Nature and the natural world: general interest Books

3288 products


  • This Book Was a Tree Ideas Adventures and

    Penguin Putnam Inc This Book Was a Tree Ideas Adventures and

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisAt no time in human history have we been more disconnected with what lies outside our front doors. Within just a century, our relationship with our surroundings has transformed from one of exploration to one of disassociation. In This Book Was a Tree, science teacher Marcie Cuff issues a call for a new era of pioneers—not leathery, backwoods deerskin-wearing salt pork and hominy pioneers, but strong-minded, clever, crafty, mudpie-making, fort-building individuals committed to examining the natural world and deciphering nature’s perplexing puzzles.Within each chapter, readers will discover a principle for reconnecting with the natural world around them, from learning to be still to discovering the importance of giving back. With a mix of science and hands-on crafts and activities, readers will be encouraged to brainstorm, imagine, and understand the world as inventive scientists—to touch, collect, document, sketch, decode, analyze, experiment, unravel, i

    1 in stock

    £11.89

  • International Advances in the Ecology Zoogeography and Systematics of Mayflies and Stoneflies Uc Publications in Entomology 128

    University of California Press International Advances in the Ecology Zoogeography and Systematics of Mayflies and Stoneflies Uc Publications in Entomology 128

    1 in stock

    a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

    1 in stock

    £52.20

  • Inventing the Indigenous

    Cambridge University Press Inventing the Indigenous

    1 in stock

    a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

    1 in stock

    £85.50

  • With Feathers and Feelings 3 Labc

    Jared Goodykoontz With Feathers and Feelings 3 Labc

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £11.00

  • Walk the Trails in and around Princeton

    Princeton University Press Walk the Trails in and around Princeton

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis is an attractive, pocket-friendly guide to walks on sixteen of the best trails through preserved open space in Princeton, New Jersey, and its neighboring towns. This revised edition includes eight new walks, several of which have been created on land that has been preserved since the popular guide was originally published in 2009. The walks ra

    1 in stock

    £16.18

  • Animal Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland

    The History Press Ltd Animal Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisA collection of folk tales about our native wildlife from a professional storyteller

    2 in stock

    £13.49

  • Natures Edge Boundary Explorations in Ecological Theory and Practice Suny Series in Environmental Philosophy and Ethics

    State University Press of New York (SUNY) Natures Edge Boundary Explorations in Ecological Theory and Practice Suny Series in Environmental Philosophy and Ethics

    1 in stock

    a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

    1 in stock

    £24.23

  • Venomous Reptiles of the United States Canada and

    Johns Hopkins University Press Venomous Reptiles of the United States Canada and

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisAnyone with an interest in venom, snakes, or herpetology in general will find a wealth of information within the pages of these impressive volumes.Trade ReviewA winner. Midwest Book Review This is an authoritative summary of the authors' personal research and more than 3,000 literature sources. It, and the upcoming second volume, will be an excellent resource for professionals in many fields for years to come and a detailed reference book for anyone wishing to know about venomous snakes. Highly recommended. Choice A valuable source of information for anyone interested in these species, and is sure to be a standard reference for serious herpetologists. -- Steven Winchell Reptilia Venomous Reptiles of the United States, Canada, and Northern Mexico represents the latest research on these animals and includes the most extensive bibliography of literature on the subject. Anyone with an interest in venom, snakes, or herpetology in general will find a wealth of information within the pages of these impressive volumes. Southeastern NaturalistTable of ContentsPrefaceIntroductionList of AbbreviationsVenomEnvenomation by North American ReptilesTreatment of Envenomation by ReptilesConservation of Venomous North American ReptilesIdentification of the Venomous Reptiles of Canada, the United States, and Northern MexicoKey to the Families of North American Venomous ReptilesHelodermatidae: Beaded Lizards and Gila MonstersHeloderma horridum, Beaded LizardHeloderma suspectum, Gila MonsterElapidae: Elapid SnakesMicruroides euryxanthus, Western CoralsnakeMicrurus distans, West Mexican CoralsnakeMicrurus fulvius, Harlequin CoralsnakeMicrurus tener, Texas CoralsnakePelamis platura, Yellow-bellied SeasnakeViperidae: Viperid SnakesAgkistrodon bilineatus, CantilAgkistrodon contortrix, CopperheadAgkistrodon piscivorus, CottonmouthAgkistrodon taylori, Taylor's CantilSistrurus catenatus, MassasaugaSistrurus miliarius, Pygmy RattlesnakeGlossary of Scientific NamesBibliographyIndex to Common and Scientific Names

    1 in stock

    £62.10

  • Southeastern Grasslands

    The University of Alabama Press Southeastern Grasslands

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisBrings together the latest research on southeastern prairie systems and species, provides a complete picture of an increasingly rare biome, and offers solutions to many conservation biology queries. Contributors address questions related to the diversity, ecology, and management of southeastern grasslands.Trade ReviewSoutheastern Grasslands offers a good representation of the biological significance bestowed upon these systems and the efforts currently underway to restore and maintain them for future generations to know and appreciate."" - Alfred R. Schotz, botanist and community ecologist with the Alabama Natural Heritage Program (ALNHP) at Auburn University""An excellent and thorough account, past and present, of the grasslands of the southeastern United States. The information included in this volume will be of interest to anyone studying grasslands, whether in the southeastern United States or elsewhere."" - Robert H. Mohlenbrock, author of Vascular Flora of Illinois: A Field Guide and This Land: A Guide to Eastern National ForestsTable of Contents Preface by JoVonn G. Hill and John A. Barone Chapter 1. A Synopsis of Southeastern Blackland Prairies by S. Lee Echols and Wendy B. Zomlefer Chapter 2. Historical Distribution of Prairies in Arkansas by John A. Barone Chapter 3. The Use of General Land Office Survey Notes to Locate Prairie Patches in the Jackson Prairie Region by Toby Gray and Timothy J. Schauwecker Chapter 4. Eastern Texas Prairie Landscapes by Jason R. Singhurst and Matt White Chapter 5. Floristics of the Louisiana Cajun and Inland Prairies by Charles Allen Chapter 6. The Native Flora of Grasslands and Associated Woodlands in the Grand Prairie Ecoregion of Eastern Arkansas by C. Theo Witsell, Thomas L. Foti, and Brent T. Baker Chapter 7. Vegetation and Flora on Lowlands in the Central Black Belt of Mississippi—How Low Did the Original Prairie Go? by J. J. N. Campbell and W. R. Seymour Jr. Chapter 8. An Alternative Natural Distribution for Osage Orange, Maclura pomifera, Including the Prairies of the Southeast by Jennifer L. Seltzer Chapter 9. Prehistoric Molluscan Faunas of the Mississippi Black Prairie by Evan Peacock Chapter 10. The Grasshopper Fauna of Southeastern Grasslands: A Preliminary Investigation by JoVonn G. Hill Chapter 11. Encroachment and Persistence of Trees in Southeastern Grasslands by J. Morgan Varner Chapter 12. Experimental Removal of Eastern Redcedar to Restore Black Belt Prairie Remnants: Effects on Plant, Ant, and Grasshopper Communities by John A. Barone, JoVonn G. Hill, and Lisa McInnis Chapter 13. Conservation and Management of Subtropical Grasslands in South-Central Florida by Elizabeth H. Boughton, Patrick J. Bohlen, Steve L. Orzell, Edwin L. Bridges, and Reed F. Noss Chapter 14. Effects of Landscape History on Plant Communities in Semi-natural Grassland Buffers by Jolie G. Dollar, Timothy J. Schauwecker, Samuel K. Riffell, and L. Wes Burger Jr. Chapter 15. Ground Cover Assessment of CRP Conservation Practice 36 in Georgia by James W. Tomberlin, Nicholas Brown, and Reggie E. Thackston Chapter 16. Forb Community Response to Management of Grassland Buffers by Jolie G. Dollar, Timothy J. Schauwecker, Samuel K. Riffell, and L. Wes Burger Jr. Chapter 17. Highway Right-of-Way Mowing Regimens in Northeastern Mississippi: Effects on Native Prairie Plant Species by Edward D. Entsminger, John W. Guyton, Raymond B. Iglay, and Jeanne C. Jones Chapter 18. Reconstructing Prehistoric Prairie Habitat Types Using Archaeological Data by Jennifer L. Seltzer and Evan Peacock Chapter 19. A Preliminary Study of Learning about Prairie Restoration Ecology: A Comparison between Biology Major and Nonmajor Students by Bruno Borsari and Malcolm F. Vidrine Chapter 20. Attempts at Converting a Southern Mississippi Bahia Grass Pasture to Diverse Prairie via Local-Provenance, Source-Certified Seed by Marc G. Pastorek, Malcolm F. Vidrine, Charles Allen, Bruno Borsari, and Gail Barton References Cited Contributors Index

    1 in stock

    £44.60

  • Force and Matter or Principles of the Natural

    LEGARE STREET PR Force and Matter or Principles of the Natural

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £18.86

  • Fluff to Muff

    FriesenPress Fluff to Muff

    1 in stock

    1 in stock

    £21.59

  • Shrews and Moles of British Columbia

    Royal British Columbia Museum Shrews and Moles of British Columbia

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £21.56

  • Dinosaurs  Other Animals of the Triassic 2 The

    Independently Published Dinosaurs Other Animals of the Triassic 2 The

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £28.58

  • Golden Retrievers For Dummies

    John Wiley & Sons Inc Golden Retrievers For Dummies

    Book SynopsisGet the most out of this Golden breed Man's best friend doesn't get any better than the Golden Retriever. Originally bred as hunting companions who retrieved birds and hares and delivered them to hand, the breed today is much more than just a hunting dog. Highly intelligent and eager-to-please, Golden Retrievers have a history as working dogs that makes them easy to train. Attired in a luxurious fur coat and blessed with a gentle and affectionate nature, they are the third most popular breed in the United States and a favorite for families with young children. Written in a friendly style by Retriever-owner Nona Kilgore Bauer, the 2nd edition of Golden Retrievers For Dummies puts everything you need to know about your furry friend right in your hand. You'll learn how to care for a Golden Retriever from puppyhood to its stately golden years and how to communicate with them better. You'll also learn about grooming and training, as well as how to deal with common ailments and behaviors.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 Part 1: Finding Your Soul Mate 5 Chapter 1: Are You Meant for Each Other? 7 Chapter 2: What to Look for in the Breed 17 Chapter 3: Finding a Golden Breeder 27 Chapter 4: Selecting Your Special Puppy 43 Part 2: Welcome Home! 53 Chapter 5: Setting Out the Welcome Mat 55 Chapter 6: Welcoming Your Puppy Home 67 Chapter 7: Crate Training and Housetraining 81 Chapter 8: Canine Communication and Growing Pains 91 Chapter 9: Homeschooling Your Golden Puppy 107 Part 3: Keeping Your Pal Healthy and Happy 123 Chapter 10: Healthy Habits: Nutrition and Exercise 125 Chapter 11: Golden Health Care 101 139 Chapter 12: The Ins and Outs of Bugs and Worms 165 Chapter 13: Golden Grooming Basics 179 Chapter 14: Caring for Your Senior Golden 189 Chapter 15: Hereditary Disease 199 Chapter 16: Problem Behaviors and Aggression 207 Part 4: The Part of Tens 227 Chapter 17: Ten Great Games to Play with Your Puppy 229 Chapter 18: Ten Websites for the Golden Retriever Believer 235 Chapter 19: Ten Things in Your Golden Retriever’s Bag of Tricks 239 Chapter 20: Ten Ways to Help Your Golden Live a Longer and More Golden Life 251 Index 257

    £17.09

  • Parrots For Dummies 2nd Edition

    John Wiley & Sons Inc Parrots For Dummies 2nd Edition

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 3 Icons Used in This Book 3 Where to Go from Here 3 Part 1: Introducing the Parrot — Your Wild Child 5 Chapter 1: Meeting the Parrots, Just the Basics 7 Introducing the Parrots 7 From pet to companion 8 A little bit of wilderness 9 Home Tweet Home: Welcoming a Parrot into Your Home 10 Making birdy comfortable 10 Parrot paraphernalia 11 Parrot Care 101: Taking Care of Your Bird 11 Health care 11 Nutrition 12 Parrot Behavior: Checking How Your Bird Acts 12 Normal behaviors 12 The parrot monster 12 Parrot Pals: Socializing with Your Bird 13 Making friends with your parrot 13 Breeding parrots: Use caution 13 A Caveat to the Wise 14 Chapter 2: Knowing What to Expect with Your Companion Parrot 15 Defining a Companion Parrot 16 Just Being Themselves 17 Recognizing the Joys of Parrot Guardianship 18 Pondering Important Points about Buying or Adopting a Parrot 19 Recognizing who’s getting the parrot 19 Answering why you want a parrot 20 Factoring in the parrot’s personality 20 Contemplating the parrot’s home 21 Going on vacation 21 Remembering parrots have a longer lifespan 22 Dealing with allergies 22 Estimating the costs of parrot ownership 22 Being cognizant of the responsibilities of parrot guardianship 23 Spending time with your parrot 24 Preparing for mess and more mess 24 Getting used to the noise (Sorry, I can’t hear over my screaming parrot) 24 Understanding What a Companion Parrot Expects 25 Tolerance 25 Empathy 26 Sense of humor 26 Attentiveness 26 Decisiveness and action 26 Constant companionship 26 A loyal friend 27 Living with a Parrot around Nonbird People 27 Chapter 3: Choosing the Right Companion 29 Keeping Certain Considerations in Mind As You Choose a Species 30 Parrots are individuals 30 The chemistry between the two of you 30 Not all species are created equal 30 Noise: deafening or extremely deafening 31 Space: Bigger is better 31 Lifestyles of the neat and messy 32 From easily affordable to taking out a loan 33 Talking ability 33 Child-friendliness 33 One, two, or more 34 Looking Closer at Species Profiles Commonly Kept As Companions 35 African grey parrots 35 Amazon parrots 36 Brotogeris 38 Budgies 38 Caiques 39 Cockatiels 40 Cockatoos 40 Conures 45 Eclectus 48 Hanging parrots 48 Hawk-headed parrots 49 Lories 49 Lovebirds 50 Macaws 51 Other parakeets 54 Parrotlets 57 Pionus 58 Poicephalus parrots 58 Quaker parakeets 59 Vasa parrots 60 Chapter 4: Purchasing or Adopting a Parrot 61 Considering Your Parrot Options 61 Comparing handfed versus parent-raised birds 62 Choosing an age 63 Contemplating degrees of tameness 66 The talker in the bunch 67 Finding the Perfect Parrot for You 68 Pet shops 68 Bird shops 69 Online classifieds 69 Reputable breeders 70 Flea markets 71 Bird shows or expos 72 Adopting a Rescue Parrot 72 Identifying which birds are available for adoption 72 Completing the rescue application 74 Being prepared for the rescue home visit 74 Looking for a Healthy Parrot 75 Bright eyes 76 Clear nose and nares 76 Beak 76 Shiny feathers 76 Feet 77 Vent 77 Attitude and stance 77 Requesting a Guarantee 77 Knowing What to Ask Before You Buy or Adopt 78 Part 2: Bringing Home Your New Parrot 81 Chapter 5: A House to Call Home: Choosing Proper Housing 83 Matching the Housing to the Species 84 Finding the Right Cage for Your Bird 84 Cage shape 84 Sturdiness and material 85 Housing bottom 86 Door types 87 Cage dangers 87 Building Your Own Cage 88 Placing Your Cage to Ensure Your Parrot is Comfortable 89 Cleaning the Cage 90 Simplifying your cage cleaning 90 Choosing the right cleansers 90 Considering an Aviary 91 The flight cage 92 The habitat 92 Chapter 6: Going Shopping: Avian Supplies and Accessories 95 Giving Your Parrot a Place to Stand: Perches 95 Wooden perches 96 Concrete and cement perches 96 Rope perches 97 Plastic perches 98 Keeping the Food and Water Accessible: Coop Cups 98 Entertaining Your Parrot: Toys 99 Ensuring safety at all times 100 Considering different types of toys 102 Creating the Right Ambience: Bird Lighting 106 Setting Up the Cage 106 Considering Play Gyms and Stands 107 Lining Your Cage: Litter and Bedding 108 Covering the Cage: Nighttime Covers 108 Preventing Mess 109 Mess accessories 110 Air filters 110 Chapter 7: Bringing Home Birdy: Making Introductions and Parrot-Proofing Your Home 111 Making the First Night Stress Free (As Much As Possible) 112 Naming Your Bird 112 Thriving on Routine with Your New Parrot 113 Welcoming Your Parrot as a Family Member 114 Being unafraid; being very unafraid 114 Introducing people 115 Introducing pets 116 Introducing other birds 118 Quarantining your parrot 119 Understanding the Relationship between Parrots and Children 119 Realizing the commitment to owning a bird 119 Establishing some basic rules 120 Familiarizing Houseguests to Your Parrot 123 Parrot-Proofing Your Home 124 Part 3: Caring for Your Parrot 127 Chapter 8: Eating Like a Bird: Proper Parrot Nutrition 129 Starting with the Basics: Water 129 Keeping everything clean 130 Adding supplements to your water: Yay or nay? 131 Recognizing a Parrot’s Dietary Requirements 132 The digestive system 132 Eating in the wild 133 Identifying Nutrition-Related Disorders 134 Vitamin A deficiency 134 Calcium deficiency 135 Comparing Seeds versus Pellets: The Big Debate 136 Eyeing What the Cooked Base Diet is 138 Purchasing and Storing 138 Knowing Which Vegetables to Feed Your Parrot 140 Focusing on Fruit to Feed Your Feathered Friend 141 Being Aware of Pesticides 141 Giving Your Bird Snacks 143 Adding Table Foods to Your Bird’s Diet 145 Avoiding Toxic and Irritating Foods 145 Considering Grit and Clay 146 Contemplating Nutritional Supplements 146 Feeding Nectar Eaters 148 Getting a Parrot to Eat 149 Making Some Easy Recipes 150 Parrot muffins and bread 150 Parrot mac and cheese 151 Parrot omelet 151 Parrot juice and smoothies 151 Parrot pancakes 152 Parrot grain 152 Creating a Healthy Diet Routine 153 Chapter 9: Pretty Bird! Grooming Your Companion 157 Examining What Your Bird Fusses All about: Feathers 157 Fluffing up: Your bird’s feather types 158 Looking closer at feather anatomy 159 Recognizing what you can do 160 Clipping Your Parrot’s Wings 160 To clip or not to clip 161 Examining how flight effects parrot behavior 161 Considering options in between 162 Dealing with clipped and unclipped parrots 163 Clipping Your Bird’s Wings Properly: The How-To 164 Holding the parrot properly — Toweling 164 Clipping the flight feathers 165 Considering special circumstances 167 Clipping Your Parrot’s Toenails 168 Grooming the Beak 169 Beak breaks 170 The misaligned beak 170 Bathing Your Parrot 170 Caring for Molting Parrots 173 Dealing With Blood Feathers 175 Chapter 10: Taking Care of Your Parrot: In Sickness and in Health 177 Taking a Closer Look at a Parrot’s Anatomy 178 Eyes 178 Ears 178 Feathers 178 Preen gland 179 Feet 180 Beak 180 Cere 182 Tongue 182 Neck 182 Skin 182 Syrinx 182 Skeletal system 183 Muscles 183 Respiratory system 183 Digestive system 184 Circulatory system 184 Reproductive system 184 Recognizing Indications of Illness 184 Choosing an Avian Veterinarian 186 Finding a qualified avian vet 186 Knowing what to look for at the first visit 187 Divulging important information 188 Identifying Common Health Disorders 189 Nutritional disorders 190 Parasites 190 Bacterial infections 191 Viral infections 192 Fungal infections 192 Foot disorders 193 Feather disorders 193 Reproductive disorders 194 Being Aware of and Preventing Common Dangers to Companion Parrots 194 Predators and animal bites 195 Standing water 196 Nonstick cookware 196 Household products 197 Poisonous houseplants 198 Ceiling fans 199 Toxic foods 199 Electrocution 200 Feet and doors 200 Lead and other heavy metals 200 Mirrors and clean glass 200 Night thrashing 201 Temperature changes 201 Frostbite 201 Overheating 202 Oil on feathers 202 Broken blood feathers and bleeding nails 202 Physical injuries and seizures 202 Flying away 203 Unsafe toys 205 Humans 205 Caring for an Older Parrot 205 Handling an Emergency 206 Medicating Your Parrot 207 Creating a Hospital Cage 207 Creating a Parrot First-Aid Kit 208 Part 4: Parrot Behavior Made Simple 211 Chapter 11: Understanding Your Wild Child’s Instincts 213 Looking At a Daily Life of Parrots in the Wild 214 Appreciating the Plight of Wild-Caught Parrots 217 Differentiating between wild caught and captive bred 218 Getting involved: Conservation organizations 219 Understanding Your Parrot’s Instincts 220 Being the prey 220 Finding a high spot 220 Flocking 221 Sleeping 221 Vocalizing 222 Making a mess 223 Blending into the background — Camouflage 223 Making eye contact 223 Picking a mate — gender preference in parrots 224 Chapter 12: Recognizing Normal Companion Parrot Behaviors 227 Examining Your Parrot’s Most Natural Behavior — Flying 228 Heading to the Heavens — Climbing 228 Hanging Out on the Ground — Foraging 229 Gnawing to His Heart’s Content — Chewing 229 Staying Completely Still — Freezing 230 Chatting Up a Storm — Vocalization 231 Contact calling 231 Screaming 232 Hissing 232 Growling 232 Begging 232 Differentiating between Beak Clicking and Clucking 233 Getting Clean and Looking Pretty — Preening 233 Clearing His Ears — Yawning 234 Hearing Your Parrot — Beak Grinding 234 Bobbing Up and Down to Say, “I Love You” — Regurgitation 234 Cleaning His Face — Beak Wiping 235 Considering Different Tail Behaviors 236 Exhibiting Breeding Behavior 236 Being Annoyed with Their Cage Mate — Bickering 238 Identifying Eating Habits 238 Rub a Dub Dub — Bathing 239 Taking a Nap — Sleeping 239 Getting Rid of Dirt and Itches — Scratching 239 Achoo! Bless You — Sneezing 240 Warning You to Back Off — Nipping 240 Reading Body Language 240 Flapping wings 240 Crest position 241 Fluffing and ruffling 241 The please dance 242 Head down 242 The attack stance 243 Stretching 243 Bowing and bobbing 244 Head shaking 244 Leaning forward, wings shaking 244 Quivering wings 244 Beak language 244 Potty language 244 Chicken scratching 244 Eye pinning (dilate/contract pupils) 245 Wing drooping 245 Wing flipping 245 Blushing 245 Back down, feet up 245 Recognizing When Your Parrot is Training You 247 Training method 1: Noise 248 Training method 2: Display 249 Training method 3: Biting 250 Training method 4: Plucking 251 Chapter 13: Handling More Than One Bird: Multiple Parrot Households 253 Keeping More Than One Parrot: The Pros and Cons 254 The pros 255 The cons 255 Interpreting Different Parrot Interactions 256 Parrot pals 257 Parrot enemies 258 Romeo and Romeo 259 One-sided love 259 Keeping the peace 259 Falling in love 260 Introducing a New Parrot 260 Wondering Why Everyone Just Can’t Get Along 261 Changing Your Relationship 262 Chapter 14: Addressing Behavior: When Good Birds Go Bad 263 Figuring Out the Problem 263 Understanding Dominance 264 Height dominance 265 Aggression 267 Socializing One-Person Parrots 267 Preventing possessiveness 268 Reversing one person-ness 269 Dealing With a Screaming Parrot 271 Trying these strategies for a screaming bird 271 Staying away from these remedies for a screamer 272 Handling Bad Words and Sounds 273 Taking a Chunk out of You: Biting 274 Considering why birds bite 274 Responding after your bird bites you 276 Paying attention to your bird’s biting body language 276 Addressing Fears and Phobias 277 Considering the causes 278 Trying these tactics with a fearful bird 279 Identifying and Handling Hormonal Issues 280 Pulling Out Her Plumes — Feather Plucking 281 Figuring out why parrots pluck 281 Helping your feathered friend stop plucking 283 Figuring Out What’s Bugging Your Bird 284 Maturity 284 Other birds 284 Environmental changes 285 Cage placement 285 Temperature 286 Noise 286 Sleep 286 Helping or Hurting: Why Your Actions Are Important 287 Hiring a Behavior Consultant 288 Considering the Last Resort: Rescue and Adoption 289 Part 5: Taming, Training, and Beyond 291 Chapter 15: Bird Brains: Understanding Parrot Intelligence 293 Taking a Closer Look at Mr Smarty Pants er, Feathers 294 Studying What Parrots Really Understand 295 Introducing Alex the Amazing Grey 296 Helping Your Bird Understand You 298 Teaching Your Parrot to Converse 299 Comprehending Why Parrots Talk 300 Chapter 16: Taming and Training Your Parrot 303 Beginning Training When Your Parrot is Young 304 Understanding the Importance of Socializing Your Parrot 304 Seeing how socialization affects a parrot’s quality of life 305 Socializing your parrot: The how-to 306 Bonding with Your Parrot 308 Building trust 308 Creating the bond: The how-to 309 Praising Your Bird: Positive Reinforcement Goes a Long Way 311 Considering Different Training Strategies 313 Finding your bird’s motivation 313 Considering clicker training 314 Teaching the Step-Up Command 316 Training a tame or semi-tame parrot: The how-to 316 Using stick training for this command 317 Whittling down to teach this command 318 Taming a Bronco Parrot 318 Disciplining a Parrot 320 Considering Some Simple Fun Behaviors You Can Teach 321 Potty Training Your Parrot: is It Even Possible? 323 Teaching Your Parrot to Talk 324 Recognizing what you need to get your bird to talk 324 Focusing on breeds that are known for talking 326 Getting your bird to stop talking 327 Dealing with a bird that doesn’t talk 328 Chapter 17: Taking Your Training to the Next Level: Advanced Techniques 329 Determining Whether Your Bird Learn Advanced Skills 331 Getting Started on the Right Foot 332 Discovering your parrot’s favorite treats 332 Giving praise 333 Recognizing other items you need to begin 333 Implementing Preference Training 334 Incorporating a Target into Your Training 335 Adding Colors to Your Training Regimen 336 Differentiating between Yes and No 338 Developing Your Bird’s Vocabulary 340 Playing Games with Your Parrot 340 Focusing on “more” or “less” 341 Playing war 341 Training How to Count 342 Handling Wrong Answers 344 Chapter 18: Breeding Parrots 345 Taking Heed: A Warning Before You Begin 346 Having Realistic Expectations When Breeding 347 Realizing how much time and expense is required 347 Considering the associated risks with breeding 348 Finding homes for the babies 350 Getting Started: Breeding with Paired Parrots 350 Recognizing What Breeding Equipment You Need 351 Meeting Nutritional Requirements When Breeding 352 Understanding the Breeding Process: A Timeline 353 Incubating Eggs When the Parent Parrots Aren’t Interested 357 Hatching — Time to welcome the new peeper 357 Making your own brooder 358 Using Leg Bands — A Bird’s ID Tag 359 Handfeeding Baby Parrots 360 Recognizing the equipment you need 360 Choosing a formula 360 Handfeeding your birds: The how-to 361 Being aware of handfeeding potential problems 362 Weaning Baby Parrots 366 Parrot Genetics 101 — Just the Basics 368 Chapter 19: In the Ring: Showing Your Parrot 371 Being Wary — Words of Warning for Showing 372 Looking into Parrot Clubs and Societies 373 Walking You Through How a Bird Show Works 374 Knowing the Show Standard 375 Looking at Different Show Equipment 378 Conditioning Your Bird for a Show 378 Preparing Your Bird: Show Training 379 Helping Out at the Show 380 Part 6: The Part of Tens 381 Chapter 20: Ten Things All Parrots Should Know 383 Understand the Step-Up Command 383 Comprehend Stick Training 384 Know Her Carrier 384 Identify Windows and Mirrors 384 Say Her Name and Phone Number 385 Recognize Her Cage As a Safety Zone 385 Know How to Take Medicine 386 Be Able to Trust You 386 Eat Well 386 Understand the Word “No!” 387 Chapter 21: Ten Ways to Entertain Your Parrot 389 Feeding Him — Food 390 Entertaining Your Bird — You’re the Star 391 Stimulating Your Parrot’s Mind — Parrot Toys 391 Turning on the TV and Some Music 393 Spending Time Outside — The Great Outdoors 393 Letting Him Spread His Wings — Flying 394 Shaking Your Groove Thang — Dancing 394 Belting at the Top of Your Lungs — Singing 394 Introducing a Friend — Parrot Pets 395 Training Him Different Tricks 395 Chapter 22: Ten (or So) Tips When Traveling with Your Parrot 397 Being Prepared — Packing Your Parrot’s Suitcase 398 Thinking Safety and Comfort — Bringing the Right Carrier 399 Hitting the Friendly Skies — Traveling by Air 401 Taking a Road Trip — Traveling by Car 402 Keeping Your Bird Hydrated — Bringing Bottled Water 403 Sleeping for the Night — Staying in a Hospitable Hotel 403 Feeding Your Bird — Helpful Travel Tips 404 Dealing with an Emergency — Finding an Avian Veterinarian on the Road 404 Relying on Help — Using a Parrot Sitter 405 Chapter 23: Ten Surprises for Parrot Guardians and How to Respond to Them 407 Handling the Inevitable Mess 407 Being Ready for the Noise 408 Feeling Guilty 409 Requiring Constant Supervision 410 Preparing to Open Your Wallet — The Expense 410 Bonding with You to an Extreme 411 Seeing How Funny Parrots Are around Mirrors 411 Recognizing How Smart Parrots Are 411 Figuring Out Who Inherits Your Parrot When You Die — Estate Planning 412 Being Prepared for the Unexpected — When Your Parrot Dies 413 Index 415

    1 in stock

    £16.19

  • Deer

    Johns Hopkins University Press Deer

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisNature lovers, hunters, and anyone curious about deer will find this fact-filled book both fascinating and full of surprises.Trade ReviewWith vivid color photographs and an accessible and engaging question-and-answer format, this easy-to read book is the go-to resource on deer. Nature lovers, hunters, and anyone curious about deer will find this fact-filled book both fascinating and full of surprises. Southeastern Naturalist A nice book to read. -- Robert E. Hoopes Wildlife Activist This introductory work translates scientific studies/terminology into an easy-to-read format for lay readers to gain an understanding of the Cervidae family. Choice Hunters, nature lovers, and anyone curious abot deer will enjoy reading this book. -- Evelyne Bremond-Hoslet MammaliaTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Introducing DeerWhat are deer?What is the difference between bucks, stags, and bulls?How many kinds of deer are there?How are musk deer different from "true" deer?What are the most common species of deer?What species of deer are most rare?Why are deer important?Where do deer live?What is the current classification of deer?What characterizes the major groups of deer?When did deer evolve?What is the oldest fossil deer?2. Form and FunctionWhat are the largest and smallest living deer?What is the metabolism of deer?What is the structure and function of deer teeth?Can deer see color?Can deer swim?How fast can deer run?How high can deer jump?What are antlers?What determines antler size in an individual?Why do deer have antlers?Do all male deer have antlers?Do female deer ever have antlers?Why do female caribou usually have antlers?How do antlers differ from horns?What is the yearly cycle of antlers?When and how do antlers grow?How fast can antlers grow?Do antlers of tropical deer differ from those of temperate species?How large and heavy can antlers get?How are antlers shed?Why shed antlers and regrow them every year?Why are relatively few shed antlers found on the ground?Are antlers always symmetrical?How do antler anomalies occur?How did antlers evolve?3. Deer Coat ColorsWhat are the functions of the coat in deer?What causes the different coat colors of deer?How are hair colors determined genetically?What about patterns of coat color?Are there age-related differences in coat color?Do coat colors change in different seasons?Is there geographic variation in coat color within a given species?4. Deer BehaviorAre deer social?Do deer fight?How smary are deer?Do deer play?Do deer talk?How do deer avoid predators?5. Deer EcologyDo deer sleep in the same place each night?Do deer migrate?Which geographic regions have the most species of deer?How do deer survive in the desert or during droughts?How do deer survive the winter?Do deer have enemies?Do deer get sick?Are deer good for the environment?6. Reproduction and DevelopmentHow do deer reproduce?When do deer mate and give birth?Do deer breed only one time per year?How many fawns do deer have?Are all deer fawns full siblings?Can the sex of a deer be determined visually?Do deer care for their young?How fast do deer grow?How can you tell the age of a deer?How long do deer live?7. Foods and FeedingWhat do deer eat?How do deer find food?Are any deer scavengers?How do deer digest their food?Do deer store food?8. Deer and HumansDo deer make good pets?Should people feed deer?Do deer feel pain?What should I do if I find an injured deer?What should I do if I find a fawn?What is the best way to observe deer?How economically important are deer today?What are deer game farms and game ranches?How and where did deer farms begin?What parts of deer are used in traditional Asian medicine?9. Deer Problems (from a human viewpoint)Can deer be pests?How do I reduce deer damage?How many deer are hit by vehicles?Where are deer most often hit?What are ways to reduce deer-vehicle collisions?Do deer have diseases that are contagious?Can deer negatively affect forest regeneration and structure?How can exotic species of deer cause problems?Where have deer been introduced?Why introduce deer to different places?10. Human Problems (from a deer's viewpoint)Do people hunt and eat deer?Are any deer species endangered?What is so unusual about the endangered Père David's deer?What about other conservation efforts?Why are some species endangered while others reach pest proportions?How will deer be affected by global warming?11. Deer in Art and LiteratureWhat roles do deer play in art, religion, mythology, and popular culture?How have deer been incorporated into literature andpoetry?12. "Deerology"Who studies deer?What species are best known?What species are least known?How do scientists tell deer apart?Appendix A: Deer of the WorldAppendix B: Deer Conservation OrganizationsBibliographyIndex

    1 in stock

    £37.35

  • Biology and Conservation of North American

    Johns Hopkins University Press Biology and Conservation of North American

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe most comprehensive book ever published on North America''s native tortoises.Tortoises, those unmistakable turtles, evolved from a lineage that split off from the familiar pond turtles roughly 100 million years ago. Over time, these plant-eating land turtles spread around the world, growing to an enormous size (depending on the species) and living so long that they have become the stuff of legends. By most accounts, they are indeed the longest-lived of the turtles, with good records suggesting individuals may live as long as 180 years (anecdotal records suggest that some reach ages of 200 years or more).Providing the first comprehensive treatment of North America's tortoises, Biology and Conservation of North American Tortoises brings together leading experts to give an overview of tortoise morphology, taxonomy, systematics, paleontology, physiology, ecology, behavior, reproduction, diet, growth, health, and conservation. The contributors carefully comTrade ReviewA vital tool and reference base for researchers and conservationists, with the added bonus that there is plenty of informatin that could be applied to other species worldwide. -- Christine Tilley British Chelonia Group A valuable resource for public and academic libraries. Choice ... Valuable additions to the collections of herpetologists and conservation biologists... Comprehensive... The Quarterly Review of BiologyTable of ContentsPrefaceChapter 1. Morphology, Taxonomy, and Distribution of North American Tortoises: An Evolutionary PerspectiveChapter 2. The Fossil Record for the North American TortoisesChapter 3. Systematics of Extant North American TortoisesChapter 4. Thermoregulation and Energetics of North American TortoisesChapter 5. Reproductive Physiology of North American Tortoises Chapter 6. Embryonic Development, Hatching Success, and Temperature Dependent Sex Determination in North American Tortoises Chapter 7. Growth Patterns of North American TortoisesChapter 8. Health Issues of North American TortoisesChapter 9. Habitat Characteristics of North American TortoisesChapter 10. Water and Food Acquisition and Their Consequences for Life History and Metabolism of North American TortoisesChapter 11. Home Range and Movements of North American TortoisesChapter 12. Social Behaviors of North American TortoisesChapter 13. Nesting and Reproductive Output among North American TortoisesChapter 14. Abundance of North American TortoisesChapter 15. Population and Conservation Genetics of North American TortoisesChapter 16. Demography of North American TortoisesChapter 17. History of Human Interaction with North American TortoisesChapter 18. Threats and Conservation Needs for North American Tortoises ReferencesIndex

    1 in stock

    £54.00

  • Gibbs M. Smith Inc Walden Life in the Woods

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    2 in stock

    £13.99

  • Dimensions of Aesthetic Encounters

    State University of New York Press Dimensions of Aesthetic Encounters

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisA novel fusing of multiple approaches and range of examples exploring the dimensions, objects, and import of aesthetic encounters.We encounter in our lives things and situations that elicit from us special forms of attention. They affect and inform us in various ways, drawing us in and holding us in their grasp or turning us away. Works of art of all sorts, and nature in its myriad manifestations, exemplify these luring and repelling qualities and potencies. Dimensions of Aesthetic Encounters explores central perceptual, interpretative, and semiotic dimensions of these encounters, combining a wide range of examples and intellectual resources from pragmatist, hermeneutical, and semiotic frameworks. Practicing a kind of "method of rotation" Robert E. Innis breaks down barriers in aesthetic theory and shows their complementary powers. Recurring themes link each chapter, throwing a powerful light on aesthetic encounters by foregrounding such pivotal notions as play, fundedness and the role of memory, the defining quality of an artwork, energies of objects, potencies, rhythm, form, presentational abstraction, medium, symbolization, intuition, role of the body, and the non-argumentative nature of art.

    1 in stock

    £24.23

  • A Sense of Wonder

    AuthorHouse A Sense of Wonder

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £12.99

  • Goat Crazy

    Createspace Independent Publishing Platform Goat Crazy

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £9.21

  • Preserving Yellowstones Natural Conditions

    University of Nebraska Press Preserving Yellowstones Natural Conditions

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisPreserving Yellowstone’s Natural Conditions describes in fascinating detail the historical origins and development of wildlife management in Yellowstone National Park, alongside shifting understandings of nature in science and culture. James A. Pritchard traces the idea of “natural conditions” through time, from the introduction of this concept by early ecologists in the 1930s. He tells several overlooked stories of Yellowstone wildlife, including a sensational scientific hunt for bears with bow and arrow, and the episode of the predator pelicans, which facilitated a fundamental shift toward protection of all wildlife in Yellowstone, and for the National Park Service as a whole. A prolonged debate regarding the elk herd on Yellowstone’s northern range is addressed, along with the origins of the notion of natural regulation, and the reasons for ending direct reductions of elk. This story emphasizes how ecological science came to Yellowstone and to the NatiTrade Review“This is one of the five most important books ever written about Yellowstone, and perhaps the most important one about ecological management of the park.”—Lee Whittlesey, retired historian for Yellowstone National Park“James Pritchard’s book is a milestone in Yellowstone historical research. It is also essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how we got the magnificent park that we enjoy, celebrate, and constantly argue over today. For the sake of Yellowstone and your own clear thinking, don’t deny yourself this vital and challenging perspective.”—Paul Schullery, author of Searching for Yellowstone and Past and Future Yellowstones“A model of thoughtful, responsible storytelling; attentive to nuance, careful in its claims, judicious in its judgments. It’s a refreshing antidote to the tsunami of poorly informed, ideologically driven analyses all too common today.”—Paul Hirt, professor emeritus, School of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Studies, Arizona State University“This is a complicated story, dispassionately told and meticulously documented.”—Choice“A must-read for anyone interested in Yellowstone. It articulates the history, traces the evolution, and, by extension, anticipates the future of resource management in the park. It perfectly captures the messy world of science, policy, and public expectations that Yellowstone shoulders.”—Tom Olliff, ecologist for the National Park Service and former chief of resources at Yellowstone National Park“Having stood the test of time, Pritchard has updated his groundbreaking chronicle of nature preservation policy in Yellowstone with an insightful epilogue that brings the book forward into the new era of climate change, hyper-visitation, digital technology, state-managed wolves, migration corridors, and landscape-scale conservation.”—Robert B. Keiter, author of To Conserve Unimpaired: The Evolution of the National Park Idea“Yellowstone, the first national park in world history, is synonymous with charismatic wild animals and wild landscapes. Here is where, over the past century and a half, people have developed cultural attitudes toward wildness and tried to mitigate the damage that our species has done to the natural order. And the best guide to that learning is historian James Pritchard. No one has matched his richly detailed, comprehensive understanding of the meaning of Yellowstone and of the ways Americans have tried to protect it. This updated edition adds valuable new material on the changes of the past two decades. Highly recommended for historians, ecologists, park employees, and general readers.”—Donald Worster, author of A Passion for Nature: The Life of John Muir“Perhaps the single most important book describing how the National Park Service developed its policy on preservation and what are ‘natural’ conditions. With so much to read I rarely read anything twice, but this one I did and I am considering a third.”—Douglas W. Smith, senior wildlife biologist for Yellowstone National Park“As Yellowstone National Park celebrates its 150th birthday and park wildlife faces increasing pressure on all fronts, the reissue of James Pritchard’s engaging history, with a new, comprehensive afterword, could not be more timely. As Pritchard demonstrates so well, we ‘cannot understand the management of our parks or hope for enlightened park management if we fail to see our parks in a historical context.’”—Diane Smith, author of Yellowstone and the Smithsonian: Centers of Wildlife Conservation “The historical tension between active management and natural regulation was brilliantly laid out in the 1999 edition. Here, Pritchard fast-forwards to the present day and asks us to consider wicked new challenges—delisting, climate change, skyrocketing visitation—facing America’s first national park.”—Cathy Whitlock, Regents Professor Emerita, Montana State UniversityTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction 1. A Preservationist Yellowstone, 1872–1915 2. Conservationist Thought and Yellowstone, 1916–1930 3. The Wildlife Division and the Ecology of Intervention 4. Managing the Natural During the Postwar Era 5. A Natural Yellowstone, 1963–1974 6. A Greater Yellowstone, 1975–1995 Epilogue Afterword Notes Sources Index

    1 in stock

    £15.99

  • The Green Thread

    Lexington Books The Green Thread

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Green Thread: Dialogues with the Vegetal World is an interdisciplinary collection of essays in the emerging field of Plant Studies. The volume is the first of its kind to bring together a dynamic body of scholarship that shares a critique of long-standing human perceptions of plants as lacking autonomy, agency, consciousness, and, intelligence. The leading metaphor of the bookthe green thread, echoing poet Dylan Thomas' phrase the green fusecarries multiple meanings. On a more apparent level, the green thread is what weaves together the diverse approaches of this collection: an interest in the vegetal that goes beyond single disciplines and specialist discourses, and one that not only encourages but necessitates interdisciplinary and even interspecies dialogue. On another level, the green thread links creative and historical productions to the materiality of the vegetala reality reflecting our symbiosis with oxygen-producing beings. In short, The Green Thread refers to the converTrade Review“Over fifty years ago Rachel Carson wrote in Silent Spring that our “attitude toward plants is a singularly narrow one.” This book offers readers in the humanities and sciences a more broadly conceived and sophisticated interdisciplinary conversation about plants. More significantly, the book reinvigorates a human dialogue with plants that has been displaced by modern cultural attitudes toward the vegetal world.” -- Mark C. Long, Keene State CollegeTable of ContentsIntroduction. Patrícia Vieira, Monica Gagliano and John C. Ryan Section I. Disseminating Plants Chapter 1. What’s Planted in the Event? On the Secret Life of a Philosophical Concept, Michael Marder Chapter 2. Seeing Green: The Re-discovery of Plants and Nature’s Wisdom, Monica Gagliano Chapter 3. Tolkien’s Sonic Trees and Perfumed Herbs: Plant Intelligence in Middle-earth, John Charles Ryan Chapter 4. What’s Talking? On the Nostalgic Epistemology of Plant Communication, Stefan Rieger Chapter 5. “Wild Memory” as an Anthropocene Heuristic: Cultivating Ethical Paradigms for Galleries, Museums, and Seed Banks, Tom Bristow Section II. Politicizing Plants Chapter 6. Preserving Plants in an Era of Extinction: Sentimental and Scientific Discourse in Mary Thacher Higginson’s “A Dying Race”, Jennifer Schell Chapter 7. Laws of the Jungle: The Politics of Contestation in Cinema about the Amazon, Patrícia Vieira Chapter 8. Monstrous Flora: Dangerous Cinematic Plants of the Cold War Era, Andrew Howe Chapter 9. Once Upon a Time in Ombrosa: Italo Calvino and the Fabulist Pastoral, Gioia Woods Chapter 10. Vital Plants and Despicable Weeds in Ray Lawrence’s Lantana, Guinevere Narraway and Hannah Stark Section III. Performing Plants Chapter 11. Plant-Thinking with Film: Reed, Branch, Flower, Graig Uhlin Chapter 12. Shrubs and the City: Urban Nature in Rear Window, Pansy Duncan Chapter 13. The Art of Human to Plant Interaction, Christa Sommerer, Laurent Mignonneau, and Florian Weil Chapter 14. The English Garden Effect: Phyto-Performance, Abandoned Practices and Endangered Uses, Alan Read Contributors

    1 in stock

    £103.50

  • Rhetorical Animals

    Lexington Books Rhetorical Animals

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisFor this edited volume, the editors solicited chapters that investigate the place of nonhuman animals in the purview of rhetorical theory; what it would mean to communicate beyond the human community; how rhetoric reveals our "brute roots." In other words, this book investigates themes that enlighten us about likely or possible implications of the animal turn within rhetorical studies. The present book is unique in its focus on the call for nonanthropocentrism in rhetorical studies. Although there have been many hints in recent years that rhetoric is beginning to consider the implications of the animal turn, as yet no other anthology makes this its explicit starting point and sustained objective. Thus, the various contributions to this book promise to further the ongoing debate about what rhetoric might be after it sheds its long-standing humanistic bias.Trade ReviewIn the excellent collection Rhetorical Animals, Bjørkdahl and Parrish have collected a range of robust investigations on the persuasive capacities of animals. These chapters expand existing conversations on ethics, rhetorics, and materiality, while pointing to new directions for exploring intra-animal persuasions, human-animal relationships, and the biotic bases for persuasion. Further, the scholars assembled here trouble longstanding assumptions about what rhetoric is, how it functions, and who has access to it, all while being critical and personal in equal measure. -- Ehren Helmut Pflugfelder, Oregon State UniversityTable of ContentsPart I: Expanding Boundaries – InternallyChapter 1: Multiple Rhetorical Animals: Motivation and Fairness in a Paradigm of Rhetoric as Emotive ConsciousnessDavid GruberChapter 2: A Humanimal Rhetorics of Biological MaterialityHayley Zertuche Chapter 3: Let’s Listen With Our Feet: Animals, Neurodivergence, Vulnerability, and Haptic RhetoricityKelin LoeChapter 4: Human Boundary Seepage and Bacterial RhetoricsJennifer Saltmarsh Part II: Expanding Boundaries – ExternallyChapter 5: The Biotic Turn in Rhetoric: Ethical Internatural Communication as Suasory PeacebuildingEllen Gorsevski Chapter 6: Towards an Ethological RhetoricDustin GreenwaltChapter 7: Beyond a Patriarchal Rhetorical Economy: Nonhuman Animals as Agents in Turkic Legends and Political CultureIklim GokselChapter 8: Human, Dolphins, and Other PeopleAlex Parrish Part III: Further Expansion: Cross-Species and Across CulturesChapter 9: Learning to Howl: An Exercise in Internatural AbductionEmily Plec and Susan HafenChapter 10: Touring the Sixth Persona: Dodos and the Rhetorical Effects of Missed CommunicationJake DionneChapter 11: How Dogs (and Other Nonhuman Animals) Become Interesting)Marilyn CooperChapter 12: How to Understand a Parrot’s Words and What You Can Learn from Him: Early Indian Writers on Animal Speech Andrea GutierrezChapter 13: The Rhetoric of Nonanthropocentric RhetoricBjørkdahl, Kristian

    1 in stock

    £30.00

  • The Land of Little Rain

    Graphic Arts Books The Land of Little Rain

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Land of Little Rain (1903) is a collection of essays and short stories by Mary Hunter Austin. Originally published with photographs taken by acclaimed American photographer Ansel Adams, The Land of Little Rain is a classic work of nature writing. Austin is now recognized as an early feminist and conservationist who understood the intricacy and fragility of ecosystems as well as the extent to which human civilization threatens their continued existence. In a series of stories and essays on the animals, landscapes, and peoples that make up the American Southwest, Mary Hunter Austin proves that the foremost responsibility of a writer is to look. With an attentive and deeply respectful eye, Austin describes the heat and violence of desert weather, the tracks made by disparate animal species as they travel in search of water, and the scavengers that depend on death for life. Within this collection are brief stories about the people and communities scattered throughout the harsh Mojave desert: a miner who longs for wealth and civilization but returns to the wild and unpredictable life of speculation; a Shoshone medicine man captured by the Paiute tribe who misses his people and home; a town where people live simply, depending on nothing but the land and its bounty for their daily existence and abundant happiness. The Land of Little Rain is both informative and moving, an intricate tapestry that celebrates the diversity of life while making an incontrovertible case for its continued preservation. Mary Hunter Austin was a gifted writer and an environmentalist ahead of her time. In a world faced with the catastrophic effects of a global climate crisis, we need writers such as Austin for not only the wisdom and knowledge they offer, but the monumental change their words can inspire. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Mary Hunter Austin’s The Land of Little Rain is a classic of American literature and nature writing reimagined for modern readers.

    1 in stock

    £6.78

  • The Consolation of Nature: Spring in the Time of

    Hodder & Stoughton The Consolation of Nature: Spring in the Time of

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisONE OF THE GUARDIAN'S BEST NATURE BOOKS OF 2020SHORTLISTED FOR THE RICHARD JEFFERIES SOCIETY & WHITE HORSE BOOKSHOP LITERARY PRIZE'Lovely: full of fascinating detail and anecdote, but the undertow of the virus moving in real time beneath its sunlit surface gives it a unique emotional heft.'-The Times'A literary window into the wonderful wild world during lockdown... a charming book.'-Daily Mail'An entrancing testament to nature's power to restore us to ourselves.'-Ruth PadelNature took on a new importance for many people when the coronavirus pandemic arrived, providing solace in a time of great anxiety - not least because the crisis struck at the beginning of spring, the season of light, growth, rebirth and renewal.Three writers, close friends but living in widely separated, contrasting parts of the country, resolved to record their experiences of this extraordinary spring in intimate detail, to share with others their sense of the wonder, inspiration and delight the natural world can offer.The Consolation of Nature is the story of what they discovered by literally walking out from their front doors.Trade ReviewA literary window into the wonderful wild world during lockdown...a charming book * Daily Mail *A significant and beautifully written historical record of a unique English spring -- Adam gretton * The Harrier *As our lives constrict again, the long spring lockdown already seems a lifetime ago. But that beautiful and frightening time has been perfectly captured in The Consolation of Nature by the naturalists Michael McCarthy, Jeremy Mynott and Peter Marren. Each reports from their home patches - Richmond, West Suffolk and North Wessex, respectively - to describe the progress of a record-breakingly sunny spring as human activity slowed and stilled. As a set of nature diaries it's lovely: full of fascinating detail and anecdote. But the undertow of the virus moving in real time beneath its sunlit surface gives it a unique emotional heft. When we emerge from this crisis our relationship with the natural world must change. This book surely is a record of the beginnings of that shift. -- Melissa Harrison * The Times *A powerful and moving reflection on the solace brought by nature and its power as a balm for stressed-out lives -- Caroline Lucas MPWhat joy - three of our greatest nature writers in one book! What they felt under lockdown is surely what we all felt, that primal need to be out in nature - balm for body and soul. There's acute and beautiful observation on every page, thrown into exquisite relief by the poignancy of the circumstances. Against the backdrop of anxiety and doubt, their experiences bear witness to the inspiring and ever-hopeful lesson that nature can heal itself - and us - if we let it. -- Isabella TreeThe Consolation of Nature is as scintillating, perceptive and every bit as readable as Gibert White's Selborne -- Professor Tim Birkhead, FRSThe book is an entrancing testament to nature's power to restore us to ourselves. To read it is to open your eyes to everything around you, from an egg-laying butterfly to the value of cowpats. In the company of three generous naturalists, you wander down a Lovers' Lane of close observation plus humane imagination, into the tangled bank of wild and hidden life that still goes on, despite all we have done to it, in our countryside and parks. The Consolation of Nature is a consolation in itself. -- Ruth PadelThese three distinguished writers are all steeped in the natural world, yet each is of highly individual sensibility and comes from a very distinct part of the country. For all the differences between them, they have produced a book of fundamental unity with a singular conclusion: that coronavirus and all its consequences reveal the central importance of nature to the British as a nation and to humans as a species. Their message could not be more timely. -- Mark CockerProbably the best tribute to spring since Edward Thomas's In Pursuit of Spring... A spell-binding paean to the best and worst spring ever which shows how deeply Nature absorbs, stimulates and nurtures us. -- Matthew OatesThey all write superbly and their styles and perspectives are sufficiently different to add variety to the passage... but not so different that any grates with the others. It is so beautifully written -- Mark AveryAs expected from these three authors, it is beautifully written, but it is also extremely evocative. -- Martin Harper, Global Conservation Director RSPBI was entranced by the close observations of wildlife by three eloquent and experienced naturalists during the 'lockdown year', proof, if any were needed, that nature provides succour when it is most required -- Richard Fortey, FRSCredit to three of our most distinguished nature writers...This is an entertaining and insightful diary of lockdown, which really manages to capture the essence of the unique spring of 2020 -- Stephen Moss * 2020 Round-up of Nature Books *The joy of The Consolation of Nature is the privileged glimpse into the minds of really good naturalists - and they are admirably good. There is much written about nature and about its importance to humanity, and no lack of earnest rhetoric, but to see into the intimate and personal chambers of the minds of people who love nature, who live and breathe it, who cherish it and who find it an endless source of wonder, this is the delight of this book. There are no great messages, no edicts, no cajoling of our consciences, this is simply the everyday joy that the natural world provides at a time when we need it the most. I loved savouring it, small sections at a time, the reading equivalent of a slice of cake with tea - something to look forward to and enjoy for no other reason than it is a treat. That is not to say it is without wisdom, there is so much understated wisdom on every page, but it is for the reader to find and absorb for themselves and to ponder in a gentle way, like turning over a leaf and finding butterfly eggs, or suddenly spotting a buzzard high over London. J B Haldane was right when he said the world will not perish for lack of wonders but lack of wonder. This is a book that infuses the reader with wonder on every page. -- Mary Colwell-Hector

    1 in stock

    £13.49

  • A Vagabond for Beauty: A John Murray Journey

    John Murray Press A Vagabond for Beauty: A John Murray Journey

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisINTRODUCED BY PAUL KINGSNORTH, Booker-shortlisted author of The Wake'I thought that there were two rules in life - never count the cost, and never do anything unless you can do it wholeheartedly. Now is the time to live.' Artist and wanderer Everett Ruess left home at the age of sixteen to immerse himself in the harsh desert landscapes of the American Southwest. With only his donkeys for company, driven by an insatiable longing for beauty and experience, he ventured ever further from civilisation and into the wilderness of Navajo country. In 1934, at the age of twenty, he vanished without trace in Utah, a disappearance that remains unsolved to this day. Through letters, diary excerpts and poems - charting not only his rugged adventures and his exquisite nature writing but his progression as a writer, and into adulthood - and with commentary by W. L. Rusho, A Vagabond for Beauty tells his remarkable story.

    2 in stock

    £11.69

  • Listening to Nature: How to Deepen Your Awareness

    Crystal Clarity,U.S. Listening to Nature: How to Deepen Your Awareness

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisLISTENING TO NATURE will help you experience more fully the serenity and mystery of the natural world.Joseph Cornell, author of the bestselling Sharing Nature with Children, offers a sensitive yet lively guidebook to a deeper awareness of nature. You will learn how to get the feel of nature through inspiring quotations from famous naturalists, stunning photography and Cornell''s ever-popular nature awareness activities-simple, enjoyable exercises that give you a direct, personal experience of the wonder and joy of nature.You do not have to be in the wilderness to do these activities. In fact, you can do many of them while driving or walking to work. As you use these activities, more and more, your receptivity will increase and you''ll begin to see beauty in the most common things. Use this book and its gentle encouragement for personal meditation or as an aid for teaching nature awareness to children and adults. Through this book you will learn to be still and silent, to absorb the wonder of your natural surroundings. You will feel and appreciate-and become one with-the great outdoors: its woodlands, mountains, streams and fields. Let this book transport your spirit to the heart of crystal clear springs and ancient forests-and to your own still centre, deep within.

    2 in stock

    £17.09

  • Zen of the Plains: Experiencing Wild Western

    University of North Texas Press,U.S. Zen of the Plains: Experiencing Wild Western

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisAlthough spare, sweeping landscapes may appear “empty,” plains and prairies afford a rich, unique aesthetic experience—one of quiet sunrises and dramatic storms, hidden treasures and abundant wildlife, infinite horizons and omnipresent wind, all worthy of contemplation and celebration.In this series of narratives, photographs, and hand-drawn maps, Tyra Olstad blends scholarly research with first-hand observation to explore topics such as wildness and wilderness, travel and tourism, preservation and conservation, expectations and acceptance, and even dreams and reality in the context of parks, prairies, and wild, open places. In so doing, she invites readers to reconsider the meaning of “emptiness” and ask larger, deeper questions such as: how do people experience the world? How do we shape places and how do places shape us? Above all, what does it mean to experience that exhilarating effect known as Zen of the plains?

    1 in stock

    £18.71

  • Buster's Undersea Counting Expedition 1 to 10:

    Big Blue Sky Press Buster's Undersea Counting Expedition 1 to 10:

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £9.36

  • Wild Spectacle: Seeking Wonders in a World beyond

    Trinity University Press,U.S. Wild Spectacle: Seeking Wonders in a World beyond

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisLooking for adventure and continuing a process of self-discovery, Janisse Ray has repeatedly set out to immerse herself in wildness, to be wild, and to learn what wildness can teach us. From overwintering with monarch butterflies in Mexico to counting birds in Belize, the stories in Wild Spectacle capture her luckiest moments—ones of heart-pounding amazement, discovery of romance, and moving toward living more wisely. In Ray’s worst moments she crosses boundaries to encounter danger and embrace sadness.Anchored firmly in two places Ray has called home—Montana and southern Georgia—the sixteen essays here span a landscape from Alaska to Central America, connecting common elements in the ecosystems of people and place. One of her abiding griefs is that she has missed the sights of explorers like Bartram, Sacagawea, and Carver: flocks of passenger pigeons, routes of wolves, herds of bison. She craves a wilder world and documents encounters that are rare in a time of disappearing habitat, declining biodiversity, and a world too slowly coming to terms with climate change. In an age of increasingly virtual, urban life, Ray embraces the intentionality of trying to be a better person balanced with seeking out natural spectacle, abundance, and less trammeled environments. She questions what it means to travel into the wild as a woman, speculates on the impacts of ecotourism and travel in general, questions assumptions about eating from the land, and appeals to future generations to make substantive change.Wild Spectacle explores our first home, the wild earth, and invites us to question its known and unknown beauties and curiosities.Trade ReviewPraise for Wild SpectacleGeorgia Center for the Book “Books All Georgians Should Read” for 2022Atlanta Journal Constitution Top 10 Southern Books of 2021Gun & Garden’s Favorite Books of 2021 “A lover takes nothing for granted. A lover explores, wanders, takes delight in nuance. Says, viva la difference. A lover listens, savors, is patient. Janisse Ray is a writer in love with place and places.” — Orion “With its combination of lyrical sentences, heartfelt truths, and profound observations, this book is a gem and a worthy sequel to Cracker Childhood.” — Southern Literary Review “Ray is more than a knowledgeable observer. Her relationship with the natural world is passionate and spiritual.” — Alabama Public Radio “The essays in Wild Spectacle span 20 years…they show that no matter where or when we are, there’s wonders to bear witness to.” — Savannah Morning News “Just a small town girl traveling the whole world, Janisse Ray’s new collection Wild Spectacle showcases her choice to take on heart-pounding adventure while discovering herself and nature.” — Connect Savannah“Naturalist Janisse Ray’s clear, nimble, sensitive writing about wildness and self-discovery is so arresting that it has informed my own writing.” — Latria Graham, Garden & Gun “Wild Spectacle is prayer to Mother Earth, and like prayers Ray both exalts and grieves Her. This book will surely mark your soul.” — Dawn Major"An enthralling immersion into the splendor of our natural world told in language that is equal parts rapturous and down to earth." — The Atlanta Journal-Constitution"An enchanting essay collection about the wonders and lessons that nature provides." — Foreword Reviews“Wild Spectacle is prayer to Mother Earth, and like prayers Ray both exalts and grieves Her. This book will surely mark your soul.” — Dawn Major“Think about epiphany. Think about change. Think about the moments that make your face burn, your fingers tingle. Wild Spectacle is about those shocks, encounters that shift the way we see the world and ourselves in it. Ray is the vortex around which everything spins.” — Joni Tevis, author of The World Is on Fire: Scrap, Treasure, and Songs of Apocalypse“Wonderful. Janisse Ray has a heart the size of a manatee and the tenacity (and laugh) of a pileated woodpecker. She is incapable of not loving this world and all that is in it. If you don’t yet know her work, today is your lucky day.” — Rick Bass, author of For a Little While: New and Selected Stories”Curious, humble, bright, and compelling. Whenever I read Janisse Ray, I come away feeling both moved and fortunate. She is one of America’s best chroniclers of spiritual and physical wilderness. Her prose is as gorgeous as her mind is wise, and lands a necessary punch: how should a human enter a wild place?” — Megan Mayhew Bergman, author of Almost Famous Women“These seductive and diverse essays evoke wildness themselves, weaving narratives of community, love, and heroism. Ray writes with the heart of a poet and warrior, casting a spell that leaves us wanting to love and protect all that is wild. She urges us to remember what beauty there is in the world, and how much that world needs us.” — Sheryl St. Germain, author of Fifty Miles“Ray’s richness of observation, clarity of expression, and moral purpose are in such balance that this book hums like a gyroscope in your hands. Read and reread it again to savor the scenes and sentences.” — Melissa Fay Greene, author of No Biking in the House without a Helmet: 9 Kids, 3 Continents, 2 Parents, 1 Family“An urgent love letter to our wild places. Part poet, naturalist, and tour guide, Ray is a gifted observer. We finish this remarkable book brimming with gratitude and alive to the wild spectacles around us.” — Beth Ann Fennelly, author of Heating and Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs“Here is Janisse Ray at her best—fully immersed in wilderness, immersed in friendship, immersed in parenthood. She engages with the world in a way that few can manage in this screened-off age. If there’s a more open, honest, and appealing writer today, I’ve not met her.” — Bill McKibben, author Wandering Home: A Long Walk across America’s Most Hopeful Landscape“Wild Spectacle is a stirring book. To experience the truth of Thoreau’s claim that wildness preserves the world, take these journeys with Janisse Ray. She is an exhilarating observer who explores untamed places where that shaping, animating energy is on vivid display.” — Scott Russell Sanders, author of The Way of Imagination“Janisse Ray’s sense of wonder in the presence of the natural world permeates this collection of essays on how to love the Earth and measure the value of a life surrounded by the mother we all share. These essays help us measure the value of life.” — Pam Houston, author of Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country"Seriously great. In its brilliantly detailed celebrations of geography, Janisse Ray's writing suggests Walt Whitman. Hers is a literary ambition that makes no pretenses to modesty." — Franklin Burroughs, author of Billy Watson’s Croker Sack"Janisse Ray doesn’t explore nature so much as remind us of what we have forgotten... She is our Rachel Carson and our Walt Whitman, both fierce prophet and loving courage teacher." — Mark Powell, author LionessPraise for Ecology of a Cracker Childhood"Painfully and powerfully told.... Ray's passion for preserving and restoring this unsung landscape is heartfelt and refreshing." — Tony Horowitz, New York Times"The forests of the southeast find their Rachel Carson . . . . In Ecology of a Cracker Childhood, part memoir, part clarion call to save the longleaf pine, she casts a loving but unflinching eye on growing up poor and fundamentalist in southeast Georgia.” — Anne Raver, New York Times"A gutsy, wholly original memoir of ragged grace and raw beauty...Ray’s redemptive story of an impoverished childhood brings to mind the novels of Dorothy Allison and the nature writing of Amy Blackmarr, but the stunning voice and vision are hers alone." — Kirkus Reviews (STARRED)"Ray's writing is at its best when she recalls her most harrowing memories, such as when her father gave her and her two brothers a whipping after they stood by and watched a friend kill a turtle. These scenes resonate during the interpolated naturalist chapters, which evoke the calm of the landscape and give readers a respite from the anger and pain that drive much of the family narrative. In a final chapter (in which she includes appendixes on the specific endangered species of the South), Ray laments the 'daily erosion of unique folkways as our native ecosystems and all their inhabitants disappear.' What remains most memorable are the sections where Ray describes, and attempts to prevent, her own disconnection from the Georgia landscape." — Publishers Weekly"Ray’s paean to the filth, rot, shit, and rust of her childhood on a Georgia junkyard. Half memoir, half polemic, Cracker Childhood is both a recollection of how Ray came to understand the natural world’s value and beauty, and an impassioned explanation of why the longleaf pine ecosystems of southeast Georgia, Alabama, and Florida must be defended against any further assault by humanity." — GristPraise for Wild Card Quilt"Ray celebrates the richness of the natural world and the comforts of family. — Publishers WeeklyPraise for Pinhook"Her moving book is a tribute to a small but crucial wild place and a call for readers to help preserve it and others like it." — Publishers WeeklyPraise for The Seed Underground"An enchanting narrative...Even couch potatoes will be enthralled by Ray’s intimate, poetically conversational stories of her encounters with the 'lovely, whimsical, and soulful things [that] happen in a garden, leaving a gardener giddy.'"— Publishers Weekly

    1 in stock

    £14.24

  • Wild Nights Out: The Magic of Exploring the

    Chelsea Green Publishing Co Wild Nights Out: The Magic of Exploring the

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis[Wild Nights Out] is a wonderful invitation to rediscover the dark and all the thing that cry, creep or glow there. Chris Packham from the Foreword [Wild Nights Out] is about reframing our relationship with darkness...because without that affinity humans will remain tourists in their own landscape. the Guardian This book gently holds your hand and guides you into the mysterious folds of the darkness, helping you get the most out of the night. Nocturnal empowerment for the curious. Nick Baker, naturalist, TV presenter and author The go-to guide for exploring nature at night, whether on summer holidays, weekends away or even back garden adventures! Learn how to call for owls, walk like a fox and expand your sensory perceptions. Wild Nights Out is a wonderful new hands-on guide for those who wish to take kids (of all ages) outdoors for fun, thrilling nighttime nature adventures. Parents, grandparents, teachers and nature educators alike will discover a wealth of unique activities to explore the natural world from dusk till dawn. Alongside games, walks and exercises to expand our senses, storyteller and outdoor educator Chris Salisbury will bring this unexplored nocturnal dimension to life with lore about badgers, bats and minibeasts as well as tales of the constellations and planets to share around the campfire. In Wild Nights Out you can expect to find: 25 fun and informative games and activities Practical information on how to conduct night walks safely Animal facts and stargazing stories Beautiful black-and-white illustrations throughout Nature has so much to offer at night, so let Wild Nights Out be your guide to the dark. It will boost the resilience and self-confidence of children and adults, and instill a lifelong love of having fun in the outdoors when the sun goes down.Trade Review‘So inspiring! Reading Wild Nights Out is like being given an invitation to a whole new dimension of life. Exploring and nature spotting don’t need to stop when the sun goes down. For grown-ups, children, and anyone in between, this book offers guidance, ideas, challenges to try and games to play in the dusk and dark. But, more than anything else, it encourages us to cross a threshold into a new world and go on a nocturnal ramble to look and listen for where the wild things are.’—Simon Reeve, author and broadcaster‘If you are a creature intrigued about the dimpsy hours and its goings-on, this is the perfect companion for your adventures. As the planet spins us away from the sun, a world less explored is to be found – a time of new creatures, celestial bodies, new sights, sounds and smells. This book gently holds your hand and guides you into the mysterious folds of the darkness, helping you get the most out of the night. Nocturnal empowerment for the curious.’—Nick Baker, naturalist, TV presenter and author‘If you once wished the days to never end, with Chris’s glorious and concise re-enchantment of the night, you too will soon become a nocturnal convert, willing your children to stay up and out as late as possible. Wild Nights Out isn’t so much about conquering the fear of the dark but redeeming this realm through ancient and intrepid means of befriending it, inspiring wonderful ways to play beyond the reach of electricity’s falsifying security.’—Sam Lee, folk singer, Radio 4 presenter, and Mercury Prize–nominated artist‘Chris Salisbury knows of what he speaks. This storyteller has been thoroughly drubbed in nature’s mood swings and come up the wiser for it. Wild Nights Out is an inventive mapping of that accumulated knowledge. Long before it was even vaguely fashionable, Chris was walking the roads of wildness and story, and this book is a lovely testament to his devotion. Both pragmatic and poetic, Wild Nights Out will be a worthy companion for anyone who yearns for a fresh and unexpected relationship to the living world. There are big, powerful energies out there in the dark, and a few have slipped into this book, chewing on its edges.’—Dr Martin Shaw, author of Smoke Hole and Courting the Wild Twin‘A fantastic mix of usefulness and imagination, of practical experience and love for the living world.’—Jay Griffiths, author of Kith and Wild: An Elemental Journey‘Wild Nights Out is the night’s song, seducing us like a siren on a rock, beckoning us to dive deep into an enchanted world. Chris Salisbury has collated a hundred reasons to step over this threshold and explore, perhaps for the first time, the wonder of the wild night. Stars, stories, songs and games come out of his wizard’s hat to reacquaint us with the mysteries of nocturnal nature. As an educator and parent, I’m so glad this book has been offered to a world hungry for meaning and connection.’—Charlotte Church, singer and broadcaster; founder, Awen Project‘Wild Nights Out is a masterful guide for night walks. Chock-full of engaging games and fascinating information, this book makes leading night-time excursions a joy. Chris Salisbury has created a magnificent and comprehensive resource for anyone who loves the night.’—Joseph Bharat Cornell, author of Sharing Nature, Deep Nature Play, and Flow Learning‘Chris Salisbury is a consummate guide to the night and its chrysalis-like capacity to convert us from sailors of safe harbors to celebrants of uncharted seas – wanderers amidst nocturnal creatures (like owls, bats, and badgers) or the existential conundrums that the night sky elicits (like Why are we here?). Chris doesn’t resolve the frights and riddles of the dark, but deftly draws us in, supporting us to make our own dazzling discoveries and to be shape-shifted by our night-walk odysseys. Wild Nights Out: don’t go into the dark without it.’—Bill Plotkin, PhD, author of Soulcraft and The Journey of Soul Initiation‘This book has been a long time coming in the nature education field, and finally Chris Salisbury has put down in words something that should be in every nature/environmental educator’s pocket and on their shelf of well-thumbed pages. Wild Nights Out is neatly book ended with the question why is it dark? and takes the practitioner on a journey exploring this and many other questions about the shady side of the planet. It is not just Chris’s inimitable poetry that make this such a great read, it is the enticing experiences and journeys into the night that Chris takes us on that we can easily replicate, adapt and conduct with our groups of learners which will help relate to and answer those questions of the night. This book is packed full of activities for immersing learners in the world of dusk to dawn that can be adapted for any age and gives the all-important health and safety tips to help people feel comfortable and yet still feel the nervous anticipation, excitement and beauty of the darkened hours. There are poems and stories, ways to use stories around the campfire, lots of natural history and ‘tuning in’ activities and titbits, journeys into different habitats – from the river to the seashore, and of course ways of magically interacting with the night sky. We miss out on this most important aspect of nature learning in a big way in our industrially lit world. This book will help the educator – and the learners they guide – fill in the gaps of our experiences, revelling in what is a magical kingdom, helping us see the night as a constant companion and explore those deeper questions about what it means to live on this beautiful planet and its ‘dark side’. It is a must for all nature educators around the planet.’—Jon Cree, founding chair, Forest School Association; coauthor of The Essential Guide to Forest School and Nature Pedagogy; veteran educator and nature connection trainer‘In his wonderful book, Wild Nights Out, Chris Salisbury reminds us of so many things forgotten. The night is truly fully half of our lives. Yet today we live as if we only experience the day. Through his wonderful stories, lore, science and accessible activities, Chris helps us remember that we are, as humans, at least half darkness. Through the journey of Wild Nights Out, we are remembering the part of us that has been hidden in recent times, and it’s like meeting a long-lost relative that we truly love.’—Jon Young, author of Coyote’s Guide to Connecting with Nature and What the Robin Knows‘Chris Salisbury is without doubt one of the world’s foremost outdoor ecological educators, as I have seen myself over and over again at Schumacher College. In this marvellously well-written book, Chris shares his decades of wisdom and experience about how to bring children into the presence of the night as a living being, with her sounds, sights, smells, depths and imaginings. Even if you don’t use this book with children specifically in mind, like me, you’ll be enchanted from start to finish by its capacity to introduce you and people of all ages to the wonders of the night. You’ll feel a powerful urge to go out into the night yourself with Chris and his book as guides to wake up your forgotten child’s vivid perceptions of nature. Obey that urge and discover Gaia. Chris’s book is a masterpiece – an important landmark in the growing literature on ecological education.’—Dr Stephan Harding, Deep Ecology Research Fellow, senior lecturer in Holistic Science, Schumacher College, Dartington, UK‘Chris Salisbury piques curiosity in such a way that brings people beyond knowledge and information, and into meaningful and real connection and relationship. As a storyteller and educator, his ability to weave together natural history, science, story, poetry, and myth in a graceful and compelling way is evident among these pages. I see it as critical to provide educators, and people in general, not just with good information, natural history, and science, but also with brilliant strategies for bringing people along for the ride in a way that is fun, creative, and artistic. Advocates for the human right to deeply connect to place could well use a guide that helps us find narratives that weave together in a soulful approach to the lifelong journey of falling in love with the earth. Wild Nights Out helps us do that.’—Marcus Reynerson, adult immersion program manager and lead instructor, Wilderness Awareness School‘I cannot think of a better all-round book to enchant your family’s evening walk or an enthralling night-time adventure with groups of children or adults. It offers a wealth of nature-connecting ideas, stories and games. All convey Chris Salisbury’s deep involvement with the creation of fabulous darkness experiences in the outdoors. The book belongs in every family home and library. Buy it.’—Dr Alida Gersie, author of Earthtales and Storytelling for a Greener World‘Like the storyteller he is, Chris leads us by enchantment into the beauty and depth of the dark. He entices us into its warm embrace – to remember, to listen, to feel part of something unseen once again. His book is rich in poetry and fact, as practical as it is, a conjuring of our interest in something so hidden, we may have forgotten it ever existed. He takes us by the hand and leaves traces for us to follow – each in our own way, an adventure that calls every time we close our eyes. And he does us a great service, reminding us that just a little way down the path, there is so much more to life inside us and all around us to meet if only our fear will allow.’—Ya’Acov Darling Khan, author of Jaguar in the Body, Butterfly in the Heart and Shaman: Invoking Power, Presence and Purpose at the Core of Who You Are‘This book is an invitation to step out of the everyday world and into the darkness, and to find the night wonderful: wild and rich and beautiful. Chris takes us on a journey through landscapes and starscapes and species, experiencing the nocturnal world through all our senses. He offers ways to absorb, understand and use those experiences to leave us inspired, finding new strength and joy to change how we live in this world for the better.’—Gordon MacLellan, author and environmental trainer‘A delightful, mysterious, compelling work born of Chris Salisbury’s lifetime love of nature. This wonderful book is like the night itself, daring us to step outside and, wrapped in shadows, become alive to that we can only ever fleetingly behold.’—Mac Macartney, author, speaker, change-maker‘Wild Nights Out is an intoxicating cocktail of outdoor activities and inspirations, and one that every environmental educator has been longing for, even if he or she hadn’t realised that before reading it. Here is the realm of night, unwrapped for us by Salisbury like rich jewels on black velvet. Informative, resourceful, packed with wisdom and wit, this is a book for all ages and all times – a book that connects us with the wild natural world that awaits, as raw and relevant today as it was to our ancestors generations ago.’—Prof Clayton MacKenzie, provost and interim president, Hong Kong Baptist University‘This book is so timely as we continue to rediscover the well-being benefits of reconnecting with the natural world. It will be a great source of inspiration and practical direction for anyone interested in helping to bring to life the nocturnal nature that is close at hand for people of all ages. I strongly recommend this book written by an expert facilitator in an engaging and accessible way – it will no doubt inspire you, like it did me, to venture out after dark and appreciate afresh the wonderful world in which we live.’—Paul Warwick, associate professor, Sustainable Education and Civic Futures, University of Plymouth, UK

    1 in stock

    £11.24

  • Indigenizing Philosophy through the Land: A

    Michigan State University Press Indigenizing Philosophy through the Land: A

    Book SynopsisLand is key to the operations of coloniality, but the power of the land is also the key anticolonial force that grounds Indigenous liberation. This work is an attempt to articulate the nature of land as a material, conceptual, and ontological foundation for Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and valuing.As a foundation of valuing, land forms the framework for a conceptualization of Indigenous environmental ethics as an anticolonial force for sovereign Indigenous futures. This text is an important contribution in the efforts to Indigenize Western philosophy, particularly in the context of settler colonialism in the United States. It breaks significant ground in articulating Indigenous ways of knowing and valuing to Western philosophy - not as artifact that Western philosophy can incorporate into its canon, but rather as a force of anticolonial Indigenous liberation.Ultimately, Indigenizing Philosophy through the Land shines light on a possible road for epistemically, ontologically, and morally sovereign Indigenous futures.

    £32.30

  • Go on Vacation. A Bugville Critters Picture Book:

    Big Blue Sky Press Go on Vacation. A Bugville Critters Picture Book:

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    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £11.12

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    Big Blue Sky Press Play Their First BIG Game. A Bugville Critters

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

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  • Blood Flower

    Red Hen Press Blood Flower

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisBlood Flower is a masterful exploration of resilience, love, and the echoes of history, set against the stark beauty of nature and the sharp edges of human conflict. Pamela Uschuk’s poetry weaves a tapestry of intimate personal struggles and broader societal turmoil. Her vivid language captures the visceral textures of life—from the Siberian tundra to family kitchens—and transforms pain, loss, and longing into transcendent art.With themes ranging from the oppressive silences of political exile to the haunting legacies of war, Blood Flower is a poignant tribute to the enduring power of the human spirit. Uschuk’s voice, sharp as a wolf’s howl and tender as a lover’s whisper, invites readers to confront both the scars of the past and the fragile hope of renewal. This is a collection for anyone who dares to seek beauty in the ashes and strength in vulnerability.

    1 in stock

    £13.29

  • Nature's Messenger: Mark Catesby and His

    Pegasus Books Nature's Messenger: Mark Catesby and His

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisA dynamic and fresh exploration of the naturalist Mark Catesby—who predated John James Audubon by nearly a century— and his influence on how we understand American wildlife.In 1722, Mark Catesby stepped ashore in Charles Town in the Carolina colony. Over the next four years, this young naturalist made history as he explored deep into America’s natural wonders, collecting and drawing plants and animals which had never been seen back in the Old World. Nine years later Catesby produced his magnificent and groundbreaking book, The Natural History of Carolina, the first-ever illustrated account of American flora and fauna. In Nature’s Messenger, acclaimed writer Patrick Dean follows Catesby from his youth as a landed gentleman in rural England to his early work as a naturalist and his adventurous travels. A pioneer in many ways, Catesby’s careful attention to the knowledge of non-Europeans in America—the enslaved Africans and Native Americans who had their own sources of food and medicine from nature—set him apart from others of his time. Nature’s Messenger takes us from the rice plantations of the Carolina Lowcountry to the bustling coffeehouses of 18th-century England, from the sun-drenched islands of the Bahamas to the austere meeting-rooms of London’s Royal Society, then presided over by Isaac Newton. It was a time of discovery, of intellectual ferment, and of the rise of the British Empire. And there on history’s leading edge, recording the extraordinary and often violent mingling of cultures as well as of nature, was Mark Catesby. Intensively researched and thrillingly told, Nature’s Messenger will thrill fans of exploration and early American history as well as appealing to birdwatchers, botanists, and anyone fascinated by the natural world.Trade Review“In Nature’s Messenger, Catesby is the avatar of an age of explosive discovery and exchange. Catesby was an important scientist whose work prefigured and informed the better known achievements of Audobon and Lenneaus. Thanks to Nature’s Messenger, Catesby’s legacy can now be perused.” -- The Times Literary Supplement"In this enlightening biography, nature writer Dean traces the life of British naturalist Mark Catesby (1683–1749), whose The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands was among the first European accounts of the flora and fauna of the Americas and influenced John James Audubon. An informative account of an important if lesser-known naturalist." -- Publishers Weekly“Nature's Messenger delivers on the promise of its title and subtitle with a tale of adventure in Colonial America and the Caribbean. The messenger is surpassed by his message in this story of a great book — one created by a talented, if enigmatic and largely forgotten, lover of Southern nature.” * The Chattanooga Times Free Press *Praise for A Window to Heaven"A stupendous chronicle. A book whose scope, themes, and drama are worthy of Denali itself." -- Kevin Fedarko, author of THE EMERALD MILE"No matter how many times the Denali story gets told, it never gets old. The trick is to make it new. Outdoors writer Patrick Dean has done just, casting the climb in new light. The story reverberates today. Dean presents Stuck as an imperfect but still commendable model for our own times. We should pay attention." -- David A. James * The Anchorage Daily News *"A rich and sensitive portrait. With grace and clarity Dean reveals Hudson Stuck as a missionary-explorer who was both fully of his time and able to recognize some of its deepest prejudices. Wonderful." -- Niel Shea * National Geographic *

    1 in stock

    £18.70

  • The Clearing: Poems

    Milkweed Editions The Clearing: Poems

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisWinner of the 2020 Max Ritvo Poetry Prize, The Clearing navigates the ever-shifting poles of violence and vulnerability with rich imagination and a singular incisiveness, “asserting feminist viewpoints and mortal terror in lush musical lines” (New York Times). The women in Allison Adair’s debut collection—luminous and electric from the first line to the last—live in places that have been excavated for gold and precious ores. They understand the nature of being hollowed out, of being “the planet’s stone / core as it tries to carve out one secret place and fails.” And so, as these poems take us from the midst of the Civil War to our current era, they chart fairy tales that are at once unsettling and painfully familiar, never forgetting that cruelty compels us to search for tenderness. “What if this time,” they ask, “instead of crumbs the girl drops / teeth, her own, what else does she have.” Adair sees the dirt beneath our nails, both alone and as a country, and pries it gently loose until we remember something of who we are, “from before . . . from a similar injury or kiss.” There is a dark tension in this work, and its product is wholly “an alchemical feat, turning horror into beauty” (Boston Globe).Trade ReviewPraise for The Clearing “The poems in Adair’s debut draw on folklore and the animal world to assert feminist viewpoints and mortal terror in lush musical lines, as when ‘A fat speckled spider sharpens / in the shoe of someone you need.’”—New York Times Book Review, “New & Noteworthy Poetry” “Astonishing and luminous . . . [The Clearing] is an alchemical feat, turning horror into beauty as Adair reveals what surges beneath—the violence, want, grief, thrill, and nameless fury.”—Boston Globe “Adair considers in her imaginative debut the intersection of human and animal life, closely examining the experience of womanhood. . . . Like Grimms’ fairy tales, Adair’s poems are dark without being bleak, hopeless, or disturbing. Readers will find the collection’s lush language and provocative imagery powerfully resonant.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Masterful . . . Juxtaposing somber images from the natural world (a runt rabbit, a strangled swan, a floor of dead birds, a landscape made of a woman’s hair) against seemingly more durable material like bones, chicken wire, rifles, and coins, Adair’s poems take as their central subject emotional and physical violence against women, which in this collection distorts all of life’s natural processes.”—Literary Hub, “Best New Books to Read This Summer” “The opening poem in the collection feels like a fable and nightmare; a scene out of time. ‘We’ll write this story again and again, // how her mouth blooms to its raw venous throat—that tunnel / of marbled wetness, beefy, muted, new pillow for our star // sapphire, our slugging prospecting—and how dark birds come / after, to dress the wounds, no, to peck her sockets clean.’ We leave the poem a little scared, a little curious, and certainly more aware: The Clearing meditates on what is asked of women, and what is taken from them.”—The Millions, “Must-Read Poetry: June 2020” “Adair is capable of a lush lyricism whose beauty is impartial, lighting up the junk of a region, a culture, and a family, its toxic heritage of violence and violation, while haloing the uncluttered space that remains after the mess has been cleared away.”— Los Angeles Review of Books “Electric, brilliant with loss and searching . . . As we read, we are on a journey into the woods with strangers, and The Clearing’s poems capture the beauty and terror of sudden, new site-lines.”—Colorado Review “It’s difficult to believe that The Clearing is Adair’s first full collection of poems. Her once-upon-a-times are generational oral histories, from the Civil War to present day. They will endure, even as the land and these people endure, despite the violence done to it and them, despite the attempts to silence them directly or by neglect. Adair speaks for and through them, allowing their rugged, dented beauty to shine through in exceptional fashion. This assured, layered, altogether extraordinary debut collection will linger in readers’ minds long after the first reading.”—Los Angeles Review “Adair’s lush writing and its underpinning themes of threat, danger, and risk, much of it inherent in the lives of women, make for a nuanced, evocative, and glittering first book.”—RHINO “The poems of The Clearing form an intricate, compelling whole, sensual and musical, haunted (one poem literally featuring a ghost), and committed to focusing on what is often too blurry to see . . . the difficulty of wresting forms of love from forms of violence. . . . The Clearing is a wonderful, exhilarating debut, a book for any who want to live for a while in the realm of the inarticulable.”—Plume “Adair’s poems are set in new stone, a new poetic language for fear, danger, and escape. . . . [Adair] knows that transformation comes from reexamination and reinvention, and she empowers her readers by not only changing the story but reclaiming its protagonists.”—Green Mountains Review “A fiery, magnificent, urgent debut that reminds us of poetry’s ability to clarify perception, create awareness, and make space for us to connect with our authentic selves as we grapple with life’s chaos. Selected by Henri Cole, this book makes room for otherworldly grace, simultaneously allowing us to see the world around us while helping us find our place in it. . . . Adair’s poetry provides shelter where we can pause, ask tough questions, and interact with our mortality through poetic language, compelling imagery, and animated musicality.”—Split Lip Magazine “The Clearing is a book where the process of reading mimics the imagistic architecture. . . . The result is an immersive linguistic world that invites a lingering, engaged contemplation and invites repeated readings and renderings of your own experience into its pages.”—Dasha Bulatova, Empty Mirror “The Clearing traverses chicken-wired landscapes teeming with hunters and wolves, fields empty but for disappointment and danger. Personal trauma is recounted throughout with intimate detail and hard-won wisdom. . . . Her poems unflinchingly face scenes of violence, painful miscarriage, young motherhood, absent men. And as much as The Clearing is a confronting of loss and grief, it’s also a stunning work of reimagining and rebuilding.”—Open Books: A Poem Emporium “In Adair’s stunning debut collection, the verbs are vivid; the metaphors imagistic; the topics ranging through small town secrets, parenthood and childhood, physical love, violence and tragedy. These bold poems are imbued with the grittiness of landscape, biology, geology, and anchored by the recurring motif of searching below the surface like metal detectors or mines for things like fossils and rot, yes, but also veins of gold and memories.”—Ben Groner, Parnassus Books “The Clearing is a lush, lyrical book about a world where women are meant to carry things to safety and men leave decisively. Out of dry farming soil come these wise, mineral-like poems about young motherhood, mining disasters, miscarriages, memory, and much more. Adair’s poems are haunting and dirt caked, but there is also a tense beauty everywhere. I found The Clearing devastating.”—Henri Cole “‘What if this time instead of crumbs the girl drops / teeth, her own, what else does she have.’ So begins Allison Adair’s The Clearing, the title poem leading us, tooth by tooth, line by line, into this dark forest of a book. Adair’s phrases are spell-like, their ingredients mixed in surprising, potent ways: ‘the fat matter of memory,’ a caterpillar’s ‘sad accordion hymn,’ the ‘Gregorian green singing grass.’ I would follow this poet wherever her mind goes—even into the deepest woods, into memories of grief and loss—and I would trust her words to lead me out again. The Clearing is brilliant, gutting, completely original.”—Maggie Smith “Adair dives into motherhood, history, and the now to find the currents—loss, violence, yearning—that keep us afloat, that shipwreck us. Her gaze is clear-eyed, precise, and jarring: ‘The dog’s staph-eaten paw / soaking in a Cool Whip bowl’ and ‘the caterpillar inches along, lost / in its sad accordion hymn.’ Her lyricism is astonishing and her attentiveness to sound dazzles: antlers rub against apple bark, bats drown, and music is struck from anvils. Adair’s sensory-rich language doesn’t reconfigure pain into beauty, though. It does something harder—it forces us to contend with the light and the dark inside each of us.”—Eduardo Corral “Adair’s poems chart the measureless ways that trauma is born of violence and loss while reminding us that tenderness and mercy are descendants of grief. Wise, rapturous, and thicketed with hair-raising imagery, this collection has women wading through landscapes teeming with wolves and real-life danger surreal enough to be remembered, rendered as fable. This effect—this devastatingly beautiful book—lingers off the page. It illuminates itself in the moment and at unexpected hours. The Clearing is an extraordinary debut.”—Marcus WickerTable of ContentsThe Clearing I After the Police Have Been Called Letter to My Niece, in Silverton, Colorado As for the Glossy Green Tractor You Were Miscarriage Week Six of the Fire Self-Portrait as Cenotaph Hitching Debt First Plow at Red Mountain Pass Herr’s Ridge, 1983: A Reenactment Fine Arts Angelus Silverton What We Should Really Be Afraid Of II Fable Ways to Describe a Death Inside Your Own Living Body Mother of 2 Stabbed to Death in Silverton Local Music Gettysburg Advice for the New Mother Crown Cinquain for the Tattooed Man I Refused He Waited for Days As I Near Forty I Think of You Then When Horses Turn Down the Road Letter to My Foundling: #235, Boy Memento Mori: Bell Jar with Suspended Child III Western Slope Whale Fall If Imagination and Memory Met Unexpectedly, One Last Time Morning Tea Mine Fire at Centralia Stopping Over the Arno City Life Flight Theory What Falls Behind No Response Recurring Dream Crown Cinquain for a Lost Child, Eight Years Later At the Park One Day, My Six-Year-Old Asks If Mermaids Are Real The Age We Were Local History River Bone Honey Disaster at Gold King Mine The Big Thinkers RD 8 Box 16A (Rural Route) Bear Fight in Rockaway

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    £11.39

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    Trafalgar Square Books Butterflies of Vermont

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    Book Synopsis

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    Dr. Sriram Ananthan Law Of Attraction: Have you realized you are part

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  • The Simple Beauty of the Unexpected - A Natural

    Brandeis University Press The Simple Beauty of the Unexpected - A Natural

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisA personal and engaging tribute to nature from a world-famous theoretical physicist. Marcelo Gleiser has had a passion for science and fishing since he was a boy growing up on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. As a world-famous theoretical physicist with hundreds of scientific articles and several books of popular science to his credit, he felt it was time to once again connect with nature in less theoretical ways. After seeing a fly-fishing class on the Dartmouth College green, he decided to learn to fly-fish, a hobby, he says, that teaches humility. In The Simple Beauty of the Unexpected, Gleiser travels the world to scientific conferences, fishing wherever he goes. At each stop, he ponders the myriad ways physics informs the act of fishing; how, in its turn, fishing serves as a lens into nature's inner workings; and how science engages with questions of meaning and spirituality, inspiring a sense of mystery and awe of the not yet known. Personal and engaging, The Simple Beauty of the Unexpected is a scientist's tribute to nature, an affirmation of humanity's deep connection with and debt to Earth, and an exploration of the meaning of existence, from atom to trout to cosmos. This softcover edition features a new essay by Gleiser on how we need a profound change of worldview if we are to have a vibrant future for our species in this fragile environment. He describes how this book was an incubator for his current thinking.Trade Review“You will not learn how to fly fish from this book. You may decide to try it out. Or you may feel inclined to go on your own spiritual journey and reconnect with nature.” * The Citizen (Vermont) *“The Simple Beauty of the Unexpected is an elegantly written, introspective, and thought-provoking meditation on growing up as someone curious about the universe. It’s a wonderful introduction to the human side of science and the scientific side of being human.” -- Sean Carroll, author of The Big PictureTable of ContentsPrologue 1 Cumbria, Lake District, UK 2 Sao Jose Dos Ausentes, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil 3 Sansepolcro, Tuscany, Italy 4 Laxa River, Myvatnssveit, Iceland Acknowledgments Index

    1 in stock

    £19.00

  • Thoughts on the Good Life Press Idling Intuitions: Poems

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £8.99

  • Subaltern Studies 2.0 – Being against the

    Prickly Paradigm Press, LLC Subaltern Studies 2.0 – Being against the

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisOn a second wave of anti-colonial revolutions. State and Capital reign over the Age of Sorrow. We face inequality, pandemics, ethnocide, climate crisis, and mass extinction. Our desire for security and power governs us as State. Our desire for possessions governs us as Capital. Our desires imprison and rule us beings as Unbeing. Yet, from Nagaland to New Zealand, Bhutan to Bolivia, a second wave of anti-colonial revolutions has begun. Arising from assemblies of humans and other-than-humans, these revolutions replace possessive individualism with non-exploitative interdependence. Naga elders, Bhutanese herders and other indigenous communities, feminists, poets, seers, yaks, cranes, vultures, and fungi haunt this pamphlet. The original Subaltern Studies narrated how Indian peasant communities destroyed the British empire. Subaltern Studies 2.0 prophesies the multi-being demos and liberates Being from Unbeing. Re-kin, Re-nomad, Re-animate, Re-wild! The Animist Revolution has come. Table of Contentsi. Who Speaks?ii. War of Unbeing against Beingiii. A New Anti-Colonial Struggleiv. The Age of Sorrowv. The Evil Twins: Sovereignty and Propertyvi. The Subjection of Beingvii. Once When there was No State, No Capitalviii. The Monstrosity of State and Capitalix. Capital Colonizes Beingx. The Age of Deathxi. The Rise and Fall of Subaltern Studiesxii. The Failures of Global History and of Anthropologyxiii. To Arms: A New Academia for a Renewed Warxiv. Enough with Welfare-State Capitalismxv. Enough with Monstrous Abstractions!xvi. Where Marx Went Wrong!xvii. The Degeneration of Speechxviii. The Poetry of Revolutionxix. Enough of “Postmodern” Suspicion of Being! xx. The Road Back to Beingxxi. Dismantle State, Overthrow Capital!xxii. For Permanent Revolution, Permanent Community!xxiii. Enough with Atomized Individualism!xxiv. Not Universal Class, but Communities in Solidarity!xxv. Being Shines in Subaltern Consciousnessxxvi. Against Possessive Man, Being!xxvii. Difference-into-Unity!xxviii. Being a World for Othersxxix. Animals: Primal Instructors of Humansxxx. The Light of Being-Consciousnessxxxi. Once When Animals Could Speakxxxii. Animal Democracy – The World’s Oldest Politiesxxxiii. The First Imperialism: Human Colonization of Animal Politiesxxxiv. Decolonize Animal Polities!xxxv. Multi-Being Demos, Constitution to Comexxxvi. Return, Ancient Constitution – What Was, Shall Again Be!xxxvii. Fungal Organization – Being inside Beings is the Being within Mexxxviii. Fungal Democracy – Fungal Internationalismxxxix. Rooted Interdependence – Ancient Being, Return, Restore! xl. Beings in Assembly – Multi-Being Demosxli. The Vanquishing of Unbeingxlii. Beings Turn the Wheel of Lawxliii. The Constitution of the Cosmosxliv. Turn I: Rekinxlv. Turn II: Renomadxlvi. Turn III: Reanimatexlvii. Turn IV: Rewildxlviii. Being TriumphantXlix. Exhortation: Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak: The Next Steps: A Prefacel. Exhortation: Marisol de la Cadena: The Gift of the Anthropo-not-seenli. Exhortation: Thom van Dooren: Animal Lessonslii. Exhortation: Suraj Yengde: Supreme Subalterns

    1 in stock

    £12.00

  • Keeping Up With The Pomeranians

    Gourmet Dog LLC Keeping Up With The Pomeranians

    1 in stock

    1 in stock

    £13.59

  • The Land of Maybe: A Faroe Islands Year

    Short Books Ltd The Land of Maybe: A Faroe Islands Year

    Book Synopsis'In this excellent book, Ecott's evocative telling makes me want to go to this weird and wonderful place.' - PAUL THEROUX'I never want to leave the remote island world so atmospherically, precisely educed between the covers of this book. Ecott's prose has the power of tides, his perception is as searching as the Atlantic wind, and he has the soul of a natural-born naturalist. A masterpiece.' - JOHN LEWIS-STEMPLEFollowing the natural cycle of the year, The Land of Maybe captures the essence of 'slow life' on the 18 remote, mysterious islands which make up the Faroes in the North Atlantic. Closer to the UK than Denmark, this fast disappearing world is home to a close-knit society where just 50,000 people share Viking roots and a language that is unlike any other in Scandinavia.We follow the arrival of the migratory birds, the over-wintering of the sheep and the way food is gathered and eaten in tune with the seasons. Buffeted by the weather and the demands of a volatile natural environment, people still hunt seabirds and herd pilot whales for a significant portion of their basic food needs.This is not a travelogue, but a deeper exploration of how 'to be' in a tough landscape; a study of a people and a way of life that represents continuity and a deep connection to the past. The Land of Maybe offers not just a refuge from the freneticism of modern life, but lessons about where we come from and how we may find a balance in our lives.Trade ReviewThe tough, mystical, intangible character of the Faroes is captured by Ecott's gorgeously rich and descriptive writing that makes you believe you can smell the sea, hear the birds and feel the wind. A beautiful and evocative read. * Kate Humble *This is Ecott at his best. His prose is incisive and elegiac. From the book's opening line we are there among the gannets, the pilot whales and sea-butted cliffs, wrestling with the winds and the enigma that is this Land of Maybe. Absorbing stuff, full of the ancient lore and very modern predicaments that daily beset the proud Faroese on their rocky outpost. * Benedict Allen *Filled with loving detail, humour and heart The Land of Maybe is a lyrical treat. Tim Ecott has created a raven-haunted love song to the intimate insecurity of island living and the salt-caked, tightly-braided culture of the Faroes. * A.L. Kennedy *In a hot and, for many, fraught summer, these dispatches from the wind and salt-blown islands at 62 degrees north offer delicious escapism. A beautiful evocation of landscape and nature, it is, above all, a portrait of a community which maintains a deep connection with its past. * Financial Times *Ecott's fine book is, at root, a timely meditation on the clash between modernity and premodernity and between settler and nomad. It's an interrogation of the role of compassion in our moral lives and an examination of the crucial question of what sort of creatures we are. -- Charles Foster * The Oldie *I never want to leave the remote island world so atmospherically, precisely educed between the covers of this book. Ecott's prose has the power of tides, his perception is as searching as the Atlantic wind, and he has the soul of a natural-born naturalist. A masterpiece. * John Lewis-Stemple *Engaging and energetic * Times Literary Supplement *In this excellent book, Ecott's evocative telling makes me want to go to this weird and wonderful place. * Paul Theroux *

    £10.44

  • Reflections: What Wildlife Needs and How to

    Pelagic Publishing Reflections: What Wildlife Needs and How to

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn this informed, incisive and passionate commentary on the state of nature and conservation, Mark Avery reflects on our relationship with the wildlife around us. From the cats that pass through his garden to the chronic decline of farmland wildlife, from the Pasqueflowers he visits every spring to the proportion of national income devoted to saving nature – everything is connected, and everything is considered. This book analyses what is wrong with certain ways we do wildlife conservation but explores some of its many successes too. How can we do better to restore wildlife to everybody’s lives? We know how to conserve species and habitats – it’s time to roll out conservation measures on a much bigger scale. This is a societal choice in which every nature lover can play their part. Reflections sets out what is needed, and what part the state, environmental charities and we as individuals can play in making that happen. This highly personal work from a life embedded in and dedicated to nature does not shy away from the harsh realities we face, but its message, ultimately, is one of hope.Trade Review...informative, inspiring, and optimistic, something we need right now. -- Chris Townsend OutdoorsIf the British conservation movement were a forest, Mark Avery would be one of the ancient oaks... His latest book, Reflections, now pours that experience into a mission statement for all those who claim to prize UK wildlife. From the daisies he mows around on his lawn to the spiders in his bath, Avery’s love of the creeping, crawling, soaring world is evident on every page. -- India Bourke, New Statesman*Book of the Month* If you're interested in the politics of conservation, and what it means in practical terms, then this is for you. -- John Miles, birdwatching.co.ukThis is the most insightful and accessible book we have on the current state of wildlife conservation in Britain and what we might do to improve things. -- Ian Carter, British WildlifeThis is a good book and anyone interested in wildlife conservation should buy it. I found interesting and thought-provoking comments on every page. -- David Norman * British Birds *The most insightful and accessible book we have on the current state of wildlife conservation in Britain and what we might do to improve things. -- Ian Carter * British Wildlife *Given the immense challenges facing species in a 21st-century world of biodiversity collapse and climate emergency it is hard, sometimes, to find a place of agency and grounds for optimism. To his credit, Mark Avery manages both, and much more besides. -- Karen Jones * BirdGuides *… a clear-eyed examination of the state of nature conservation in the UK today. … Read this be inspired that, if we all do our bit, we can indeed save our wildlife. * Plant Life *Table of ContentsPreface Some explanations 1 Glimpses of wildlife 2 The state of wildlife in the UK 3 What is wildlife conservation? 4 Wildlife conservation successes 5 Why are we failing so badly? 6 What wildlife needs (and how to provide it) Recapitulation Notes, references and further reading Acknowledgements Index

    1 in stock

    £20.00

  • Bees and Beekeeping

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Bees and Beekeeping

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisBees existed long before human beings, but our future is perhaps more reliant upon them than any other species. They pollinate 80 per cent of the world’s crops and plants, but how much do we really know about them? Small, clever and mysterious, the honeybee in particular has long been celebrated in human culture as a sacred insect, a symbol of the sun, bridging the gap between our world and the next. They are expert communicators, skilled aviators and natural alchemists, turning fresh nectar into sweet, golden honey. They are also in trouble and need our help. This beautifully illustrated guide explores the honeybee’s historic relationship with humans, the basics of beekeeping, and how we can help save the bees' dwindling population.Table of ContentsIntroduction The Honeybee and its Colony The First Beekeepers The Evolution of Beekeeping Beekeeping Heritage Bees and the Environment Honeybee Produce Further Reading Places to Visit Index

    1 in stock

    £8.54

  • Skomer Island - Its History and Natural History

    Y Lolfa Skomer Island - Its History and Natural History

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe definitive analysis of one of UK''s most beloved nature spots, written by an expert with 50 years'' experience in the field and a long-standing connection with the island. Hundreds of stunning colour photographs throughout. Forewords by Iolo Williams and Professor Chris Perrins, FRS.

    1 in stock

    £31.50

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