Natural History

595 products

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    Among the Giants

     

    As you wander through the gardens at Kew, stretching across two-thirds of the grounds lies the arboretum. This great collection contains trees as old as the Gardens themselves, many that cannot be found anywhere else in Britain. It is a unique spectacle, full of luscious species, towering redwoods, and hidden life within its branches.Throughout the year, you'll find the protectors of this mighty collection. Named the Tree Gang, this team of eight care for the trees across the whole of Kew Gardens. From their daily tree assessments to the intermittent tree felling, journey with the gang to discover why the gang's work is more crucial than ever.AMONG THE GIANTS shares heartwarming stories alongside the fascinating insights into the secret life of trees and how they change throughout the seasons - all from the comfort of your armchair.

     

    £12.99

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    The Secret History of Sharks

     

    'Will keep you on the edge of your seat from its first page to its last page' -Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs, and SteelFrom ancient megalodons to fearsome Great Whites, this book tells the complete, untold story of how sharks emerged as Earth's ultimate survivors, by world-leading paleontologist John Long.Sharks have been fighting for their lives for 500 million years and today are under dire threat. They are the longest-surviving vertebrate on Earth, outlasting multiple mass extinction events that decimated life on the planet. But how did they thrive for so long? By developing superpower-like abilities that allowed them to ascend to the top of the oceanic food chain. John Long, who for decades has been on the cutting edge of shark research, weaves a thrilling story of sharks' unparalleled reign. The Secret History of Sharks showcases the global search to discover sharks' largely unknown evolution, led by Long and dozens of other extraordinary scientists. As the tale unfolds, Long introduces an enormous range of astonishing organisms: a thirty-foot-long shark with a deadly saw blade of jagged teeth protruding from its lower jaws and bizarre sharks fossilized while in their mating ritual. With insights into the threats to sharks today, how they contribute to medical advances, and the lessons they can teach us about our own survival, The Secret History of Sharks is a riveting look at scientific discovery with ramifications far beyond the ocean.'This book is the work of a master scientist and storyteller. It will make you see sharks in a new way: not as blood-thirsty monsters that we should fear, but as nature's ultimate survivors' - Steve Brusatte, New York Times bestselling author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs'Readers will want to sink their teeth into this' - Publishers Weekly'Thoroughly researched and wonderfully narrated, The Secret History of Sharks makes a convincing case that the story of sharks is nothing less than the story of life on Earth. Highly recommended!' - Nate Blakeslee, New York Times bestselling author of American Wolf

     

    £14.99

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    The Spirit of the Rainforest

     

    *As featured in the NEW YORK TIMES*'Every page feels alive with passion' - Sophie Pavelle, author of 'Forget Me Not''A beautiful book' - Levison Wood, author of 'Walking the Himalayas'Named as the BBC's Most Influential Women, Dr Rosa Espinoza shares the story of her incredible life exploring the Amazon.Deep in the Amazonian jungle, there exists a corner of the world that remains untouched - a place where rivers boil, plants heal, and creatures glow in the dark. It's an ecosystem of incredible diversity, and one that Dr Rosa set out to explore.Growing up on the edge of the Peruvian rainforest, Rosa knew the power of indigenous wisdom from a young age. But it was only as she moved to the US to study science that she felt the uneasy separation between her two worlds. Why was scientific enquiry taken more seriously than indigenous knowledge? And what are scientists missing by not listening other ways of seeing the world?Dr Rosa made it her mission to integrate scientific rigour with indigenous wisdom. This book tracks her expeditions in the Amazon, and shows the scientific discoveries she made along the way - from her groundbreaking research on stingless bees to her revelations while taking ayahuasca.This book shows Dr Rosa's determination to rewrite the script of science: to celebrate indigenous knowledge and give us new hope for our world.

     

    £12.99

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    An Inconvenience of Penguins

     

    'An epic quest - in which the journey is at least as entertaining as the end result' - Stephen Moss, author of Ten Birds That Changed the World'Humorous, touching and refreshingly unsentimental' - Colin Thubron, author of Shadow of the Silk Road'Highly entertaining and gloriously obsessional' - Philip Hoare, author of Leviathan'A wise, rude, hilarious and oddly moving account' - Ed Caesar, author of The Moth and the Mountain~ ~ ~The problem started, as problems often do, with a penguin.From Kings and Emperors to Macaronis and Rockhoppers, penguins are one of the most immediately recognisable animals on Earth. Yet for all that familiarity, what do we really know about them? An Inconvenience of Penguins follows award-winning travel writer Jamie Lafferty as he visits all eighteen species in a bid to understand the birds and their extraordinarily varied habitats a little better. On voyages to some of the planet's most inaccessible and challenging landscapes, he recounts the history of our unique relationship with the world's most popular bird, telling not only the stories of the penguins, but also the people and places around them.From getting stranded in the Galapagos and marching through African guano fields to leading photography groups in the Antarctic and taking psychedelics on the Falklands, this is a birding quest like no other. Along the way, Lafferty relives the experiences of early polar explorers, for whom penguins were perplexing mysteries, welcome companions and even occasional meals, and meets the modern penguin lovers trying to save their fragile environments.Featuring cameos from a wide cast of characters including Ernest Shackleton, Charles Darwin and Sir Francis Drake, as well as beautiful photographs of each penguin species, An Inconvenience of Penguins is part love-letter to and part biography of these remarkable creatures.

     

    £12.99

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    In the Hide

     

    Our estate was built on land claimed from fields - we were at the foot of those rolling Kilpatrick hills, but over the roof of the school you could see more green fields and woods. I felt grateful to be on the edge of all that countryside - there was a magnetic pull towards what I thought that wild was, or could be. 'One day, I'm going to walk to those hills and woods,' I'd think to myself.Soon, it would become a sanctuary.Gordon Buchanan is probably the best known natural history cameraman the BBC has ever produced. From wild 'snow wolf' packs in Ellesmere and polar bears in Svalbard to leopards in Mumbai and equine therapy in Mongolia, he has filmed in the world's most far-reaching places for over 30 years. His dedication to his craft means he often spends weeks inside a cramped camera hide, tolerating extreme sleep deprivation and poor living conditions, all in search of that one extraordinary shot.But dangerous animals were not the only thing he was hiding from.In the Hide is Gordon's emotionally honest and raw account of a challenging childhood in Glasgow and Mull, and the escape and solace he found - and continues to find - in the natural world around him. An intimate and inspiring account of resilience in the face of hardship, In the Hide marks the arrival of a bold new voice in nature writing.

     

    £12.99

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    The Welsh Almanac

     

    For fans of the much-loved Lia Leendertz annual Almanac, The Welsh Almanac focuses in on Wales as a region and its nature, language and timeless traditions.Embark on a journey through Wales with The Welsh Almanac, a month-by-month guide that showcases the country's landscapes, heritage, and traditions. Explore valleys, coastlines, tide tables, moon phases, and Welsh customs, alongside regional highlights and translated folk songs.With a mix of activities and recipes throughout, you can try your hand at making cawl, bara brith, crempogau (pancakes), or even crafting a lovespoon. Along the way, discover the stories behind traditions like the Mari Lwyd and the Eisteddfod, and enjoy snapshots of Wales's most stunning regions, from Snowdonia to the Brecon Beacons and the Pembrokeshire coast.

     

    £14.99

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    Ghosts of the Night

     

    No animal better symbolises the desire to get closer and the need to respect distance than the owl.These remarkable creatures are both among and apart from us: sharing the same environments but carrying a sense of mystique as they beat their wings low over the fields where they hunt, or swoop up and around to their nest, high in a tree or haystack. There is something ethereal, awe- and fear-inspiring about the appearance and movement of these birds: graceful, distinctive, almost otherworldly. It is not hard to see why observers long ago watched the owl and deemed it a visitor from another place, with either a great or terrible message to impart. Every encounter with an owl is special, somehow new, and stands alone even as it helps you to understand patterns and connections.The silent approach of a white Barn Owl angel over a paddock is one of the most alluring images in the British countryside. The t'wit and the answering t'wo of the Tawny owl is a classic of the night. Both are tiny insights into the amazing lives of the owls that are found around us. Ghosts of the Night is a wonderful insight into every element of our British Owls - Barn and Tawny and their even more enigmatic cousins the Short-eared, Long-eared and Little. How well do they hear, how silently do they fly and how do they live in the ever changing countryside.Chris Sperring is the acknowleged expert and he explains everything you have ever wanted to know about these amazing creatures.

     

    £20.00

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    The Social Lives of Birds

     

    'A tour-de-force survey of how birds live their lives - with all the drama, surprise, humour, sadness and amazement of any human soap-opera' - Stephen Moss, author of Ten Birds That Changed the World'Utterly fascinating . . . Strassmann is the perfect guide to this world: an author as much fascinated by the science and research as she is motivated by the sheer joy and wonder of the birds themselves' - James Macdonald Lockhart, author of RaptorIn The Social Lives of Birds, evolutionary biologist Joan Strassmann examines what it means for birds of a feather to flock together. Some birds sleep together. Some join the foraging groups of other species. Some are only social during the breeding season, forming nesting colonies in trees, cliffs, and sandbanks. Some are altruistic, helping to rear young that are not their own. Some males perform mating dances together.Strassmann explains how flocks provide safety in numbers, roosts offer warmth and shelter, and colonies allow for protected breeding. But group behavior is not without its costs-including increased competition, infidelities, tick infestations, and more. Strassmann exposes the conflicts birds face and the many ways in which they resolve these conflicts. With stories of birds from around the world-from broad-winged hawks that migrate south together in the fall, tree swallows that roost together in the thousands, and tropical anis that nest in communes-The Social Lives of Birds explores the different kinds of bird groups and what to look for when watching them. Above all, it reveals that solitary life, it seems, is not for the birds.'Delightful and informative' - Lee Dugatkin, author of How to Tame a Fox (and Build a Dog)

     

    £14.99

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    Field Guide to the Butterflies of Wales

     

    Wales has a diverse range of butterflies - from the familiar Peacock to the elusive Large Heath, from the blisteringly quick High Brown Fritillary to the dainty Wood White, from the shimmering Silver-studded Blue to the orange glow of the Brown Hairstreak. This identification guide covers the 44 species present in Wales, and includes explanations of their lifecycles, distribution maps highlighting where they are likely to be found and a section on rare migrants that have been encountered here and may occur again in the future. Butterflies are not just delicate insects flitting around our meadows, gardens and hedgerows; they are far more complicated than that. Their lifecycles are fascinating and in some cases it seems a wonder that they survive at all. Moreover, butterflies are key pollinators as well as excellent indicator species: when their numbers dwindle or they are absent, something is wrong - a cause for concern and should be investigated. This book is ideal for people living in Wales keen to identify their local butterfly species, and for visitors interested in watching these charming insects.

     

    £19.99

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    Our Oaken Bones

     

    SHORTLISED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE 2025 The powerful memoir on mental health, the healing power of nature, and how we need to heal it in return - with a blueprint for restoring Britain's rainforests, perfect for readers of The Salt Path and The Lost Rainforests of Britain. Scholarly, wise, funny, charming, terrifying and thrilling... I adored it all, every page. - JOANNA LUMLEY Both a comfort and an inspiration - CHLOE DALTON, bestselling author of Raising Hare This is a lovely book - wise, brave, thoughtful, painfully intimate - but with a remarkable spiritual and environmental vision. - RORY STEWART -------------------------------------- I look up through the canopy and time freezes as the oak leaves drift gently backwards and forwards, dappling the light as it falls onto my body. I am home. Reeling from the pain of devastating miscarriages and suffering from PTSD after military adventures in Afghanistan, Merlin and his wife Lizzie decide to leave the bustle of London and return to Merlin's childhood home, a Cornish hill farm called Cabilla in the heart of Bodmin Moor. There, they are met by unexpected challenges: a farm slipping ever further into debt, the discovery that the overgrazed and damaged woods running throughout the valley are in fact one of the UK's last remaining fragments of Atlantic temperate rainforest, and the sudden and near catastrophic strickening by Covid of Merlin's father, the explorer Robin. As they fall more in love with the rainforest that Merlin had adventured in as a child, so begins a fight to save not only themselves and their farm, but also one of the world's most endangered habitats. Our Oaken Bones is an honest and intimate true story about renewal, the astonishing healing power of nature, and our duty to heal it in return. Praise for Our Oaken Bones An enormously moving and inspiring story about war, trauma, nature and rebirth, written with infectious passion and unsparing honesty. I loved it. - DOMINIC SANDBROOK An extraordinarily courageous, urgent and powerful book. - ISABELLA TREE Deeply compelling... emotional, informative, pleasurable. I believe that this is an important work with planet-sized dreams and ambitions. Perhaps the greatest philosophy or teachable lesson that came to me off the page is that dominion comes with responsibility. - RUSSELL CROWE I love this book. - RICK STEIN Powerfully enchanting, written with verve and imbued with hope. - GUY SHRUBSOLE

     

    £11.99

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    The Story of Birds

     

    THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER'Steve Brusatte has a rare gift for bringing the distant past vividly and fascinatingly to life' - Bill Bryson'Soaringly brilliant' - Alice Roberts'One of the stars of modern palaeontology' - National GeographicA New Scientist and Times most anticipated book of 2026, from the bestselling author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs.Billions of birds share the planet with us. With their flamboyant plumage and joyous dawn serenades, many of them are impossible to miss. But how did they get here, how did they break the bounds of Earth and begin to fly, and how does their legacy shape our world?In delightfully energetic prose, expert palaeontologist Steve Brusatte takes us through their 150-million-year history, from their origins among small carnivorous dinosaurs to the 10,000-plus species that thrive today. Along the way, we meet fantastic birds from all around the world, some known only through fossils. There are elephant birds that stand as high as a basketball hoop and lay eggs as big as watermelons; demon ducks that weigh more than cows; aeroplane-sized seabirds that soar the world's thermals; and predatory penguins the size of gorillas.Lively, majestic and full of wonder, The Story of Birds will ensure you never see birds the same way again.'Steve Brusatte tells the amazing story of birds with enthusiasm and brio' - Henry Gee'An eye-opening tour into the amazing world of birds' - Venki Ramakrishnan*The Story of Birds was no. 10 on the New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction best seller list for the week ending May 2, 2026.

     

    £25.00

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    Moth Snowstorm The

     

    A great, rhapsodic, urgent book full of joy, grief, rage and love . . . A must-read' Helen Macdonald, author of H is for HawkNature has many gifts for us, but perhaps the greatest of them all is joy; the intense delight we can take in the natural world, in its beauty, in the wonder it can offer us, in the peace it can provide - feelings stemming ultimately from our own unbreakable links to nature, which mean that we cannot be fully human if we are separate from it. In The Moth Snowstorm Michael McCarthy, one of Britain's leading writers on the environment, proposes this joy as a defence of a natural world which is ever more threatened, and which, he argues, is inadequately served by the two defences put forward hitherto: sustainable development and the recognition of ecosystem services.Drawing on a wealth of memorable experiences from a lifetime of watching and thinking about wildlife and natural landscapes, The Moth Snowstorm not only presents a new way of looking at the world around us, but effortlessly blends with it a remarkable and moving memoir of childhood trauma from which love of the natural world emerged. It is a powerful, timely, and wholly original book which comes at a time when nature has never needed it more.

     

    £12.99

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    The Hidden Seasons

     

    THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THE HIDDEN CLUES AND SIGNS OF NATURE IN THE TURNING OF THE YEAR: BUY NOW IF YOU'RE A NATURE LOVER OR INTERESTED IN NATURAL NAVIGATION'A brilliant guide to the signs and wonders of the natural world . . . the author's alertness and expertise are impressive, and he makes a beguiling and inspiring guide . . . wonderful.' - DAILY MAIL'Gooley preaches attention to patterns in nature like a sommelier describing wine.' - NEW YORK TIMES'Another triumph from our unsurpassed expert on how to read the signs of nature. Indeed, his best book yet, which is saying something!' - John Lewis-Stempel, author of MEADOWLAND'A book to savour month by month as the seasons turn. Loved it!' - Lara Maiklem, author of MUDLARKING 'The Sherlock Holmes of Nature' - BBC Radio------When we know what to look for and what it means, seasonal moments that were once hidden shine brightly.In The Hidden Seasons, Tristan Gooley shows us how to read the clues that the sun, moon, stars, plants, fungi, animals, water and weather give us - but that we continually miss, because we don't know how and where to look.Autumn is a time for reading leaves, deciphering scents and investigating fungi. Spring is the time of wildflower signs, unique cloud shapes and curious animal behaviour. Summer is a time of coastal clues, astronomical extremes and secret grass patterns. And in winter, we learn to read snow, deepen our star knowledge and use rare methods to find clues in overlooked places, including indoors.As with Tristan Gooley's bestsellers The Walker's Guide, How to Read Water and How to Read a Tree, The Hidden Seasons inspires us to explore these signs for ourselves, giving us many rich insights into our turning year. Soon we will be able to anticipate and celebrate daily changes that few notice, however surprising they may be.And the seasons will never look, sound or smell the same again.

     

    £10.99

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    Folklore of Trees

     

    Uncover the myths, legends and secrets of the world's most iconic trees. Did you know that laurel is said to protect against snakebites and shield against witchcraft? Or that yews are often planted near graveyards to keep the devil out? Across cultures and centuries, trees have stood as guardians of life, inspiring stories that connect us to nature, spirituality and tradition. The Folklore of Trees brings these tales together in a stunning, giftable hardback featuring a foreword by acclaimed naturalist, Chris Packham. Inside, you'll explore 36 legendary species from around the globe, each paired with an intricate illustration and rich cultural context. You'll discover:  The Major Oak, said to shelter Robin Hood, and the baobabs of Madagascar, revered for their longevity.  Sacred trees of Celtic, Norse, Greek, Roman, Hindu, Buddhist and Indigenous traditions.  Fascinating myths behind olive branches of peace, dragon blood trees that bleed red sap and Japanese cherry blossoms symbolising life's impermanence.  Seasonal customs, protective charms and superstitions.  A compact, beautifully designed format, perfect for gifting or personal reflection.  Whether you're a nature lover, folklore enthusiast or simply curious about the stories rooted in our landscapes and forests, this book is your invitation to wander the cultural canopy. 

     

    £12.99

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    Tree

     

    An immersive journey through trees in Japan by celebrated writer Aya Koda - now available in English for the first time'Trees are not just living things, but feeling beings, like us. Better keep a watchful eye over them…'Ezo spruce, hinoki, cherry blossoms. Persimmon, maple, cypress. The trees of Japan cast a spell on those who visit its landscape. But as a child, writer Aya Koda realized they were more than objects of beauty. Gifted a sapling by her father, she learned that we depend on trees as much as they do on us - and spent a lifetime trying to understand them.Mesmerising and poignant, Tree is written in a Japanese genre called zuihitsu which means 'following the brush'. Here we follow Aya Koda on a journey to discover Japan's most remarkable trees. As she witnesses landslides and forests of falling ash, she encounters fresh saplings and ancient, ungovernable roots, learning how each tree contains its own unique story. Now translated into English for the first time, Koda's work echoes down the generations, reminding us that trees hold a mirror to who we are, and what we leave behind.

     

    £11.99

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    The Book of Birds

     

    From the creators of the internationally bestselling, award-winning, multi-adapted phenomenon The Lost Words: a dazzling celebration of birdlife in Britain, re-imagining the classic field guide for a new generation of nature loversA great thinning of the skies is underway. Around 50% of bird species are in decline worldwide. Our dawns and springs are quieter each year than the last. An almost unimaginable abundance has been lost. It does not have to be this way -- but we will not save what we do not love. The Book of Birds is a compendium of forty-nine bird species, from Avocet to Yellowhammer, all of which are declining or endangered in Britain. Inspired by the classic bird-books with which the authors grew up, this is a field guide with a difference. It asks not 'What is that bird?', but 'Who is that bird?' It shows its readers how to identify birds, but also how to identify with them. With lyrical precision and playfulness, Robert Macfarlane evokes each bird's habits and habitats -- their patterns of flight and of song, how they hunt and gather, how they nest and raise their young, the stories and myths which attend them, the threats which shadow them, and how their wild lives intersect with our own. And on every page we encounter Jackie Morris's exhilarating artwork, painted in watercolour and gold and animated by an extraordinary attention to detail and sense of life. Set among this dazzling flock of species are seven sections celebrating the 'Seven Wonders' that together make up the everyday miracle of 'Bird': Nest, Egg, Beak, Song, Feather, Flight and Migration. Seven years in the making, The Book of Birds is a love letter to the splendours and mysteries of birdlife, and a clarion call to halt the loss of birds from land, sea and sky. From Dipper to Dunnock and Kestrel to Kingfisher, from mountain to ocean and city to river, Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane conjure the unique spirit and lifeway of each species. This is a book to be treasured by bird-lovers of all ages, and a future classic work of reference.

     

    £35.00

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    A Wagon in the Woods

     

    For everyone who dreams of escape to a cabin by a stream, for those moments of tranquility while the natural world does its thing around you ...'An inspirational tale of discovery and a passionate quest to fulfil a life-long dream.' - Ella Al-Shamahi, British explorer, paleoanthropologist, evolutionary biologist, stand-up comic and presenter.A beautiful, humble, honest book , it reminds us to look into the undergrowth to find the wonder, to slow down and notice more. The perfect tonic for our chaotic times.' - Sophy Roberts, author of Lost Pianos of Siberia and A Training School for Elephants'Aldred has travelled the world driven by his love for trees. But the forest he loves most is here at home-the New Forest. This wonderful book takes us all into the depth of his special place-reminding us that we all need our own special wild place.' - Alastair Fothergill, producer of The Blue Planet, Planet Earth, and Frozen PlanetSome moments in childhood are frozen in time, vivid and vital, an anchor. When James Aldred tracked down an old horse-drawn wagon he once played in, he found himself inside one such moment again. However broken and rotten, it transported him to a magical summer in the New Forest forty years ago and awakened in him the possibility of reliving it with his young family.In his evocative memoir, Aldred chronicles his return to a cherished landscape. As he painstakingly restores the wagon, learning from local crafts people, he delves into both the New Forest's natural history and storied past, tracing its roots back to the 16th century and even further to the time of William the Conqueror. Camera traps reveal otters hunting in the brook nearby, while the nearby goshawk nest and fox earth speak to the area's thriving wildlife.Masterfully observed, A Wagon in the Woods is a celebration of both people and place, and the timeless bond between land, history and the enduring spirit of adventure.

     

    £20.00

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    Grasslands

     

    'A wonderful leap, with a wise guide, into the green we thought we knew' TRISTAN GOOLEY 'Wright is a joyful companion' CAROLINE QUENTIN A sparkling green field. A dull and scrubby patch of grass. One is the sanitised evidence of monoculture, the other a world teeming with more life than you could ever imagine. Join John Wright, one of our best-known naturalists, as he uncovers the beauty and rich diversity of Britain's grasslands. Bursting with mushrooms, lichen and wildflowers, home to butterflies, bees and beetles, and vital to foxes and birds alike, these grasslands are part of our natural heritage. From meadows to mires to heathlands, John Wright introduces them in all their variety: the history of how grasslands came to be, what can be found there, what we risk with their loss and what can be done to save what is left. Most of all, he shows why we should care. Because grasslands are never just patches of grass.

     

    £22.00

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    Nature's Memory

     

    A 'compelling, arresting' (New Scientist) behind-the-scenes tour through the world's greatest natural history museums, revealing their hidden secrets Zoologist Jack Ashby spends his life working in Britain's natural history museums, and in Nature's Memory he guides us through a series of extraordinary collections, from marvellous mounted whale skeletons and impossibly tiny insect cabinets to buried treasures in vast museum storehouses.But look more closely at these displays: all is not as it seems. While most exhibits succeed in communicating feelings of wonder and awe - a vital function when less people than ever before have access to the outdoors - Ashby argues that the version of nature natural history museums present does not always reflect reality, with specimens revealing more about the biases of curators than they do about the species they represent. Likewise, the ways in which museums have traditionally told the story of their own histories has disproportionately elevated the contributions of certain kinds of people whilst diminishing the work of others, often ignoring their complex colonial heritage altogether. But Ashby contends that these issues are precisely why it's such an exciting time to be a natural historian, for while society shapes museums, so too can museums shape society - for the good. And as we face the existential threat of cataclysmic biodiversity loss, natural history museums will emerge as indispensable resources in the fight against climate catastrophe.Weaving together fresh historical research, entertaining zoological trivia and insider stories from Ashby's distinguished natural history career, Nature's Memory is a charming ode to the joys, eccentricities and planet-saving potential of the world's best-loved museums.

     

    £12.99

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    I Heart Hedgehogs

     

    Small, spiky, snuffly and utterly irresistible… who wouldn't fall in love with a hedgehog?This enchanting little book is brimming with hedgehog magic, from curious facts and snippets of folklore to charming quotes and delightful illustrations. Discover easy tips for making your garden a welcoming haven, including removing common perils and adding hog houses or feeding stations - because these tiny creatures need a little help on their nightly adventures.A celebration of one of our best-loved woodland creatures, this is the perfect gift for animal lovers, garden potterers and anyone who believes the world is brighter with hedgehogs in it.

     

    £10.99

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    Collins British Bird Identifier

     

    Collins British Bird Identifier is a revolution in bird identification. It brings together exceptional new artwork, with a unique, practical and comprehensive guide to the 5 essential features needed to identify every species of British bird.A new approach to bird identification, detailing five unique features that will definitively identify every species of British bird. The Collins British Bird Identifier is an essential field guide for beginners, experts and photographers. Each species is 'coded' as common, scarce or rare with coloured dots to denote seasonality. Illustrations are arranged so that confusion species are together with only five features needed to clinch ID. The author, Paul Stancliffe, has synthesised his 50 years of note-taking to bring experienced birdwatchers a memory jogger and provides a fresh strategy for those new to birdwatching. Jeff Baker's stunning artwork brings these birds to life, using his own extensive experience in their depiction. The definitive guide to the 5 features that identify every species of bird Covers every species of bird seen in the UK Easy to use for the beginner, a memory jogger for experts Allows everyone to identify birds quickly A checklist of what you should be looking for Simple code for common or rare species Colour code from when most likely to be seen Works as a stand alone book, or as a companion volume to your field guide

     

    £19.99

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    The Lost Elms

     

    A Guardian 'Book of the day''A captivating book' - Independent'Her enthusiasm is contagious.' - Guardian'A meditation on life, culture and trees.' - FRED PEARCE'Unofficial poet laureate of our woodlands.' - Scotsman________________For millennia,elms shaped our landscape and our folklore;then they started dying.Few young people have seen a mature elm tree. They once covered great swathes of Europe and North America, but Dutch elm disease has since killed hundreds of millions worldwide, forever altering our landscapes.The Lost Elms is a love letter to our nearly vanished elms and a rallying cry for their long, slow fight back. It tells the gripping story of the scientists desperately trying to halt the disease's relentless progress, and shares the latest research uncovering the intricate links between elms and other species. Woven throughout is a deeply lyrical look at the tree's central place in our history, mythology, poetry and folklore.Crucially, there is hope. Recent breakthroughs reveal elms to be more resilient than we ever imagined. The Lost Elms shows how the strength of this noble tree can offer positive lessons for the future - lessons which one day might help us save other disappearing species.

     

    £14.99

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    Bird Life

     

    Enchanting and fascinating, discover the extraordinary world of Britain's ordinary garden birds, related.In the late 1930s, Len Howard packed up her life in London, bought a plot of land in Sussex and built herself a little house there. This was to be Bird Cottage, a place where the doors of the house were open to the birds of the garden - great tits, blue tits, robins, blackbirds, willow warblers and many others. Len lived the rest of her life alongside her bird neighbours, with some sleeping in her bedroom and many flitting in and out all day long.This edition contains the two books she wrote about the birds, Birds as Individuals and Living with Birds. They are studies not just of bird behaviour but of their character, intelligence, singing voices, likes and dislikes. Enchanting, life-enriching, revelatory and completely original, this is a gorgeous evocation of a life lived in intimate contact with nature and a book about birds unlike any other.WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY STEPHEN MOSSCONTAINS BIRDS AS INDIVIDUALS AND LIVING WITH BIRDSPraise for Birds as Individuals'A unique, engaging and elegant insight into the lives of our precious and magical songbirds' Arthur Parkinson'It impressed and moved me very much' Steven Lovatt, author of Birdsong in a Time of Silence

     

    £14.99

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    The Dark Frontier

     

    An awe-inspiring and panoramic investigation into the hidden world of the deep sea - a mysterious, unforgiving landscape whose secrets radically revise our understanding of life on earth.The deep sea is one of our planet's last frontiers. For most of human history, it has been a remote realm shrouded in obscurity. But here, where the light cannot reach, lies a strange, wonderful and breathtaking world, teeming with scientific marvels and lessons for the future of life on this planet.In The Dark Frontier, marine microbiologist and explorer Jeffrey Marlow plunges us into the ocean's depths and invites us to witness close-up encounters with its hidden brilliance. Translucent shrimp dance through sulphureous vents, crabs stretch twelve feet from claw to claw and the eerie chalk-white towers of the 'Lost City' loom. Immersive and illuminating, Marlow's journeys reveal alarming warning signs as well: we are irrevocably changing the deep sea before we have even had a chance to understand it.This expansive book offers crucial and surprising insights into the ways in which the twinned forces of exploration and exploitation have shaped our relationship with the ocean. It shows how life can thrive in even the most extreme conditions, and reveals critical links between the deep sea and life on land. The Dark Frontier expands our understanding of biological possibilities - and our responsibilities - on Earth and beyond.

     

    £20.00


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