end of summer until the birds nest in the spring, he maintains the ancient boundaries of the British countryside. He lives in his wagon, as many itinerant farm workers used to, and travels the south-west corner of England, restoring an important but often forgotten part of our country.   Hedgerows are a living structure, woven into the fabric of rural life, a vital aspect of man’s partnership with nature. As traditional management techniques are lost to modernisation, hedges have declined dramatically. Paul works alone and by hand to rejuvenate these linear woodlands, saving the homes of the wildlife that rely on them and bringing many other ecological benefits.   Following the rhythm of the seasons, Of Thorn & Briar describes Paul’s life on the road and the practical aspects of his job. It is about practising a craft with skill, preserving our heritage for future generations and celebrating the glory of the landscape he’s spent his life caring for.  

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Wildlife of Madagascar is a field guide of great interest for ecotourists and curious readers... This guide will be received well by field researchers, students, and natural historians."--ChoiceTable of ContentsA brief introduction to Madagascar 8 About this book 9 Map of Madagascar showing biogeographic zones and most visited natural sites 10 Biogeographic zones of Madagascar 12 How to use this book 26 MAMMALS 30 CHEIROGALEIDAE: Mouse lemurs 32 Dwarf lemurs 34 Giant mouse and fork-marked lemurs 36 LEPILEMURIDAE: Sportive lemurs 38 LEMURIDAE: Bamboo lemurs 40 Ring-tailed Lemur 44 Northern brown lemurs 46 Widespread brown lemurs 48 Distinctive Eulemur species of the north and west 50 Ruffed lemurs 52 Woolly lemurs 54 INDRIIDAE: Western sifakas 56 Eastern sifakas 58 Local sifakas 60 Indri 62 DAUBENTONIIDAE: Aye-aye 64 EUPLERIDAE: Malagasy carnivorans 66 Fosa 68 CHIROPTERA: Bats 70 TENRECIDAE: Tenrecs 74 NESOMYIDAE: Rodents 78 CETACEA: Marine mammals 80 BIRDS 82 Ducks and grebes 84 Gamebirds 86 Herons 88 White egrets 92 Compact herons and Hamerkop 94 Larger raptors 98 Smaller raptors 100 Shy birds of the forest floor 102 Rails and jacana 104 Plovers 106 Smaller, plainer sandpipers 110 Larger, more distinctive sandpipers 112 Endemic pigeons 114 Aquatic oddities 114 Terns 116 Birds of the sea 118 Doves and pigeons 120 Endemic pigeons 122 Parrots 124 Cuckoos 126 Couas of the dry west & southwest 128 Couas of the wet east & north 130 Owls 132 Nightjars 134 Aerial feeders 136 Kingfishers and bee-eater 138 Hoopoe and roller 140 More common rainforest ground-rollers 142 Scarcer rainforest ground-rollers 144 Long-tailed Ground-roller and Cuckoo-roller 146 Asities 148 Common open-country birds 150 Widespread songbirds 152 Robin-like birds 154 Warblers that live close to the ground 156 Forest canopy warblers 160 Bernierids 162 Sunbirds and white-eye 164 Common and widespread vangas 166 Typical vangas 168 Strange vangas 170 Large vangas 172 Dark-headed vangas and cuckoo-shrike 174 Mid-sized dark birds 176 Weavers 178 REPTILES 180 Tortoises and terrapins 182 Sea turtles and crocodile 184 Tiny leaf chameleons of the north 186 Widespread medium to large leaf chameleons 188 The largest chameleons on earth 190 Common chameleons of degraded areas 192 Eastern rainforest chameleons: small 194 Eastern rainforest chameleons: medium to large 196 Chameleons of the north 200 Chameleons of the west 204 Swifts I: west and southwest 208 Swifts II: rock-dwelling swifts of the southwest 210 Plated lizards I: species without strong stripes on back 212 Plated lizards II: species with strong stripes on back 214 Skinks I 216 Widespread day geckos 220 Day geckos of the north 222 Day geckos of the west, south and centre 224 Dwarf geckos 226 Small nocturnal geckos 228 Large nocturnal geckos 230 Leaf-tailed geckos I: leaf-like and dry bark-like species 232 Leaf-tailed geckos II: mossy bark-like species 234 Malagasy boas 238 Distinctive snakes 240 Common and widespread snakes 242 Rainforest snakes 244 FROGS 246 Ridged frog and reed frogs 248 Distinctive terrestrial microhylids 250 Arboreal microhylids252 Mantellas I: species with orange 254 Mantellas II: green-and-black species 256 Small to medium bright-eyed frogs 258 Medium to large bright-eyed frogs 262 Various arboreal mantellids 266 Various terrestrial mantellids 268 Bridge frogs 270 Madagascar frogs: plain species 274 Madagascar frogs: more distinctive species 278 INVERTEBRATES Invertebrates: distinctive species 282 Butterflies: swallowtails 286 Butterflies: pierids 292 Butterflies: metalmarks and lycanids 396 Butterflies: orange nymphalids 398 Butterflies: various nymphalids (emperors, commodore and pansy) 304 Butterflies: pansies 306 Butterflies: black-and-white nymphalids 308 Butterflies: satyrs 312 Butterflies: skippers, and moths 314 PLANTS Iconic plants 316 Baobabs 320 Glossary of terms 324 Further reading and useful resources 327 Acknowledgements and photo credits 328 Index 332

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Book SynopsisFossils have been vital to our understanding of the formation of the earth and the origins of all life on it. However, their impact has not been limited to debates about geology and evolution: attempts to explain their existence has shaken religion at its very roots, and they have remained a subject of ceaseless fascination for people of all ages and backgrounds. In this delightful book, Keith Thomson provides a remarkably all-encompassing explanation of fossils as a phenomenon. How did Darwin use fossils to support his theory of evolution? What are ''living fossils''? What fossils will we leave behind for future generations to examine? Building on the scientific aspects, he places fossils in a very human context, highlighting their impact on philosophy and mythology, our concept of time, and today''s popular culture. What quickly becomes obvious is that the discovery of fossils and the ways in which they have been interpreted over time makes for fascinating reading. From the black market to the Piltdown Man, and from mythological dragons to living dinosaurs, fossils hold a permanent place in the popular imagination.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of Contents1. Introduction ; 2. A cultural phenomenon ; 3. In the popular imagination ; 4. Some things we know, some things we don't ; 5. Against the odds ; 6. Bringing fossils to life ; 7. Evolving ; 8. Of molecules and man ; 9. Fakes and fortunes ; 10. Back to the future ; Further reading

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsForeword xvii Introduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 3 Icons Used in This Book 4 Beyond the Book 4 Where to Go from Here 5 Part 1: Taking Flight with Beekeeping 7 Chapter 1: To Bee, or Not to Bee? 9 Discovering the Benefits of Beekeeping 10 Harvesting liquid gold: Honey 11 Bees as pollinators: Their vital role to our food supply 11 Being part of the bigger picture: Save the bees! 13 Getting an education: And passing it on! 13 Improving your health: Bee therapies and stress relief 15 Determining Your Beekeeping Potential 16 Environmental considerations 16 Zoning and legal restrictions 16 Costs and equipment 17 Time and commitment 18 Beekeeper personality traits 18 Allergies 19 Deciding Which Beekeeping Approach to Follow 19 Medicated beekeeping 20 Natural beekeeping 20 Organic beekeeping 21 Combining approaches 21 Chapter 2: Getting to Know Your Honey Bees 23 Basic Body Parts 24 Skeleton 24 Head 25 Thorax 26 Abdomen 27 The Amazing Language of Bees 27 Pheromones 27 Shall we dance? 28 Getting to Know the Male and the Two Female Castes 29 Her majesty, the queen 29 The industrious little worker bee 32 House bees 33 Field bees 36 The woeful drone 37 The Honey Bee Life Cycle 39 Egg 39 Larva 41 Pupa 42 Other Stinging Insects 43 Bumblebee 44 Carpenter bee 44 Mason bee 45 Wasp 45 Yellow jacket 46 Bald-faced hornet 47 Part 2: Starting Your Adventure 49 Chapter 3: Alleviating Apprehensions and Making Decisions 51 Overcoming Sting Phobia 52 Knowing what to do if you’re stung 53 Watching for allergic reactions 54 Building up a tolerance 54 Understanding Local Laws and Ordinances 55 Easing the Minds of Family and Neighbors 55 Location, Location, Location: Where to Keep Your Hives 57 Knowing what makes a perfect bee yard 57 Urban considerations 59 Understanding the correlation between geographical area and honey flavors 64 Knowing When to Start Your Adventure 64 Chapter 4: Selecting a Hive That’s Perfect for You 67 The Langstroth Hive 68 The Kenyan Top Bar Hive 70 The Apimaye Insulated Hive 73 The Flow Hive 75 The Warré (People’s) Hive 78 The Five-Frame Nuc Hive 81 The Observation Hive 83 Make a Beeline to the Best Beehive 86 Hives for harvesting honey 87 Hives for pollinating your garden 87 A hive for learning and teaching 88 Chapter 5: Basic Equipment for Beekeepers 91 Starting Out with the Langstroth Hive 92 Knowing the Basic Woodenware Parts of the Langstroth Hive 92 Hive stand 93 Bottom board 93 Entrance reducer 95 Deep-hive body 96 Queen excluder 97 Shallow or medium honey super 98 Frames 100 Foundation 103 Inner cover 106 Outer cover 106 Knowing the Basic Parts of a Top Bar Hive 108 The top bar 108 Everything else 109 Ordering Hive Parts 110 Startup hive kits 110 Setting up shop 111 Adding on Feeders 112 Hive-top feeder 112 Entrance feeder 114 Pail feeder 115 Baggie feeder 116 Frame feeder 117 Top Bar hive feeders 118 Fundamental Tools 118 Smoker 119 Hive tool and frame lifter 119 Bee-Proof Clothing 120 Veils 120 Gloves 122 Really Helpful Accessories 123 Elevated hive stand 123 Frame rest 125 Bee brush 125 Slatted rack 126 Screened bottom board 126 Beekeeper’s toolbox 128 Chapter 6: Obtaining and Installing Your Bees 131 Determining the Kind of Bee You Want 132 Deciding How to Obtain Your Initial Bee Colony 135 Ordering package bees 135 Buying a “nuc” colony 136 Purchasing an established colony 138 Capturing a wild swarm of bees 138 Picking a Reputable Bee Supplier 139 Deciding When to Place Your Order 141 The Day Your Girls Arrive 142 Bringing home your bees 142 Recipe for sugar syrup 143 Putting Your Bees into the Hive 144 Hiving steps for Langstroth type hives and Steps 1–7 for Top Bar hives 144 Hiving Steps 8–14 for Top Bar hives 150 Watching your bees come and go from their new home 151 Part 3: Time for a Peek 153 Chapter 7: Opening Your Hive 155 Establishing Visiting Hours 156 Setting an Inspection Schedule 156 Preparing to Visit Your Langstroth or Top Bar Hive 157 Making “non-scents” a part of personal hygiene 157 Getting dressed up and ready to go 158 Lighting Your Smoker 159 Opening a Langstroth Hive 161 Removing the hive-top feeder 164 Removing the inner cover 165 Opening a Top Bar Hive 166 The Hive’s Open! Now What? 168 Chapter 8: What to Expect When You’re Inspecting 169 Keeping a Journal 170 Inspecting a Langstroth Hive 171 Removing the first frame of your Langstroth hive 171 Working your way through the Langstroth hive 173 Holding up frames for inspection 174 Knowing when it’s time for more smoke 175 Replacing Langstroth frames 175 Closing the Langstroth hive 176 Inspecting a Top Bar Hive 177 Working your way through the Top Bar hive 177 Top Bar comb management 179 Looking into Top Bar cells 180 Replacing the top bars and closing the hive 181 Understanding What to Always Look For 181 Checking for your queen 181 Storing food; raising brood 182 Inspecting the brood pattern 182 Recognizing foodstuffs 183 Your New Colony’s First Eight Weeks 183 Checking in: A week after hiving your bees 183 The second and third weeks 186 Weeks four through eight 188 Chapter 9: Different Seasons, Different Activities 193 Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer 194 Your summer to-do list 195 Your summertime commitment 195 Falling Leaves Point to Autumn Chores 196 Your autumn to-do list 196 Your autumn time commitment 200 Clustering in a Winter Wonderland 201 Your winter to-do list 202 Your wintertime commitment 203 Spring is in the Air (Starting Your Second Season) 203 Your spring to-do list 204 Your springtime commitment 205 Administering spring medication 205 Reversing hive bodies 207 Managing Top Bar Hives in the Spring 208 Finding the cluster 208 Preventing the urge to swarm 209 Expanding the brood nest 209 The Beekeeper’s Calendar 210 Part 4: Common Problems and Simple Solutions 213 Chapter 10: Anticipating and Preventing Potential Problems 215 Running Away (to Join the Circus?) 216 Swarming 216 Absconding 227 Where Did the Queen Go? 227 Letting nature take its course 228 Ordering a replacement queen 228 Introducing a new queen to the hive 229 Avoiding Chilled Brood 230 Dealing with the Dreaded Robbing Frenzies 231 Knowing the difference between normal and abnormal (robbing) behavior 231 Putting a stop to a robbing attack 232 Preventing robbing in the first place 232 Ridding Your Hive of the Laying Worker Phenomenon 234 How to know if you have laying workers 234 Getting rid of laying workers 235 Preventing Pesticide Poisoning 237 The “Killer Bee” Phenomenon 237 What are “killer bees”? 238 Bee prepared! 239 Chapter 11: Colony Collapse Disorder 241 What is CCD? 242 What to Do If You Suspect CCD 243 Why All the Fuss? 243 What’s Causing CCD? 244 The cellphone theory 244 It may be the perfect storm 244 Answers to FAQs 248 What You Can Do to Help 248 Chapter 12: Keeping Your Bees Healthy 251 Understanding the Importance of Good Nutrition 252 What bees eat 252 The need for good gut health 253 Taking steps to ensure good nutrition 253 Medicating or Not? 254 Knowing the Big-Six Bee Diseases 254 American foulbrood (AFB) 255 European foulbrood (EFB) 256 Chalkbrood 257 Sacbrood 258 Stonebrood 258 Nosema 259 A handy chart 260 Chapter 13: Heading Off Honey-Bee Pests 263 Parasitic Problems 263 Varroa mites 264 Tracheal mites 271 Zombie (Phonid) flies 276 Other Unwelcome Pests 276 Wax moths 277 Small hive beetle 278 Ants, ants, and more ants 279 Bear alert! 280 Raccoons and skunks 281 Keeping out Mrs Mouse 282 Some birds have a taste for bees 283 Pest Control at a Glance 283 Chapter 14: Raising Your Own Queens 285 Why Raising Queens is the Bee’s Knees 286 Understanding Genetics 287 Dominant and recessive genes 287 Inbreeding versus outcrossing 288 Accentuate the positive 289 What Makes a Queen a Queen 291 Talking about the Birds and Bees for Honey Bees 292 Creating Demand: Making a Queenless Nuc 293 Queen-Rearing Method 1: Go with the Flow 294 If the queen cells are capped 294 If the queen cells are open 294 Mind the timeline 295 Queen-Rearing Method 2: The Miller Method 296 Queen-Rearing Method 3: The Doolittle Method, also Known as Grafting 298 Tools and equipment 298 How it’s done 301 Providing nuptial housing 303 Finding Homes for Your Queens 304 Evaluating the Results 305 The Queen Rearer’s Calendar 306 Marking Your Queens 307 Part 5: Sweet Rewards 309 Chapter 15: Honey, I Love You 311 Appreciating the History of Honey 311 Understanding the Composition of Honey 313 Healing with Honey 314 Honey and diabetes 314 Honey’s nutritional value 315 Honey and children 315 Choosing Extracted, Comb, Chunk, or Whipped Honey 315 Extracted honey 316 Comb honey 317 Chunk honey 317 Whipped honey 317 Honeydew honey 318 Taking the Terror out of Terroir 318 Customizing your honey 319 Honey from around the world 320 The Commercialization of Honey 324 Is it the real deal? 324 Raw versus regular honey 325 Organic or not? 325 Your own honey is the best 325 Appreciating the Culinary Side of Honey 326 The nose knows 326 Practice makes perfect 327 Recognizing defects in honey 328 Pairing Honey with Food 328 Infusing Honey with Flavors 329 Judging Honey 329 Honey Trivia 330 Chapter 16: Getting Ready for the Golden Harvest 333 Having Realistic Expectations 334 What Flavor Do You Want? 334 Assembling the Right Equipment to Extract Honey 335 Honey extractors 335 Uncapping knife 336 Honey strainer 336 Other handy gadgets for extracting honey 337 Honey containers 340 Planning Your Extracted Honey Harvest Setup 340 Gathering Comb Honey Equipment 342 Section comb cartridges 342 Cut comb 342 Branding and Selling Your Honey 342 Creating an attractive label 343 Finding places to market your honey 346 Selling your honey on the web 346 Chapter 17: Honey Harvest Day 347 Knowing When to Harvest 348 Bad things come to those who wait! 349 A few pointers to keep in mind when harvesting liquid gold 350 Getting the Bees out of the Honey Supers 351 Shakin’ ’em out 352 Blowin’ ’em out 353 Using a bee escape board 353 Fume board and bee repellent 354 Honey Extraction from a Langstroth Frame 356 Harvesting honey using an extractor 357 Cleaning frames after extracting 359 Harvesting Honey from Your Top Bar Hive 360 Selecting the comb to harvest 360 Getting the bees off Top Bar comb 362 Harvesting using the crush-and-strain method 362 Harvesting honey using a honey press 363 Harvesting cut-comb honey 365 Harvesting Wax 365 Part 6: The Part of Tens 367 Chapter 18: More than Ten Fun Things to Do with Bees 369 Making Two Langstroth Hives from One 369 Making One Langstroth Hive from Two 371 Dividing a Top Bar Hive into Two Colonies 373 Combining Two Top Bar Hive Colonies 375 Building an Elevated Hive Stand 376 Building materials list 377 Cut list 377 Planting Flowers for Your Bees 378 Asters (aster/callistephus) 379 Bachelor’s buttons (Centaurea) 380 Bee balm (Monarda) 380 Hyssop (Agastache) 380 Malva (Malvaceae) 381 Mint (Mentha) 381 Nasturtium (Tropaeolum minus) 381 Poppy (Papaver/Eschscholzia) 381 Salvia (Salvia/farinacea-strata/ splendens/officinalis) 382 Sunflowers (Helianthus/Tithonia) 382 Brewing Mead: The Nectar of the Gods 382 Create Cool Stuff with Propolis 385 Propolis tincture 386 Propolis ointment 386 Propolis varnish 387 Making Gifts from Beeswax 387 Beeswax candles 388 Beeswax furniture polish 389 Beauty and the Bees 389 Use your cappings 390 Equipment 390 The recipes 391 Packaging and labeling 396 Chapter 19: More than Ten Frequently Asked Questions about Bee Behavior 397 Chapter 20: My Ten Favorite Honey Recipes 403 Honey Curry Vegetable Dip 405 Golden Cornbread 406 Honey Picante Chicken Wings 407 Apricot Honey Bread 408 Asian Honey-Tea Grilled Prawns 409 Broiled Scallops with Honey-Lime Marinade 410 A Honey of a Chili 411 Beef and Potato Tzimmes 412 Chewy Honey Oatmeal Cookies 413 Apple Honey Tart 414 Part 7: Appendixes 415 Appendix A: Helpful Resources 417 Honey Bee Information Websites 417 Apiservices — Virtual beekeeping gallery 417 The Barefoot Beekeeper 418 Beemaster Forum 418 Bee-Source.com 418 Facebook — Top Bar Beekeeping 418 Honey Bee Health Coalition 418 Mid-Atlantic Apiculture Research and Extension Consortium (MAARAC) 419 National Honey Board 419 Bee Organizations and Conferences 419 The American Apitherapy Society Inc 420 American Beekeeping Federation 420 American Honey Producers 420 Apiary Inspectors of America 420 Apimondia: International Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations 421 Eastern Apiculture Society 421 Heartland Apicultural Society Inc 422 International Bee Research Association 422 USDA Agricultural Research Service 422 The Western Apiculture Society 423 Bee Journals and Magazines 423 American Bee Journal 423 Bee Culture 424 Bee World 425 Beekeeping Supplies and Equipment 425 Apimaye Insulated Hives 425 Barnyard Bees 426 Bastin Bees 426 Bee-commerce.com 427 BeeInventive 427 Bee Vital 428 Betterbee 428 Blue Sky Bee Supply 428 Dadant & Sons, Inc 429 Glorybee Inc 429 Healthy Bee 430 Hive Butler 430 Hive Tracks 430 Hungry Bear Farms 431 Kelley Beekeeping 431 Mann Lake 431 Miller Bee Supply 432 Oliverez 432 Pierco 433 Pigeon Mountain Trading Company 433 Rossman Apiaries 433 Sacramento Beekeeping Supplies 434 Swienty Beekeeping Equipment (EU) 434 Thorne Beekeeping Supply (UK) 435 Western Bee Supplies 435 State Bee Inspectors (United States) 436 Appendix B: Beekeeper’s Checklist 437 Appendix C: Glossary 441 Index 449

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Book Synopsis_______________WINNER OF THE INDIE BOOK AWARD FOR NON-FICTIONTHE TOP 2 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERA BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEKAN OBSERVER BOOK OF THE YEAR_______________Mudlark (/mAdla;k/) noun A person who scavenges for usable debris in the mud of a river or harbourLara Maiklem has scoured the banks of the Thames for over fifteen years, in pursuit of the objects that the river unearths: from Neolithic flints to Roman hair pins, medieval buckles to Tudor buttons, Georgian clay pipes to Victorian toys. These objects tell her about London and its lost ways of life.Moving from the river's tidal origins in the west of the city to the point where it meets the sea in the east, Mudlarking is a search for urban solitude and history on the River Thames, which Lara calls the longest archaeological site in England.As she has discovered, it is often the tiniest objects that tell the greatest storTrade ReviewThis is a quirky and delightful read, wonderfully evocative of London’s gloopy, ghost-haunted river * Daily Mail *A treasure. One of the best books I’ve read in years -- Tracy BormanReveals to us the fascinating and poignant micro-world of London's history -- Hallie RubenholdEnchanting. It made even a capsized cynic like me feel more sentimental about the Thames. In fact, I am quite tempted to join Maiklem on the riverbed looking for treasure * Sunday Times *Mudlarks are river scavengers, but Lara Maiklem is more like a time traveller. Her prose has none of the self-conscious sensibility that defines contemporary nature writing; her thoughtful sentences read as though she were talking to herself. There is a great deal to learn from these pages, not least the insight that finding lost things is the best way of losing yourself. It is, above all, her wisdom that makes Lara Maiklem such restful company * Guardian *Maiklem persists, in this weirdly engaging book, in seeking out a curious beauty. Maiklem’s description of the fog is worthy of Dickens or Joseph Conrad. Maiklem pungently evokes the broken bridges, slippery river stairs, causeways, jetties and boatyards. No one has looked at these odd corners since Sherlock Holmes * Sunday Telegraph *Maiklem’s storytelling shines. Her imagined histories for her special finds read like waterborne fairy stories, a hard kernel of truth clothed in mythical finery. Reading it, I felt like I was down on the foreshore myself, sifting through the pages for titbits * Daily Telegraph *A lovely, lyrical, gently meandering book, filled with fascinating diversions and detail * Literary Review *Maiklem's enthusiasm is infectious, and her reimagining of the lives of those who parted with these items is an illuminated joy * i *Whoever buys it is blessed. I love the fact that [Maiklem] makes herself the centre of this huge, timeless, endless story that reaches from the distant past and flows past all our consciousnesses out to a place far beyond the reach of the estuary. Lara is such a natural writer; every page just tingles with her imagination. It is a love letter to life itself -- Ian MortimerMaiklem has an infectious love of linking the present with the past. It is historic detail like this that makes Mudlarking much more than just a lengthy list of discarded bric-a-brac. Lara is a romantic, motivated primarily by the human stories behind the objects. Curiosity may kill the cat, but it is the making of many an author. And Lara has it in spades * Daily Mail *Maiklem augments the Thamesian tally, summoning old Londoners out of silty suspension from a discarded Victoria Cross or a pot-lid. There are other mudlarking books, but this one offers engaging insight into an amphibian ambience of strongly marked characters, semi-secret exploits and outlandish theories. Maiklem is not alone in resorting to the river for salvation as much as salvage * Spectator *A beautifully written memoir of one woman’s relationship with the sacred Thames and the ghosts of its past. Lara Maiklem’s book on mudlarking is as deep and as rich as the Thames and its treasures. Fascinating -- Stanley TucciA hybrid of personal memoir, London history and literary cabinet of curiosities * Telegraph *Maiklem’s knowledge and skill are evident and unarguable. [She] leaves the door open for the rest of us: with a bit of luck and patience you too, she suggests, could spot something interesting on the foreshore, ask around, take it to a museum and end up owning a little bit of history. What a thrill -- Caught by the River[An] enthralling and evocative history of London and its people -- Book of the Month * Bookseller *

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Book SynopsisIn the summer of 1869, John Muir set out from California's Central Valley with a flock of sheep and trekked into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. His journals describe the summer he spent in what would become Yosemite National Park. Celebrating the Sierra's lizards and mountain lions, tall trees and waterfalls, fierce thunderstorms and bears, Muir raises an awareness of nature to a spiritual dimension.John Muir is internationally acknowledged as one of the founding fathers of modern conservation and his vision, passion and integrity continue to inspire readers today - particularly in this, his best-loved book.Trade ReviewMuir's prose is a miracle of immediacy. His books are illuminated by sunshine and starlight. The cold mineral air of the mountains and the resiny reek of coniferous forests lift bracingly off his pages. No other writer is so ceaselessly astonished by the natural world as Muir, or communicates that astonishment more urgently. Muir lived "in an infinite storm of beauty", and his readers live in it with him -- Robert MacfarlaneAn inspirational figure for modern environmentalism . . . his enthusiasm and heart-felt love of nature is immensely impressive. Thankfully the wilderness blooms again in Muir's evocative prose * * Guardian * *Brilliant description is the currency of My First Summer in the Sierra . . . Religious awe and powerful terrestrial awareness mark [Muir's] prose in what is essentially a song to nature's marvels and to our humanness of being * * Scotsman * *The richness of Muir's writing roots deeper into the terrain than any other wilderness writer known to me * * Los Angeles Times * *Muir was a geologist, an explorer, philosopher, artist, author, and editor, and to each of his avocations he devoted that deep insight and conscientious devotion which made him its master * * New York Times * *The great mountain man . . . [John Muir] remains a towering presence in American cultural life, and is internationally acknowledged as one of the founding fathers of modern conservation -- Mark Cocker, author of Crow CountryAs more and more of us grow aghast at what we have done to the world we started with, Muir's reverence and devotion will seem keenly germane, and our regret may be transmuted into a fight for the future -- Edward Hoagland

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Book Synopsis'Often poetic ... highly-researched and thought-provoking' New Scientist'Gently and thoughtfully enquiring' The SpectatorCan you remember the first time you encountered true darkness? The kind that remains as black and inky whether your eyes are open or closed? Where you can't see your hand in front of your face?Jacqueline Yallop can. It was in an unfamiliar bedroom while holidaying in Yorkshire as a child, and ever since then she has been fascinated by the dark, by our efforts to capture or avoid it, by the meanings we give to it and the way our brains process it. Taking a journey into the dark secrets of place, body and mind, she documents a series of night-time walks, exploring both the physical realities of darkness and the psychological dark that helps shape our sense of self. Exploring our enduring love-hate relationship with states of darkness, she considers how we attempt to understand and contain the dark, and, as she comes to terms with her father's deteriorating Alzheimer's, she reflects on how our relationship with the dark can change with time and circumstance.Darkness captivates, baffles and appals us. It's a shifty thing of many textures and many moods. It can be an absence and a presence, a solace and a threat, a beginning and an end. Into the Dark is the story of the many darks that fascinate and assail us. It faces the darkness in all its guises and mysteries, celebrating it as a thing of beauty while peering into the void.Trade ReviewIn what might seem a literally dark time in a metaphorically dark year, Yallop's book makes a welcome companion, gently and thoughtfully enquiring. * The Spectator *Often poetic ... highly-researched and thought-provoking. * New Scientist *A beautiful read, scholarly yet personal, full of ideas and yet intensely sensuous and tangible. -- George Szirtes

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Book SynopsisUn diario de viaje sobre las marismas del sur: Doñana y el Odiel. Entre Mar y Tierra es un proyecto artístico sobre Doñana realizado a lo largo de los años 2008 y 2009. Durante cuatro estancias en el interior de la Reserva Biólogica de Doñana, el Parque Natural y las Marismas del Odiel, en periodos invernales y primaverales, el autor, biólogo y pintor, ha realizado más de 60 acuarelas, dibujos y otras obras tomadas del natural o realizadas en estudio a partir de apuntes del natural.Las obras reflejan los distintos ambientes de los ecosistemas litorales, desde las playas, hasta las zonas más boscosas de tierra firme, representando una amplia diversidad de especias animales y paisajes.

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Book SynopsisAn honest, radical and moving account of life off the grid. It was 11pm when I checked my email for the last time and turned off my phone for what I hoped would be forever. No running water, no car, no electricity or any of the things it powers: the internet, phone, washing machine, radio or light bulb. Just a wooden cabin, on a smallholding, by the edge of a stand of spruce. In this upfront and lyrical account of a remarkable life without modern technology, Mark Boyle explores the hard won joys of building a home with his bare hands, learning to make fire, collecting water from the spring, foraging and fishing. What he finds is an elemental life, one governed by the rhythms of the sun and seasons, where life and death dance in a primal landscape of blood, wood, muck, water, and fire – much the same life we have lived for most of our time on earth. Revisiting it brings a deep insight into what it means to be human at a time when the boundaries between man and machine are blurring. *** ‘Boyle's memoir of his first year off-grid is fascinating… A poetic meditation on the almost-mystical benefits of falling in sync with nature.’ —New Statesman ‘A warts-and-all look at an extreme way of life, but one that, by the end of this engrossing book, makes the world around it seem dysfunctional.’ —Irish Independent, BOOK OF THE YEAR 2019 ‘A beautiful and thought-provoking story that will inspire you to live differently. Mark asks the most fundamental questions then sets out to live the answers.’ Lily Cole, model and activistTrade Review‘Boyle is fascinating, often touching and funny, on the little fixes that a no-technology life requires, but he’s better when he digs into the deeper question of who we are.’ -- The Herald‘A warts-and-all look at an extreme way of life, but one that, by the end of this engrossing book, makes the world around it seem dysfunctional’ * Irish Independent, BOOK OF THE YEAR 2019 *‘[An] honest and lyrical account of a remarkable life without technology’ -- Carlow People‘Boyle's memoir of his first year off-grid is fascinating… A poetic meditation on the almost-mystical benefits of falling in sync with nature.’ * New Statesman *‘[A] reflective, lyrical account… This genuine, warm-hearted analysis of the dysfunctions of our current world offers a surprisingly alluring alternative to our current malaise – if only we dared adopt it.’ * Manchán Magan, Irish Times *‘Don't buy my books: buy this instead, while there's still time for you to change. This one matters. Boyle is the real thing: vital, angry, and kind. And real things are terribly rare. You might think his ideas are dangerous, but in fact they represent the only possible safety.’ -- Charles Foster, author of Being a Beast‘A beautiful and thought-provoking story that will inspire you to live differently. Mark asks the most fundamental questions then sets out to live the answers.’ -- Lily Cole‘A revealing, humorous and deeply endearing witness statement on behalf of lovely, dirty reality.’ -- Jay Griffiths, author of Wild: An Elemental Journey‘Illustrates beautifully that giving up many of the things in life that we treat as indispensable may actually be less of a sacrifice than a liberation.’ -- Neil Ansell, author of Deep Country'A frank account of life in rural Ireland and a way of life that has been forgotten.' * Irish Sunday Times *'Eloquent, engaging account of life off the grid.' * The Simple Things *‘The Way Home paints a picture not only of how broken our culture has become, but of how to begin building a new one. It demands to be read – and then lived by.’ -- Paul Kingsnorth, author of The Wake and Confessions of a Recovering Environmentalist‘This memoir about living off the grid and tech-free in County Galway will inspire, connect and slow down the most impatient of readers, and that is a very good thing.’ * Shelf Awareness *‘Boyle knows few people can live like he does, but positive change seems inevitable if one follows his advice to resist material trappings, revolt against industrial ecological damage, and re-wild landscapes. Boyle’s anti-technology stance upsets many, making this a must-read.’ * Booklist *‘In a world more connected than ever before we have never been so disconnected. By shaking off technologies of modern man and stepping back in time, Boyle shows the hardships and beauty of living with the seasons. A thought-provoking read which encourages the reader to appreciate many of the things we take for granted and question the way we live in the modern world.’ -- Megan Hine, author of Mind of a Survivor‘The book is an intimate description of his struggles to go back to basics and draws the reader into the sinews of the experience… This book is not a polemic, nor is it a rant against the modern age and its technologies; rather it is an account of a life that is lived to the beat of a more ancient drum. It is a delight as it draws you into the author’s life, to its rhythms, its challenges and its rewards. After I had finished reading The Way Home I was lonesome for Boyle’s world; a sure sign of a great read.’ * Irish Independent *‘Beautifully written (with a pencil as opposed to a computer), The Way Home is a paean to a life largely forgotten by the majority of humanity, an existence which appears more wholesome, fulfilling and rewarding as Mark builds his cabin, brews his wine and lives off the land.’ * Fermanagh Telegraph *

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Book Synopsis*SHORTLISTED FOR THE WESTMINSTER BOOK AWARDS AND THE UNWIN AWARD**LONGLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE**A WATERSTONES AND GUARDIAN BEST BOOK OF 2024*''Both dynamite and medicine'' AMY-JANE BEER''Timely and rousing'' THE TIMES________________________________The lie of the land: that Britain's landowners care for the countryside.Our landowning elite are paid billions of taxpayer pounds to be good stewards. But these same landowners have carelessly trampled over our best-loved landscapes, leaving the rivers polluted, fenlands drained, and moorlands burned.Guy Shrubsole has travelled across Britain to expose the lie and meet the communities fighting back to restore our lost landscapes. This is a bold, shared vision for our nation's wild places, and how we can treat them with the awe and care they deserve.*Guy Shrubsole''s The Lost Rainforests of Britain was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 2023-04-30*

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Book Synopsis'An ode to the ocean, and the generations of women drawn to the waves or left waiting on the shore' Guardian In Salt On Your Tongue, Charlotte Runcie explores what the sea means to us, and particularly what it has meant to women through the ages. In mesmerising prose, she explores how the sea has inspired, fascinated and terrified us, and how she herself fell in love with the deep blue.This book is a walk on the beach with Turner, with Shakespeare, with the Romantic Poets and shanty-singers. It's an ode to our oceans - to the sailors who brave their treacherous waters, to the women who lost their loved ones to the waves, to the creatures that dwell in their depths, to beachcombers, swimmers, seabirds and mermaids. Navigating through ancient Greek myths, poetry, shipwrecks and Scottish folktales, Salt On Your Tongue is about how the wild untameable waves can help us understand what it means to be human.Trade ReviewThis motherhood memoir-cum-nature journal about the connection between women and the sea is bracing and poetic . . . Throughout, her prose is defined by cool confidence and unshowy clarity, allowing its more poetic observations, of which there are plenty, to glimmer like glass pebbles . . . Just like her favourite kind of blustery beach, it's strewn with pocketable treasures * * Observer * *Women and water are the subjects of Charlotte Runcie's seductive history . . . Intoxicating . . . Runcie is a fine guiding star: wise, curious, sensitive to language and landscape . . . At its best her writing hauntingly captures the whispered wave and wash of the sea * * The Times * *An ode to the ocean, and the generations of women drawn to the waves or left waiting on the shore . . . A wide, eclectic cast of characters wash in and out on the tide of her poetic prose * * Guardian * *A seductive, estuarine merging of personal memoir and scholarly reportage . . . Runcie has a beachcomber's mind and a poet's turn of phrase * * Daily Telegraph * *A very beautiful book about myth and motherhood - a memoir that intertwines effortlessly and poetically with tales of the sea. Salt On Your Tongue has a rare magic to it -- SOPHIE MACKINTOSH, Booker-longlisted author of THE WATER CURERuncie has combined an exploration of Scotland's seascape with the story of her pregnancy and the birth of her daughter . . . Breathless, intimate . . . Very much in the vein of bestsellers The Outrun by Amy Liptrot and H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald * * Mail on Sunday * *A wise and wonderful book, charting intensely personal moments against the constant yet ever-changing sea. A story of birth, loss, memory and motherhood, spliced with vivid observations of the natural world and collected myth, lore and legend, Charlotte Runcie's voice is by turns practical and poetic, objective and beguiling. An utterly immersive read -- JESS KIDD, author of HIMSELF and THE HOARDERAn intensely personal paean to the sea. Runcie interweaves her experience of an unplanned first pregnancy with her attraction to the seashore and the stories of women who traditionally waited for ships to come home -- Ruth Scurr * * Spectator, Books of the Year * *A lyrical exploration of the complex relationship between women, the sea and their own reproductive biology . . . Her description of childbirth - in all its visceral, growling, bloody intensity - is astonishingly powerful . . . . Beguiling * * Herald * *An expectant mother's diary is also a treasure trove of lore and legend and a moving tribute to the grandmother who inspired a lifelong love of beachcombing . . . A lyrical, impassioned and curious book . . . Elegantly done -- Stuart Kelly * * Scotland on Sunday * *

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Book SynopsisIn our quest to find a place for quiet reflection these simple but beautifully curated books on the wonders of the natural world provides a place for rest, contemplation and reflection. This book features a selection of quotes, extracts and poetry on the folklore, wisdom and customs of walking.

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Book SynopsisIn ''The Voyage of the Beagle'' Charles Darwin chronicles the landmark expedition which would forever alter the course of scientific thought. First published in 1839, The Voyage of HMS Beagle remains a foundational text in the fields of biology, geology, and anthropology, inspiring subsequent generations of scientists and scholars.And his descriptions of the diverse flora, fauna, and geological formations he encountered laid the groundwork for his revolutionary theory of evolution by natural selection.This facsimile edition has been reproduced from a copy of the generously illustrated 1891 edition held by the Library of the Natural History Museum, which includes Darwin? s preface to 1845 second edition.Darwin? s account is structured as a detailed travelogue, cataloguing his observations, discoveries, and reflections during his travels, which encompass South America, the Galá pagos Islands, Australia, and beyond.

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Book SynopsisContaining 146 color photos, this book looks at the mammals and reptiles most likely to be encountered in the world-famous Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater. It includes 89 species of mammal and reptile.Trade Review"The book is uniquely peppered with anecdotes and tips from six local safari guides working in the region. This human touch is a nice feature, and it's likely you'll come across one of the 'Big 6' on safari in the region... Animals of the Serengeti is an accessible and attractive photographic field guide, appropriate for the wildlife enthusiast who is looking for more than simply not going on safari empty handed."--Derek Kverno, Birding in Tanzania "Essential book if you are heading for the Serengeti... Excellent."--Derek Moore, Derek Bird Brain "Animals of the Serengeti: And Ngorongoro Conservation Area by Adam Scott Kennedy and Vicki Kennedy is an easy-to-use guidebook that is also very readable... The book is lightweight with each page filled with pictures and brief scientific explanations for each animal. Still, what I find most intriguing about the book, which I also think you will also enjoy, is the incorporation of short first-hand stories told by local guides... A great read."--Gabriel Thoumi, MongaBay.com "It's an indispensible companion for anyone thinking of making a visit to the region, to enhance your overall experience of the wildlife to be found there and inform you about the characteristics and behaviors that you will observe."--Wild Travel Magazine "A colorful, easy-to-read overview of the fascinating animals to be found on safari in Tanzania."--Library Journal "Filled with vivid anecdotes, Animals of the Serengeti will enable any safari traveler to identify the area's wildlife with ease."--BASE "Animals of the Serengeti is an accessible and attractive photographic field guide, appropriate for the wildlife enthusiast who is looking for more than simply not going on safari empty handed."--Birding Tanzania Blog "Animals of the Serengeti is an accessible and attractive photographic field guide, appropriate for the wildlife enthusiast who is looking for more than simply not going on safari empty handed."--Birding Tanzania Blog "These two guides are keys to prepare you for your journey, whether it is an actual safari or an imaginary one from the comfort of your home."--Dan R. Kunkle, Wildlife ActivistTable of ContentsAbout this book 7 About the guides 10 Geography of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) 12 The great migrations 14 Map of the 'Greater Serengeti area' 16 Where to watch wildlife in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) 20 MAMMALS Lion Panthera leo 24 Leopard Panthera pardus 28 Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus 32 Serval Leptailurus serval 36 Caracal Caracal caracal 37 Wild Cat Felis sylvestris 38 African Civet Civettictis civetta 39 Small-spotted Genet Genetta genetta 40 Large-spotted Genet Genetta tigrina 40 Spotted Hyena Crocuta crocuta 42 Aardwolf Proteles cristata 44 Striped Hyena Hyena hyaena 45 Dwarf Mongoose Helogale parvula 46 Banded Mongoose Mungos mungo 47 Slender Mongoose Herpestes sanguineus 48 Ichneumon Mongoose Herpestes ichneumon 49 Marsh Mongoose Atilax paludinosus 50 White-tailed Mongoose Ichneumia albicauda 51 Zorilla Ictonyx striatus 52 Honey Badger Mellivora capensis 53 Black-backed Jackal Canis mesomelas 54 Side-striped Jackal Canis adustus 55 Golden Jackal Canis aureus 56 Bat-eared Fox Otocyon megalotis 58 Wild Dog Lycaon pictus 59 Pangolin Smutsia temminckii 60 Aardvark Orycteropus afer 61 African Elephant Loxodonta africana 62 Black Rhinoceros Diceros bicornis 67 Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius 68 Cape Buffalo Syncerus caffer 70 Bushpig Potamochoerus larvatus 73 Warthog Phacochoerus africanus 74 Plains Zebra Equus quagga 76 Maasai Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis 80 Eland Tragelaphus oryx 84 Roan Hippotragus equinus 86 Bush Duiker Sylvicapra grimmia 87 Steinbuck Raphicerus campestris 88 Oribi Ourebia ourebi 89 Kirk's Dik-dik Madoqua kirkii 90 Klipspringer Oreotragus oreotragus 91 Mountain Reedbuck Redunca fulvorufula 92 Bohor Reedbuck Redunca redunca 93 Bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus 94 Defassa Waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus 95 Impala Aepyceros melampus 96 Grant's Gazelle Nanger granti 98 Thomson's Gazelle Eudorcas thomsonii 100 Coke's Hartebeest Alcelaphus buselaphus 102 Topi Damaliscus lunatus 103 White-bearded Wildebeest Connochaetes taurinus 104 Cape Hare Lepus capensis 108 Scrub Hare Lepus saxatilis 108 Springhare Pedetes capensis 109 Unstriped Ground Squirrel Xerus rutilus 110 Grass Rat Arvicanthis niloticus 111 White-bellied Hedgehog Atelerix albiventris 112 Crested Porcupine Hystrix cristata 113 Rock Hyrax Procavia capensis 114 Southern Tree Hyrax Dendrohyrax arboreus 115 Bush Hyrax Heterohyrax brucei 115 Greater Galago Otolemur crassicaudatus 116 Lesser Galago Galago senegalensis 117 Guereza Colobus Colobus guereza 118 Patas Monkey Erythrocebus patas 120 Blue Monkey Cercopithecus mitis 122 Vervet Monkey Chlorocebus pygerythrus 124 Olive Baboon Papio anubis 126 Rufous Sengi Elephantulus rufescens 128 REPTILES Nile Crocodile Crocodylus niloticus 130 Savanna Monitor Varanus albigularis 132 Nile Monitor Varanus niloticus 132 Leopard Tortoise Geochelone pardalis 134 Helmeted Terrapin Pelomedusa subrufa 135 Flap-necked Chameleon Chamaeleo dilepis 136 Striped Skink Mabuya striata 136 Tropical House Gecko Hemidactylus mabouia 138 Cape Dwarf Gecko Lygodactylus capensis 139 Mwanza Flat-headed Agama Agama mwanzae 140 Red-headed Rock Agama Agama agama 140 Blue-headed Tree Agama Acanthocercus atricollis 141 Black-necked Spitting Cobra Naja nigricollis 142 Black Mamba Dendroaspis polylepis 143 Spotted Bush Snake Philothamnus semivariegatus 144 Velvety-green Night Adder Causus resimus 144 Puff Adder Bitis arietans 145 African Rock Python Python natalensis 146 Further reading and useful resources 148 Acknowledgements 149 Photographic credits 149 Index 150

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Book SynopsisMichael Symmons Roberts (Author) Michael Symmons Roberts was born in Preston, Lancashire in 1963. He has published eight collections of poetry and received a number of accolades including the Forward Prize, the Costa Poetry Award and the Whitbread Poetry Prize. His Selected Poems was published in 2016. As a librettist, his work has been performed in concert halls and opera houses around the world, and he is an award-winning broadcaster and dramatist. He is Professor of Poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, his Quartet for the End of Time: On Music, Grief and Birdsong was published in 2025.Paul Farley (Author) Paul Farley is the author of four collections of poetry and has won the Forward Prize for Best First Collection, the Whitbread Poetry Award and the E.M. Forster Award. He broadcasts regularly on radio and presents The Echo Chamber on Radio 4. Edgelands, co-written with Michael Symmons Roberts, received the Royal Society of Literature's Jerwood Award and the 2011 Foyles Best Book of Ideas Award and was serialised as Radio 4 Book of the Week.Trade ReviewThis book is a delight: witty and wryly contrarian -- Robert MacFarlane * Guardian *A masterpiece of its kind... Even more uplifting is the chapter on weather - truly one of the most extraordinary passages of prose I have read in some time... This is, quite simply, beautiful, but it is also typical of a beautifully conceived work of exploration, by two emissaries to the wilderness who do the wasteland proud -- John Burnside * The Times *Marvellously quirky, fascinatingly detailed and beautifully written * Daily Telegraph *The edgelands, where the veneer of civilisation peels away, are the most despised and ignored of landscapes. Ambition turns to dust in the sewage farm and landfill site. But Farley and Roberts's mischievous and elegant forays into these marginal wastes, show that dust turns back to life in them - into riotous ecologies, agitprop architecture and the wonderful business of playing. A provocative, left-field read -- Richard MabeyHaunting, often inspiring book...Edgelands covers an impressive range of politics, reminiscence, investigation and rumination * Scotland on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisLatin names frequently unpronounceable, all too often wrong and always a tiny puzzle to unravel have been annoying the layman since they first became formalised as scientific terms in the eighteenth century. Why on earth has the entirely land-loving Eastern Mole been named Scalopus aquaticus, or the Oxford Ragwort been called Senecio squalidus dirty old man'? What were naturalists thinking when they called a beetle Agra katewinsletae, a genus of fish Batman, and a Trilobite Han solo? Why is zoology replete with names such as Chloris chloris chloris (the greenfinch), and Gorilla gorilla gorilla (a species of, well gorilla)?The Naming of the Shrew will unveil these mysteries, exploring the history, celebrating their poetic nature and revealing how naturalists sometimes get things so terribly wrong. With wonderfully witty style and captivating narrative, this book will make you see Latin names in a whole new light.Trade ReviewWho would have thought that a book about Latin names could be quite so compelling!! * Alan Titchmarsh *Brims with verbal curiosities * Nature *Nature writing at its best: insightful, entertaining and often very funny * British Wildlife *I have not fully recovered from the discovery that the proper Latin name of the western lowland gorilla is Gorilla gorilla gorilla * Independent on Sunday *Weird and wonderful * Sunday Telegraph *Charming * The Lady *The pleasure of Wright’s book is the contrast between the rigour required for giving names and the careless minds and mischievous humour of those who devise them * The Times *Fascinating and funny * BBC Countrylife *Erudite but whimsical ... a book as charming as it is wise * Irish Examiner *A great read * Grow Your Own *

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Book Synopsis___ A year of looking, listening and noticing across four unique seasons and thirty-five beautifully illustrated poems. 'Dazzling, moving... A book that will touch many, and be given often: here, take this, you must read this.' ROBERT MACFARLANE 'So vivid... A call out to our elemental relationship with love and nature. Beautiful.' WILLEM DAFOE ___ The world changed in 2020. Gradually at first, then quickly and irreversibly, the patterns by which we once lived altered completely. The Heeding paints a picture of a year caught in the grip of history, yet filled with revelatory perspectives close at hand: a sparrowhawk hunting in a back street; the moon over a town with a loved-one's hand held tight; butterflies massing in a high-summer yard - the everyday wonders and memories that shape a life and help us recall our own. Across four seasons and thirty-five luminous poems and illustrations, Rob Cowen and Nick Hayes lead us on a journey that takes its markers and signs from nature and a world filled with fear and pain but beauty and wonder too. Collecting birds, animals, trees and people together, The Heeding is a profound meditation to a time no-one will forget. At its heart, this is a book that helps us look again, to heed: to be attentive to this world we share and this history we're living through, to be aware of how valuable and fragile we are, to grieve what's lost and to hope for a better and brighter tomorrow. ____ 'The Heeding speaks to us all, guiding us through the emotional journey the nation has gone through during the past year, with humour, pathos and forensically sharp portrayals of people and nature at a time like no other.' Stephen Moss, author of The Robin 'Poignant and exquisite' Lucy Jones, author of Losing Eden 'Vivid, beating, aching. The Heeding feels like both a eulogy and a defiant, wild challenge to go on. I loved it.' Josie George, author of A Still Life 'It is rare to find a writer that is able to tease apart the threads that make up the fragile fabric of our loves, hopes and despairs with such care and humility. An exceptionally good book for an exceptionally bad time.' Matt Gaw, author of Under the Stars

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Book Synopsis'A brilliant book [that] shows a way out of the destructive trap of Anthropocentric arrogance.' Vandana Shiva, from the Foreword 'Read this book if you would like to understand the intelligence of living systems.' Dr Denis Noble, University of Oxford ‘A welcoming yet fiercely challenging and provocative read shining a light on the way we look at the science of life.’ LoveReading What is life? This is arguably the fundamental question in all of science, and yet many scientists believe that life can be reduced to mechanistic factors, such as genes and information codes. But in a world as rich and complex as this one, can such an assertion really be true? Biocivilisations is a thrillingly original look at the mystery of life and a recognition of the complex civilisations of bacteria, viruses, fungi, plants and animals that have preceded the human world by billions of years. Dr Predrag Slijepčević, senior lecturer in the Department of Life Sciences at Brunel University, reconsiders the limited scope and timeframe of our current ‘scientific revolution’ and shares how – from the tiniest bacteria to the largest mammals – the living world has long fostered ancient biocivilisations: how ants practice agriculture, how insects perform surgery, how trees conduct research, how slime moulds build networks as complex as our modern transportations systems and more. More than 99.99 percent of life on Earth has existed without humanity and life will continue without humans long into the future. Biocivilisations challenges us to reconsider the limited scope and time-window of our current ‘scientific revolution’ and to fundamentally reimagine what we call ‘life on Earth’ by posing a powerful question: Are we really the intelligent masters over nature we think we are? Trade Review'A prodigious synthesis and a great, ambitious and informative book dovetailing multiple fields in its effort – largely successful I think – to light a match – and then blow on the fires of the coming "Copernican biological revolution."' Dorion Sagan'Read this book if you would like to understand the intelligence of living systems. Civilisation did not just start with Homo sapiens. Life cannot be reduced to pure mechanism.' Dr Denis Noble, Emeritus Professor of Cardiovascular Physiology, University of Oxford; Fellow of the Royal Society; 2022 Lomonosov Grand Gold Medal laureate'In Biocivilisations, Predrag Slijepčević tells stories about animals that create art, insects that do battlefield surgery, trees that perform scientific research, bacteria that create intelligent networks, and whole ecosystems that are organized with an efficiency that surpasses any human supply chain. Maybe you thought humans were the crown of creation. Maybe we humans have to learn humility and respect for the biosphere that birthed us. Maybe our future depends on it.' Josh Mitteldorf, PhD, coauthor of Cracking the Aging Code'Predrag Slijepčević’s Biocivilisations: A New Look at the Science of Life offers a powerful and welcome synthesis of what we ought by now to be happy to call Gaian science. It brings together crucial developments in biological systems thinking – such as symbiogenesis, epigenetics, biosemiotics, Gaia theory and autopoiesis – under a comprehensive vision founded on the cosmological longevity and cognitive acumen of the bacterial microcosm and its planetary offspring: multicellular life in all of its forms and alliances. Biocivilisations vigorously dismantles modern strains of scientific and cultural anthropocentrism and their current avatars peddling the futurist delusions of Singularity buffs and AI transhumanists. Slijepčević’s presentation of these crucial and heady matters is properly technical but consistently readable and deeply documented. His approach to science participates in a poetic spirit he perceives everywhere in a terrestrial biosphere that has risen for over four billion years to collective, eventually cross-kingdom consortia such as the ‘Wood Wide Web’ revealed by the new forest ecology. The environmental constructions of such biocivilisations long precede the human elaboration of its own technosphere. I highly recommend Slijepčević’s Biocivilisations for those who would like to get effectively up to speed on the most cogent contemporary challenges to the physicalist-mechanistic technoscientific mainstream.' Bruce Clarke, Paul Whitfield Horn Distinguished Professor of Literature and Science, Texas Tech University, Baruch S. Blumberg NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology‘Biocivilizations is an unusually thought-provoking and ambitious book. It challenges the reader to abandon several centuries of assumptions about how to describe the living world in purely physical and mechanistic terms, a world governed by an evolutionary process that places human beings at the apex.’ Dr. James A. Shapiro, author of Evolution: A View from the 21st Century'Sentience, cognition and intelligence are emerging as inherent faculties of all life which has evolved on the Earth. Most of these living systems are much older than humanity and obviously are well integrated to support life. In Biocivilisations, Predrag Slijepčević makes clear that the sentient life is essential for the habitability of our planet and that humans should step down from the so-called crown of evolution model in order to appreciate our true position within the complex network of life. Only then will our civilization improve its rather doomed prospects for survival.' Dr František Baluška, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Bonn"Constructed with care, [Slijepčević's] arguments integrate hundreds of examples from the natural world . . . The prose is solid, impassioned, and informed. . . . [and] by defying entrenched and arrogant assumptions about human superiority, the book shows that people have much to learn from creatures like ants and bacteria." Foreword Reviews"Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, and as fascinating as it is informative, thoughtful, and thought-provoking, "Biocivilisations: A New Look at the Science of Life" will have a very special appeal and relevance to readers with an interest in bacteriology, microbiology, evolution, nature and ecology." Midwest Book Review

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Book SynopsisBy the bestselling author of Storyland.Sheer cliffs, salt spray, explosive sea spume, thunderous clouds, icy waves, whales with mountains on their backs, sleet, bitter winds, bleak, impenetrable marshes, howling wolves, forests, the unceasing cries of birds and the death grip of subterranean vaults that have never seen the sun: these are wild landscapes of a world almost familiar.In Wild, Amy Jeffs journeys - on foot and through medieval texts - from landscapes of desolation to hope, offering the reader an insight into a world at once distant and profoundly close to home. The seven chapters, entitled Earth, Ocean, Forest, Beast, Fen, Catastrophe, Paradise, open with fiction and close with reflection. They blend reflections of travels through fen, forest and cave, with retelling of medieval texts that offer rich depictions of the natural world. From the Old English elegies to the englynion and immrama of the Celtic world - stories that largely represent figures whose voices are not generally heard in the corpus of medieval literature: women, outcasts, animals.Illustrated with original wood engravings, evoking an atmospheric world of whales, wolves, caves, cuckoos and reeds, Wild: Tales From Early Medieval Britain will leave readers feeling 'westendream': delight in the wilderness.Trade ReviewA beautiful retelling of British myths and exquisitely illustrated too. -- James Holland on Storyland, Daily Express (Book of the Year)This gorgeous book should live on the bookshelves in every house that cares about "the idea of Britain, what is was and where it came from." -- The Times (On Storyland)Marries words and images to create a special echo of this country's rich past. * The Times *Jeffs is the narrator, providing a reading that is suffused with portent and otherworldliness. Listeners gain a series of folk songs, written and performed by Jeffs, each of which adds a thrilling new dimension to these ancient fables. * Guardian (Audiobook of the Week) *Across seven themed chapters the Storyland author presents an inspiring excavation of the British countryside through diverse medieval texts. * Waterstones (The Best History Books of 2022) *Jeffs teases out nuance, divining moral and metaphorical meaning from each story, and questions ways that this living history of Britain impacts upon our present-day understanding of landscape. The writing throughout is celebratory and evocative. * Art Quarterly *Jeffs has a gift for breathing new life into ancient stories through her lyrical writing, deep research and evocative woodcuts. She connects our mythic history to the landscape with delicacy and humour. Reading Wild feels like being led by the hand through a gnarled, old growth forest, along empty shoreflats, and along the edge of windswept cliffs - and shown how to experience them through medieval eyes. It's a jewel of a book. -- Natalie Lawrence - co-author of Planta Sapiens: Unmasking Plant IntelligenceImmersive . . . Her stories are arranged across seven chapters - Earth, Ocean, Forest, Beast, Fen, Catastrophe and Paradise. Jeffs, a medieval scholar with her own wild streak, introduces each in confident, forceful tones. She also sings six of her songs, accompanied by early musical instruments. Lucy Paterson, who has one of those warm, low,rich voices that can hold you mesmerised, tells the tales. * The Times (Audiobook of the Week) *An extraordinarily multidimensional work, moving seamlessly from creative retellings of the stories to explanations of the texts and where they came from, underpinned all the time by sound academic understanding. Those reading the print version can marvel at the extraordinary black-and-white wood cuttings that break up the chapters, while those enjoying the audiobook version can listen to music inspired by the same tales. * Countryfile Magazine (Best nature and wildlife books for 2023) *This beautiful book . . . takes the reader back into the medieval mind, exploring ancient myths and poems rooted deep in the British landscape. * Wiltshire Life *

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Book SynopsisWhether you live in a city or in the countryside, a world of amazing, diverse wild food is at your doorstep. Not only is wild food free and sustainable; it is also jam-packed with nutrients and flavour beyond anything you will find in a supermarket. In Free For All, award-winning author and forager Mo Wilde explains how to identify the plants, seaweeds, nuts and spices that are safe (and delicious) to eat, including foraging staples like wild garlic and lesser-known herbs like the fragrant sweet cicely. Organised into plant families, it gives you the tools to develop a deeper understanding of a plant’s visual cues and their place in the ecosystem. Once you have identified the plants, Wilde also describes ways you can eat them, whether that’s making jams from wild berries or gluten-free flour from roots and nuts. The possibilities go on. You can deep-fry hogweed tempura; top your dishes with cow parsley; create a wild

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Book SynopsisLearn about horses and ponies with i-SPY facts, photos and fantastic spots!Beat the boredom and take time out from screens with this pocket-sized book packed with facts, photos and fantastic spots for hours of fun!Kids will have fun collecting points with more than 120 things to find. From Shetland ponies to Shires, tack and equipment to grooming, they'll learn all about the different breeds along the way. And once they've scored 1000 points, super-spotters can claim their official i-SPY certificate and badge.With more than 30 i-SPY books to collect, there's something for everyone!For even more fun check out i-SPY Dogs (ISBN 9780008431778).Trade Review“A fun, interactive way to encourage curious children to learn about the world around them.” – Parents In touch

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Book SynopsisThe perfect stocking filler gift for children!Entertain kids and the whole family this Christmas with this pocket-sized book packed with facts, photos and fantastic spots for hours of festive fun!Kids will have fun collecting points with more than 140 things to find. From decorations to food, Santa's helpers to winter wildlife, they'll learn all about the traditions and celebrations of Christmas. And once they've scored 1000 points, super-spotters can claim their official i-SPY certificate and badge.With more than 50 i-SPY books to collect, there's something for everyone!For even more fun this season check out i-SPY Winter (ISBN 9780008468248).Trade Review“A fun, interactive way to encourage curious children to learn about the world around them.” – Parents In touch

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Book SynopsisVolume Two of Gerald Durrell's beloved account of his childhood in Corfu, now in Penguin Modern Classics for the first time''A lot of frolic, fun and charming ribaldry, as well as the warm feeling of having been transported to a lovely spot where worry is unknown and anything is believable'' - The New York TimesAnother tiger-golden day lay ahead of us. It was as though England had never really existed'The Durrell clan's escapades on their Greek island home resume with the second volume of the Corfu Trilogy. Budding zoologist Gerald continues to explore the natural wonders around him, enjoying a night fishing trip, receiving a donkey as a birthday present and accidentally bringing a bear home for tea. Here too are more stories of the eccentric creatures he calls his family, including Margo's ill-advised foray into spiritualism and what becomes known as Mother's Great Romance'. Ending as the Second World War is declared, Birds, Beasts and Relatives is an enchanting return to a magical place.

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Book SynopsisThe follow up to My Family and Other Animals and the second book in The Corfu Trilogy, the beloved books that inspired ITV''s television series The Durrells.In this second collection of tales concerning the Durrell family on the island of Corfu, young Gerry continues to be captivated by the fascinating flora and fauna of their adopted home - much to the bemusement and upset of his long suffering siblings and mother.Whether it''s lamp fishing by night or roving the countryside with his mentor Theodore, Gerry encounters intoxicated hedgehogs, tarantulas, dung beetles, water spiders and other animals, some of which become the family''s very unwanted pets.''A wild and amusing chronicle'' Daily Express''This book, an evocation of a budding naturalist''s life as a boy on Corfu, will delight many readers, even those who can''t stand spiders...'' Evening Standard''Delightful, charming, funny''Trade ReviewDelightful, charming, funny * The Times *A wild and amusing chronicle * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisWinter is a withdrawal: quiet and dark and cold. But in the dim light frost shimmers, stars twinkle and hearths blaze as we come together to keep out the chill. In spite of the season, life persists: visiting birds fill our skies, familiar creatures find clever ways to survive, and the world reveals winter riches to those willing to venture outdoors.In prose and poetry spanning seven hundred years, Winter delights in the brisk pleasures and enduring beauty of the year's turning. Featuring new writing from Patrick Barkham, Satish Kumar and Anita Sethi, extracts from the work of Robert Macfarlane, James Joyce and Kathleen Jamie, and a range of exciting new voices from across the UK, this invigorating collection evokes the joys and the consolations of this magical time of year.Trade Review"A carefully selected compilation of undeniably gripping extracts and specially commissioned pieces ... the final book in a fantastic series designed to celebrate the seasons"-LandLove magazine; "Be inspired on a winter walk by writers who adore the frosty season" - Country Walking magazine; "Compelling reading ... what is original about this collection is not just the diversity of relatively unknown talent on show, but the quality of the work" - Tom Mooney, Wexford Echo; "To open its covers is to open onto a landscape which you have not yet crossed and to feel yourself beckoned in. It might be an intellectual landscape - littered with strange formations of thought-rocks you have never encountered. It might be an emotional landscape - bathed in the colour of an unfamiliar sky. It might even be a spiritual one, animated by the sound of an unheard yet strangely familiar melody. ... This book will take you from mountain heights to urban jungle, and from the back of a cow shed to the slippery deck of an 18th Century sailing ship. ... If you want a book to help reduce your heating bills this Winter, this could be it. The cosy effect of curling up with it will work wonders." -- Richard Littledale, blogger; "Packed with good writing ... a good mixture of familiar and unfamiliar" - Mark Avery; "Just adorable... it's the most beautiful writing. Makes you feel in keeping with the seasons" - Karen Gimson, BBC Radio Leicester; "Alive and vibrant, both in the imagery it evokes and in the feelings it arouses. Without doubt Winter, that most enigmatic of seasons, comes gloriously alive in this lovely anthology. The editor, Melissa Harrison, has done a commendable job of keeping this quartet of anthologies completely relevant, with each seasonal interpretation allowing a heartening and thoughtful meditation into the true meaning of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter" - jaffareadstoo.blogspot.co.ukTable of ContentsCONTENTS; Introduction by Melissa Harrison vii; Roger Deakin 1; Hartley Coleridge 4; Annie Worsley 5; Samuel Taylor Coleridge 9; Lucy Jones 11; Edward Step 13; Caroline Greville 15; Thomas Furly Forster 18; Jen Hadfield 19; Charles Dickens 21; Reverend Gilbert White 23; Nicholas Breton 25; Elizabeth Gardiner 26; William Shakespeare 29; John Fowles 30; Chris Foster 31; Richard Jefferies 34; Kate Blincoe 38; Kristian Evans 40; Andrea Levy 42; Anon. 44; Satish Kumar 46; Thomas Furly Forster 51; Nicola Chester 52; Julian Beach 55; Christina McLeish 58; Joseph Addison 61; Patrick Barkham 63; Ronald Blythe 67; Nick Acheson 69; Louis MacNeice 71; Jini Reddy 72; Thomas Furly Forster 75; Liz Berry 76; Henry Tegner 79; Wilhelm Nero Pilate Barbellion 83; Nakul Krishna 84; Adrian Bell 88; Al Alvarez 91; R. S. Thomas 93; Reverend Gilbert White 94; Richard Adams 95; Mary Leapor 97; Matt Gaw 99; Virginia Woolf 101; Iain Green 104; Thomas Furly Forster 108; Jacqueline Bain 109; Anna Laetitia Barbauld 113; Jane Adams 114; Jack Clemo 117; Elizabeth Guntrip 118; Sir Edward Grey 121; Henry Williamson 123; David North 126; James Joyce 130; Emma Kemp 132; William Wordsworth 134; Robert Macfarlane 137; Brian Carter 141; Janet Willoner 145; John Clare 148; Sheila Stewart 149; Sophie Bagshaw 154; Dr Rob Lambert 157; Robert Louis Stevenson 161; Jon Dunn 163; Reverend Gilbert White 167; Thomas Hardy 168; Lucy McRobert 170; Thomas Furly Forster 172; Clare Leighton 173; Tiffany Francis 177; Bethany Pope 180; Claire Thurlow 182; Edward Step 186; Ann MacCarthy 187; Olaudah Equiano 191; Matt Poacher 192; Edmond Holmes 195; Anita Sethi 196; Kathleen Jamie 202; Author Biographies 204

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Book SynopsisCan horses feel shame? Do deer grieve? Why do roosters deceive hens? We tend to assume that we are the only living things able to experience feelings but have you ever wondered what’s going on in an animal’s head? From the leafy forest floor to the inside of a bee hive, The Inner Life of Animals opens up the animal kingdom like never before. We hear the stories of a grateful humpback whale, of a hedgehog who has nightmares, and of a magpie who commits adultery; we meet bees that plan for the future, pigs who learn their own names and crows that go tobogganing for fun. And at last we find out why wasps exist.Trade ReviewAlways fascinating… Wry, avuncular, careful and kind, Wohlleben guides us from one creature to the next -- Richard Kerridge * Guardian *Wohlleben presents short chapter in bite-sized portions, so the reader has a constant sense of learning something new almost with every page ... The formula is provably winning. I still felt I was on a robust learning curve as subjects as diverse as motherly love, gratitude, deception, desire, shame and knowledge of good and evil were explored one by one ... fascinating -- Katharine Norbury * Observer *Wohlleben is connecting with something big here… He truffles up some wonderful animal facts, too… Wohlleben’s empathy with animals can be touching and illuminating -- James McConnachie * Sunday Times *Entertaining and enthusiastic -- Tim Smith-Laing * Daily Telegraph *The Inner Life of Animals will rock your world. Surprising, humbling, and filled with delight, this book shows us that animals think, feel, and know in much the same way as we do -- and that their lives are, to them, as precious as ours are to us. -- Sy Montgomery, author of THE SOUL OF AN OCTOPUS

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Book Synopsis'Remarkable' Robert Macfarlane'Gorgeous' Amy Liptrot'Urgent and nourishing' Jessica J. LeeNina Mingya Powles first learned to swim in Borneo - where her mother was born and her grandfather studied freshwater fish. There, the local swimming pool became her first body of water. Through her life there have been others that have meant different things, but have still been, in their own way, home: from the wild coastline of New Zealand to a pond in northwest London.In lyrical, powerful prose, Small Bodies of Water weaves together memories, dreams and nature writing. Exploring everything from migration, food, family, earthquakes and the ancient lunisolar calendar, Nina reflects on a girlhood spent growing up between two cultures, and what it means to belong.Trade ReviewA remarkable book . . . Its language trembles on the brink of poetry; these sentences have surety to their rhythms, subtlety to their weightings. Beautifully, dreamily, intricately, it explores movement, migration and memory. Identity, here, is experienced as liquid, as fluent. Small Bodies of Water was the winner of the inaugural Nan Shepherd Prize, and it's my belief that Shepherd would have loved this book - and would have wanted to walk and swim with Nina, talking of all that her book brings to the surface -- ROBERT MACFARLANENina Mingya Powles is a distinctive new voice: attentive and tender. Her experience of belonging to many places is one that so many of us can relate to. This book is a beautiful personal journey through plants and sea creatures, food and language . . . A gorgeous read -- AMY LIPTROTElegant, understated, urgent and nourishing, this is a book that gives shape to the many intimate waters that connect us, to languages loved, lost and longed for, to the lands that honour us by giving us a home. With poetic precision, Nina Mingya Powles shows us what nature writing can be, braiding place, food, family, migration and all their legacies. This is non-fiction at its most dynamic, its most transporting. I will keep this book close by and return to it often -- JESSICA J. LEESo cool and crystalline, but with deep currents of association shifting like tides beneath -- MELISSA HARRISONNature writing lovers will adore this collection of lyrical essays . . . Traversing Borneo to New Zealand to North London, it explores what bodies of water have meant to [Powles] while navigating girlhood and growing up * * Evening Standard, Best Non-Fiction Books of the Year * *Small Bodies of Water gave me such a longing for travel. It is so full of texture and taste and different kinds of light . . . Nina Mingya Powles takes very small moments and details and skilfully imbues them with poignancy and meaning. It feels like a renewed form of nature writing, in which nature is not necessarily to the fore but nonetheless ever-present; in which nature is a medium for remembering and discovering -- SARA BAUMEVividly connected to nature . . . Captivating . . . Evocative literary sketches of Powles' life are drawn thoughtfully together . . . Mesmerising . . . Tender, like a flower pressed between the pages of a book -- Alycia Pirmohamed * * Big Issue * *A tender and tactile meditation on the elements that hold us together and keep us apart, Small Bodies of Water is a luminous, flowing book. Nina Mingya Powles's mind shimmers -- SEÁN HEWITTA shimmering, poetic masterpiece * * Time Out * *A hauntingly beautiful work - as deep and varied as the bodies of water it explores - and just as affecting. Powles writes of the body, the self and the natural world in ways I've not experienced before; full of raw and glistening truth. This book is exquisite and perfectly formed and reflective and it leaves ripples on your insides like the sea. The writing is off the scale -- KERRI NÍ DOCHARTAIGH

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Book Synopsis'Modest, down to earth and full of humour, this is one of the best books about filming I've ever read.' MICHAEL PALIN'Extraordinary: Gavin's easy prose and gasp-making encounters make for a gripping and very funny read. It's a rollercoaster ride with a complete professional. I loved it.' JOANNA LUMLEY'[Gavin is] a great cameraman with infinite patience, but also a writer with great powers of observation and expression. Brilliant!' ALAN TITCHMARSH_________From Gavin Thurston, the award-winning Blue Planet II and Planet Earth II cameraman with a foreword by Sir David Attenborough comes extraordinary and adventurous true stories of what it takes to track down and film our planet's most captivating creatures.Gavin has been a wildlife photographer for over thirty years. Against a backdrop of modern world history, he's lurked in the shadows of some of the world's remotest places in order to capture footage of the animal kingdom's finest: prides of lions, silverback gorillas, capuchin monkeys, brown bears, grey whales, penguins, mosquitoes - you name it he's filmed it.Come behind the camera and discover the hours spent patiently waiting for the protagonists to appear; the inevitable dangers in the wings and the challenges faced and overcome; and the heart-warming, life-affirming moments the cameras miss as well as capture. What other readers are saying about Journeys in the Wild: 'It's touching, it's thought provoking and its emotional...Go pick it up. It's an absolute inspiration of a book.' Goodreads'Full of unbelievable anecdotes from decades of work, some absolutely hilarious, this book left me in complete wonder.' Goodreads'An amazing read and I would heartily recommend it to everyone I know.' GoodreadsTrade ReviewGavin's book is extraordinary: his easy prose and gasp-making encounters make for a gripping and very funny read. It's a rollercoaster ride with a complete professional. I loved it. * Joanna Lumley *Gavin Thurston's book has all sorts of strengths. His camera has captured some of the most eye-catching images of the natural world ever seen on television. And he can write. He brings the process home to us in a style that is modest, down to earth and full of humour. This is one of the best books about filming I've ever read. * Michael Palin *[Gavin is] a great cameraman with infinite patience, but also a writer with great powers of observation and expression. Brilliant! * Alan Titchmarsh *This is an absorbing account of a fascinating career. * BBC WILDLIFE MAGAZINE *His no-holds-barred memoir plunges you into the serendipities and perils of working in the remote wilderness, as he stands stock-still to 'hide' from short-sighted African elephants in Kenya, films demoiselle cranes flying 6 kilometres up above Nepal, or marvels at the hiss of Mauritania's dryland crocodiles. -- Barbara Kiser * NATURE *An enlightening glimpse beyond the lens. * TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT *

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Book SynopsisIn the endless light of summer days, and the magical gloaming of the wee small hours, nature in Jim's beloved Highlands, Perthshire and Trossachs heartlands is burgeoning freely, as though there is one long midsummer's eve, nothing reserved. For our flora and fauna, for the very land itself, this is the time of extravagant growth, flowering and the promise of fruit and the harvest to come. But despite the abundance, as Jim Crumley attests, summer in the Northlands is no Wordsworthian idyll. Climate chaos and its attendant unpredictable weather brings high drama to the lives of the animals and birds he observes. There is also a wild, elemental beauty to the land, mountains, lochs, coasts and skies, a sense of nature at its very apex during this, the most beautiful and lush of seasons. Jim chronicles it all: the wonder, the tumult, the spectacle of summer - and what is at stake as our seasons are pushed beyond nature's limits.Trade ReviewTHE HIGHLAND BOOK PRIZE 2020, SHORTLISTED; "[A] beautiful book ... [an] exceptional and intense quality of observation glows from every page ... He finds astonishing beauty in the landscape, and sheer wonder in his encounters ... Nothing can diminish the sharpness of his eye, the ardour of his writing, and the pure wonder at the natural world that shapes every paragraph ... A wisdom that we need now, more than ever before." Joyce McMillan, The Scotsman; "This is a work of pure escapism as the throb of spring gives way to the reflective calm of our warmest months. Crumley's writing effortlessly captures the majesty of a golden eagle eyrie, the magic of beavers returning to their old habitats, and the joy that arrives with a flock of whooper swans overhead ... The perfect finale to this evocative seasonal collection" Tiffany Francis-Baker, BBC Wildlife Magazine; "A mesmerising blend of observation and in-depth knowledge about our wild landscapes ... every bit as compelling and thought-provoking as its predecessors ... no better book to lose yourself in." Herald; Praise for Previous work: Richard Jefferies Society & White Horse Bookshop Literary Prize for nature writing, SHORTLISTED Saltire Society award: SHORTLISTED "A delightful meditation." Stephen Moss, Books of the Year, Guardian; "Nature writing is like trying to catch birds with cobwebs. Crumley's just has a higher tensile strength than most." Herald.Table of ContentsPrologue: The Goddess of Small Things; Part One: Everything Else in the Universe; Chapter One: St Kilda Summer, 1988; Chapter Two: Forty Years at Eagle Crag; Chapter Three: You Have Not Seen Her with My Eyes; Chapter Four: She Is of the Woods and I Am Not; Chapter Five: Inside the Arc; Part Two: Song for an Unsung Shore; Chapter Six: Solstice; Chapter Seven: Between a Rock and a Soft Place; Chapter Eight: City of Ghost Birds; Chapter Nine: Bass Notes; Part Three: Smoke Signals; Chapter Ten: Touchstones; Chapter Eleven: The Land of Havørn (1): Under the Blue Mountain; Chapter Twelve: The Land of Havørn (2): Islands of Dreams; Chapter Thirteen: The Climate Imperative; Chapter Fourteen: The Accidental Kingfisher and Other Stories: A Diary; Epilogue: A Daydream of Wolves

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Book SynopsisGoing to Ground is an anthology from Little Toller's online journal, The Clearing. Gathered here is some of the best and most distinctive writing about nature and place, from more than thirty writers celebrating and questioning our landscapes. Contributors include Nancy Campbell, Kathleen Jamie, Tim Dee, Tim Hannigan, Louisa Adjoa Parker.

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Book Synopsis THE ORIGINAL & SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING ALMANAC Reconnect with the seasons in Britain and Ireland with this month-by-month guide to the world around us - including key dates, tide tables and garden tasks; constellations and moon phases; sunrises, folk songs, seasonal recipes plus a 'bun of the month'; and - because 2023 will be a good year for planet spotting - the solar system and the zodiac.The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2023 gives you the tools and inspiration you need to celebrate, mark and appreciate each month of the year in your own particular way. Divided into the 12 months, a set of tables each month gives it the feel and weight of a traditional almanac, providing practical information that gives access to the outdoors and the seasons, perfect for expeditions, meteor-spotting nights and beach holidays. There are also features on each month's unique nature, with this instalment following the swirling micro world of the garden pond through the year.You will find yourself referring to The Almanac all year long, revisiting it again and again, and looking forward to the next edition as the year draws to a close.This year's edition is illustrated by artist Whooli Chen.The geographical scope of The Almanac is Britain and IrelandPRAISE FOR THE ALMANAC:'Lia Leendertz's classic almanac never fails to delight' - The Herald'It's a perfect Christmas present' - Allan Jenkins, The Observer'The perfect companion to the seasons' - India Knight'Indispensable' - Sir Bob Geldof'This book is your bible' - The Independent'I love this gem of a book' - Cerys Matthews

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Book SynopsisOver sixty years after Virginia Woolf drowned in the River Ouse, Olivia Laing set out one midsummer morning to walk its banks, from source to sea. Along the way, she explores the roles that rivers play in human lives, tracing their intricate flow through literature, mythology and folklore.Lyrical and stirring, To the River is a passionate investigation into how history resides in a landscape - and how ghosts never quite leave the places they love.Trade ReviewA beautifully written, elegant and subtle debut * * Financial Times * *A gentle, wise and riddling book -- ROBERT MACFARLANEMagical . . . By turns lyrical, melancholic and exultant, To the River just makes you want to follow Olivia Laing all the way to the sea -- PHILIP HOARE * * Daily Telegraph * *A beautifully written meditation on landscape * * The Sunday Times * *Wonderfully allusive . . . The book's subject and structure fuse pleasingly, weaving and meandering, pooling into biographical, mythical or historical backwaters * * Observer * *Without wanting to sound gushing, her writing at its sublime best reminds me of Richard Mabey's nature prose and the poetry of Alice Oswald . . . Laing seems to lack a layer of skin, rendering her susceptible to the smallest vibrations of the natural world as well as to the frailties of the human psyche * * The Times * *Has a Sebaldian edge to it that lifts it out of memoir and biography and into something far more tantalizing and suggestive * * Guardian * *This hugely accomplished first book draws on local lore and history, a vast range of research and some soaring lyrical writing * * Sunday Times * *Olivia Laing joins the best nature writers . . . Laing is a brilliant wordsmith and this is a beautifully accomplished book * * Independent * *Brave, distinctive, and deeply intelligent . . . The book has an intense, humming, cumulative effect * * Literary Review * *

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Book SynopsisAn Post Irish Book Award Winner''An inspiring vision'' Manchán Magan''The stories are absorbing, the writing charismatic and the ideas thought-provoking'' Irish IndependentOn the Beara peninsula in West Cork, a temperate rainforest flourishes. It is the life work of Eoghan Daltun, who had a vision to rewild a 73-acre farm he bought, moving there from Dublin with his family in 2009. An Irish Atlantic Rainforest charts that remarkable journey. Part memoir, part environmental treatise, as a wild forest bursts into life before our eyes, we''re invited to consider the burning issues of our time: climate breakdown, ecological collapse, and why our very survival as a species requires that we urgently and radically transform our relationship with nature. Powerfully descriptive, lovingly told, An Irish Atlantic Rainforest presents an enduring picture of the regenerative force of nature, and how one Iris

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF BOOK OF THE YEAR, NARRATIVE NON-FICTION BRITISH BOOK AWARDS 2021Rediscover the natural world with the multi-award winning phenomenon and youngest ever major literary prize winner in UK history.'Miraculous memoir . . . profoundly moving' Observer 'Dara is an extraordinary voice and vision: brave, poetic, ethical, lyrical' Robert Macfarlane 'It's a diary but essentially timeless . . . It's really, really special' Chris PackhamALSO WINNER OF: THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR NATURE WRITING 2020, AN POST IRISH BOOK AWARD FOR NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR 2020, BOOKS ARE MY BAG READERS AWARDS FOR NON-FICTION 2020; SHORTLISTED FOR: WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020 & LONGLISTED FOR: THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE 2020 ___________ 'This diary chronicles the turning of my world, from spring to winter, at home, in the wild, in my head.'Evocative, raw and lyrical, this startling debut explores the natural world through the eyes of Dara McAnulty, an autistic teenager coping with the uprooting of home, school, and his mental health, while pursuing his life as a conservationist and environmental activist.Shifting from intense darkness to light, recalling his sensory encounters in the wild - with blackbirds, whooper swans, red kites, hen harriers, frogs, dandelions, Irish hares and more - McAnulty reveals worlds we have neglected to see, in a stunning world of nature writing that is a future classic.Diary of a Young Naturalist is a powerful and scintillating portrayal of the beauty of the natural world, as it shines a light on autism and of overcoming severe anxiety. It is a story of the binding love of family and home, and how we can help each other through the most difficult of times. ___________ BIG ISSUE BOOK OF THE YEAR HAY FESTIVAL BOOK OF THE YEARA TIMES NATURE BOOK OF THE YEAR 'An extraordinary diary' The Times'A torrent of pure, unmediated fervour . . . This is writing at its wild and unruly best' Dr Rachel Clarke 'Diary of a Young Naturalist is not only one of the finest pieces of modern nature writing produced on this island in recent years, McAnulty is one of our best young writers in any genre' Irish Independent'An exceptional new voice. Dara McAnulty celebrates nature in such a fresh way and illuminatesour understanding of autism' Martha Kearney, chair of the Baillie Gifford Prize 2020'One of the most talented and passionate writers of our era' Steve Silberman, award-winning author of NeuroTribes ___________Trade ReviewDara's is an extraordinary voice and vision: brave, poetic, ethical, lyrical, strong enough to have made him heard and admired from a young age. * Robert Macfarlane *It's a diary but essentially timeless. It's about enduring, it's about passion, beauty and connection. It's really, really special. * Chris Packham *Dara is only 16 and autistic, and is already on his way to becoming one of the most talented and passionate writers of our era. * Steve Silberman, author of Neurotribes *Feeling illuminates every page of this miraculous memoir ... His portrait of loving parents raising three neurodivergent children on poetry, punk and puffins is profoundly moving ... intimate, sensitive, deeply felt * Observer *Like reading William Blake or Ted Hughes, it really is a strange and magical experience...surely one of the most talked about nature books, or any books, this year * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisStan Coren’s groundbreaking The Intelligence of Dogs meets Bernd Heinrich’s classic Mind of the Raven in this astonishing, beautifully illustrated look at the uncanny intelligence and emotions of crows.Playful, social, and passionate, crows have brains that are huge for their body size, which allows them to think, plan, and reconsider their actions. They also exhibit an avian kind of eloquence, mate for life, and associate with relatives and neighbors for years. And to people who care for them and feed them, they often give oddly touching gifts in return. The ongoing connection between humans and crows—a cultural coevolution—has shaped both species for millions of years. Scientist John Marzluff teams up with artist-naturalist Tony Angell to tell amazing stories of these brilliant birds. With Marzluff’s extraordinary original research on the intelligence and startling abilities of corvids—crows, ravens, and jaysTrade Review“Researchers writing about comparative human and nonhuman cognition always make brief, obligatory reference to the underlying neurological and hormonal systems, but Marzluff and Angell actually provide us with the details. In lucid, logical, and articulate prose, they carefully explain all the interrelated mechanisms involved in the fascinating behavior patterns of their corvid subjects and how these mechanisms relate to those of humans. Their book is indeed a gift, not only to those of us eager to learn about corvid behavior but also but also to those who wish to understand the bases for these actions.” -- Irene M. Pepperberg, author of Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Uncovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence--and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process“John Marzluff and Tony Angell's amazing, true stories of crows who rage, grieve, give gifts, work together, and even design and use tools would be enough to make this book a great read. But these maverick scientists go a step further, and actually show how these birds' big brains, though different from our own, achieve many of the same feats. Gifts of the Crow is a gift to all of us who have argued for years that humans don't possess the only minds in the universe. This is one of the most exciting books I've read in a long time.” -- Sy Montgomery, author of Birdology"In this important work, you’ll find stunning examples of crow emotionality and intelligence -- a triumphant vindication for those who have known all along that animals are capable of much more than they’re generally given credit for. . Crows dream as part of their learning process, for instance, and profile other individuals’ behavior and act accordingly. In many ways, their intelligence is equal to that of the great apes. Fascinating." -- Stacey O'Brien, author of Wesley the Owl"Full of clear and detailed accounts of research...remarkable." -- NYTimes"Angell’s illustrations of birds are exquisitely detailed... the book will instill in many readers a sense of wonder and curiosity at what these birds can do. An insightful look at some of our surprisingly capable feathered friends." -- Kirkus"Amazing" -- Seattle Times“Delightful… a series of intriguing stories and stunning illustrations that together reveal the sophisticated cognitive abilities of crows and their relation­ship with humans." -- Nature"With its abundance of funny, awe-inspiring, and poignant stories, Gifts of the Crow portrays creatures who are nothing short of amazing. A testament to years of painstaking research and careful observation, this fully illustrated, riveting work is a thrilling look at one of nature's most wondrous creatures." -- Guardian.co.uk"A great read, this book is a tribute to the little-known and underappreciated minds of the birds of the amazing corvid family. Serious and at times hilarious, it pulled me in with its telling anecdotes and scientific context. Most importantly, it acknowledges and explores the many complex similarities between crows' mental traits and our own." -- Bernd Heinrich, author of Mind of the Raven“Gifts of the Crow is a compelling book. Filled with wonderful stories of regular people’s interactions with ravens, crows, and jays, it also cites engrossing scientific studies, reports on the field work of biologists, and offers detailed explanations of how the brain of a corvid actually works. I was fascinated.” -- Suzie Gilbert, author of Flyaway: How A Wild Bird Rehabber Sought Adventure and Found Her Wings“A remarkable look at just how smart the common crow and raven are… Highly recommended.” -- Library Journal"Throughout much of human history crows have been our constant companions. In their exciting new book, Marzluff and Angell, show us how crows brains work, while providing the evidence that these cerebral birds have a lot more in common with us than we ever imagined. And Angell's illustrations alone make the book worth the price." -- Paul R. Ehrlich, co-author of The Birder's Handbook

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Book SynopsisRead the powerful account of one woman’s struggle to reshape her identity when all normality has fallen away. When lifelong bird-lover Hannah Bourne-Taylor moved with her husband to Ghana seven years ago she couldn’t have anticipated how her life would be forever changed by her unexpected encounters with nature and the subsequent bonds she formed.Plucked from the comfort and predictability of her life before, Hannah struggled to establish herself in her new environment, striving to belong in the rural grasslands far away from home. In this challenging situation, she was forced to turn inwards and interrogate her own sense of identity, however in the animal life around her, and in two wild birds in particular, Hannah found a source of solace and a way to reconnect with the world in which she was living. Fledgling is a portrayal of adaptability, resilience and self-discovery in t

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Book SynopsisHigh in the Canadian Rockies is a small limestone quarry formed 530 million years ago. Called the Burgess Shale, it holds the remains of an ancient sea where dozens of strange creatures lived - a forgotten corner of evolution preserved in incredible detail. In this book Stephen Jay Gould explores what the Burgess Shale might tell us about evolution and the nature of history.The Darwinian theory of evolution is a well-known, well-explored area. But there is one aspect of human life which this theory of evolution fails to account for: chance. Using the brilliantly preserved fossil fauna of the Burgess Shale as his case study, Gould argues that chance was in fact one of the decisive factors in the evolution of life on this planet, and that, with a flip of coin, everything could have been very different indeed.Trade ReviewA masterpiece of analysis and imagination...It centres on a sensational discovery in the field of palaeontology - the existence, in the Burgess Shale... of 530-million-year-old fossils unique in age, preservation and diversity...With skill and passion, Gould takes this mute collection of fossils and makes them speak to us. The result challenges some of our most cherished self-perceptions and urges a fundamental re-assessment of our place in the history of life on earth * Sunday Times *

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