-
FIRST CLASS DELIVERY
All books & gifts sent Royal Mail
-
Chat to us
We are here to help & answer any questions
-
Free CLICK & COLLECT
Local collection available
Natural History
-
Nature's Genius
'Superb' ROBERT MACFARLANE'Fascinating' ISABELLA TREE'Inspiring' CAL FLYNSHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR CONSERVATION WRITINGSHORTLISTED FOR SCOTLAND'S NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS FOR NON-FICTIONFor nearly four billion years, life on Earth has found new ways to adapt, reproduce and thrive. Now, in the face of climate change, nature is modelling ingenuity as never before.David Farrier guides us through unexpected and hopeful examples of nature's genius: whether urban pigeons building nests in the spiked structures meant to deter them or tomcod in the Hudson River that have become immune to highly toxic chemicals, coral used to make a natural and self-healing cement or computer chips derived from mycelium skin. Farrier shows us how nature is offering a blueprint that could help us design sustainable cities, remake our economies, solve our waste problem, rescue animals from the brink of extinction and choose a better future.
£11.99
-
Birdland
A joyous celebration of Britain's rich bird lifeIn Birdland, journalist and lifelong birder Jon Gower explores our intimate connection with the bird life around us. From the symphonic song of the wren to the clack of a puffin's beak and from epic migrations to sunset murmurations, birds are commonplace miracles. No wonder they have inspired our artists, writers and songwriters. Whether rare or abundant, Jon Gower visits some of the best places in Britain to watch birds, searching for some species he has always wanted to see such as wryneck, dotterel and barred warbler.But all is not well in Birdland. Gower charts the many changes to Britain's bird life over the last 50 years, as the countryside has seemingly emptied and in many ways fallen silent. He considers the effects of the climate emergency, the decline in biodiversity and warming oceans on birdlife and looks at work being done to mitigate these developments. But above all it is a celebration of birds and their being, and a call to arms to defend them. As Great Bustards return to our plains and eagles to our mountains, Jon Gower's book examines the future from a bird's-eye view.
£12.99
-
In Search of Sea Dragons
After surviving a terrifying avalanche on the slopes of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), Matthew Myerscough took up a new hobby: fossil hunting. Since then, he has become well-known in the fossil hunting community for finding spectacular marine reptile fossils on the beaches near his home.Recounting his journey from novice to expert, In Search of Sea Dragons sees him venturing to a variety of places, including lesser-known sites in South Wales, Somerset and North Yorkshire, where he makes exciting discoveries and searches for his dream find - a complete ichthyosaur. His story is one of personal growth and maturing into adulthood as well as a practical guide for aspiring fossil hunters. As his months-long search for the second half of an ichthyosaur draws to a close, he considers what's more rewarding? The discovery or the things you find along the way.
£12.99
-
Ocean
** THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER **'Gripping... the wildlife is so fantastical that the images on the page feel like works of the imagination.' Evening Standard'THIS IS THE STORY OF OUR OCEAN AND WE MUST WRITE ITS NEXT CHAPTER TOGETHER. FOR IF WE SAVE THE SEA, WE SAVE OUR WORLD. AFTER A LIFETIME OF FILMING OUR PLANET, I'M SURE THAT NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT.'From the icy seas of our poles to remote coral islands, David Attenborough has filmed in every ocean habitat on planet earth. Now, with long-term collaborator Colin Butfield, he shares the story of our last great wilderness - the one which shapes the land we live on, regulates our climate and creates the air we breathe.Dive into eight unique saltwater habitats, swim through kelp forests, mangroves and coral reefs and down almost 11,000 feet to the deepest corners of the most unexplored ecosystem on our planet.Experience a journey of wonder and discovery, populated by green turtles and blue whales; clownfish and bioluminescent jellyfish; the vampire squid and the 'head-less chicken monster' - a strange form of sea cucumber that lives at the very bottom of the ocean.With the warmth, intelligence and awe that characterises all of David Attenborough's landmark series, Ocean shows us a world which is both desperately fragile yet astonishingly resilient, with an extraordinary capacity to repair itself. It's not too late to restore our most vital habitat. If we treat it with respect, our marine world will be even richer and more spectacular than we can imagine.A book almost a century in the making, but one that has never been more urgently needed.
£14.99
-
When the Forest Breathes
'The Indiana Jones of trees' GuardianWhen the forest breathes out, we breathe in. When the forest thrives, we thrive. The world-renowned forest ecologist Suzanne Simard has transformed our understanding of the profound intelligence and interconnectedness of trees. In When the Forest Breathes, she uncovers how the deep-rooted cycles of renewal that sustain the forest can also help us to protect our entire global ecosystem. Raised in a family of loggers committed to sustainable stewardship of the land, Simard has watched as timber companies leave the forests of her native British Columbia vulnerable to wildfires and drought, threatening the crucial biodiversity that they support. But her groundbreaking research for the Mother Tree Project - one of the most ambitious forest ecology experiments of its kind - has the potential to chart a new course. The forest, she reveals, is a living symphony of finely honed cycles of birth, growth, death and rebirth that hold the key to protecting the natural world. Working closely with local Indigenous communities, whose sustainable practices have been largely ignored, Simard examines how holistic, regenerative forestry that preserves the cycles of the forest can help solve the global climate crisis. Weaving together scientific discoveries and luminous storytelling, Simard's book is a call to rediscover our kinship with the natural world, and listen to the lessons of the forest.
£25.00
-
The Wisdom of Farmers
'There is hard-won wisdom here, and good cheer, and a reminder that the world is much wider, older and more interesting than you'd think' BILL McKIBBEN 'Kind, wise and immensely readable' TIM FLANNERY A thoughtful, illuminating rumination on the life lessons we can take from those who work the land and the millennia of wisdom they draw upon when they go about their day, 'making a living by turning light and time into money'. As with his previous bestsellers, John Connell skilfully synthesises philosophy, art, literature and spirituality to bolster his thoughts on such topics as stoicism, the food chain and the role of community, leaving the reader convinced of the importance of connecting with their own inner farmer.
£12.99
-
Of Thorn & Briar
*** THE INSTANT TOP TEN BESTSELLER ***HIGHLY COMMENDED FOR THE 2025 WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR NATURE WRITING SHORTLISTED FOR THE RICHARD JEFFERIES AWARDPaul Lamb is a hedgelayer. He lives in his wagon and works to the rhythm of the seasons, a way of life that has almost vanished. From the end of summer until the birds nest in the spring, he travels the south-west corner of England, maintaining the ancient boundaries of our nation.As traditional management techniques are lost to modernisation, hedgerows and the wildlife they support have declined dramatically. Paul has devoted decades to saving and rejuvenating this important but often forgotten part of Britian's countryside.Of Thorn & Briar is Paul's spellbinding account of living in partnership with the land, practising his craft with skill and preserving our heritage for future generations. Once you've read it, you will never look at the humble hedgerow in the same way again.'[A] beguiling book . . . this spare but elegant account is an unexpected delight, and as soothing as a walk down a tree-dappled lane at sunset' Daily Mail 'Gentle, evocative and compelling' Patrick Barkham, The Oldie 'This is a delightful book and one that deserves to enter the pantheon of distinguished Nature writing' Country Life
£10.99
-
How Flowers Made Our World
In How Flowers Made Our World, biologist David George Haskell redefines our understanding of flowers, casting them as powerful revolutionaries at the heart of Earth's story.'Flowering plants as you've never seen them before ... Science writing with sensuality, sensitivity and soul.' Cal Flyn, author of Islands of Abandonment 'Vividly written. David George Haskell shows how the most trivialized part of the natural world is among its most powerful and essential.' -Rebecca Solnit, author of Orwell's Roses'David George Haskell's great strength as a writer is that he is open to surprise. He regards the planet as a strange and beautiful place. How Flowers Made Our World is at once closely observed, richly reported, and mind-blowing.'-Elizabeth Kolbert, author of The Sixth ExtinctionFar from being mere ornaments, flowers have shaped the very fabric of life on our planet. Their evolution triggered a cascade of biodiversity, transforming oceans, creating new habitats, and even altering the climate. Their beauty turned adversaries into allies, and their adaptability turned environmental upheavals into opportunities for renewal.Weaving together vivid storytelling, lyrical writing, and cutting-edge science, Haskell illuminates flowers as portals into deep time and essential players in our ecological future. He reveals how flowers built and sustained ecosystems from rainforests to prairies and have been pivotal in the evolution of species like butterflies, bees, and birds. He also uncovers their crucial role in human history, as cultural emblems, keys to scientific leaps, and evolutionary catalysts, with flowering grasses calling our ancestors to leave the trees, laying the foundation for agriculture and modern civilization.From lessons in resilience and creativity found among gardeners' favourites, such as magnolias, orchids, and roses, to rediscovering lesser-known wonders, like our uncelebrated underwater meadows that sustain life and the secrets of our most humble wildflowers, How Flowers Made Our World invites readers to see these blooms in a whole new light-as the dynamic and influential forces they truly are.'In this dazzling book, scintillating with wonder and scholarship, Haskell shows us how flowers - so often belittled and misunderstood, have shaped ecology, and so shaped us. Flowers are tectonic, and here is a book worthy of them.'-Charles Foster, author of The Edges of the World'Joyful ... brimming with curiosity, humour, and crystal-clear scientific delights. How Flowers Made Our World is a celebration of the inventiveness of floral life.' Zoë Schlanger, author of The Light Eaters
£22.00
-
The Great Tree Story
'An irresistible celebration' Michael Palin 'A thrilling journey of discovery' Tristan Gooley'Original thought, and cutting-edge research' Sophy Roberts'The tree is the hero in his book.' The Times The Great Tree Story explores the profound influence that trees have had on our planet and civilization. Delving into their evolutionary beginnings, their cultural significance, and the impact that agriculture, colonization, and the Industrial Revolution have had on their survival - this book recounts the resilient life of trees across the ages.Combining global travel and in-depth research, explorer Levison Wood plots the history of trees alongside our own - from the rainforests of Brazil to the war-torn regions of Ukraine - and centres their stories as the bearers of ancient wisdom.This is a vital retelling of our natural history, and one that determines our own future.
£10.99
-
Intertidal
Over two years and three monsoons, Yuvan Aves pays scrupulous attention to the living world of his coastal city. The result is a diary of deep observation of coast and wetland, climate and self. Set in beaches and marshes, and the wild places of the mind, 'Intertidal' comprises daily accounts of being in a multispecies milieu. In language that is jewel-like and precise, we hear frog calls through the night, spot butterflies miles into the ocean, find blue buttons washed ashore, see the churning of longshore currents and meditate on the composting abilities of worms. We also witness communities stand together to preserve the homes and livelihoods of the human and non-human inhabitants of the coast and the marsh.
£10.99
-
Wild Pavements
Delight in the overlooked and under-appreciated wildlife in our UK cities
£18.99
-
The Genius of Trees
Taking us on an awe-inspiring journey through deep history and across the globe, 'The Genius of Trees' restores trees to their rightful position not as victims of our negligence but as ingenious, stunningly inventive agents in a grand ecological narrative. Some have been using fire as a reproductive tool since prehistoric times. Others have gone to extraordinary lengths to make sure their fruits reach large primates, who can spread their seeds over vast distances, while poisoning smaller and less useful mammals. Some can split solid rock and create fertile ground in barren landscapes, effectively building entire ecosystems from scratch. For the first time, we witness the inventive and astonishing ways trees sculpt and even master their environment and understand the science of how they achieve these feats.
£12.99
-
Is a River Alive?
At the heart of 'Is a River Alive?' is a single, transformative idea: that rivers are not mere matter for human use, but living beings, who should be recognised as such in both imagination and law. Macfarlane takes the reader on a mind-expanding global journey into the history, futures, people and places of the ancient, urgent concept. Around the world, rivers are dying from pollution, drought and damming. But a powerful movement is also underway to recognize the lives and the rights of rivers, and to re-animate our relationships with these vast, mysterious presences whose landscapes we share. The young 'rights of nature' movement has lit up activists, artists, law-makers and politicians across six continents - and become the focus for revolutionary thinking about rivers in particular.
£11.99
-
Being an Oak
For over two centuries, as rulers have risen and fallen and wars have raged, one majestic oak tree has lived out an epic drama. From germination in 1780 to adapting to the changing climate of the modern age, its struggles and triumphs took place far from human eyes. That is, until one day a young man named Laurent Tillon came across it, and a decades-long relationship began, In this dazzling book, biodiversity expert Tillon narrates the story of the tree he calls Quercus. Evoking the richness which is all around us, he reveals that Quercus is embedded in a network of ever-shifting relationships, from close alliances between plants and animals to battles between insects, birds and fungi.
£10.99
-
Renaturing
Twenty years ago, James Canton moved from London to the English countryside. Behind his farm labourer's cottage was a small field with a 'for sale' sign. At first it was a site for family picnics and cricket matches with friends, but James knew that the two-acre patch of earth held more potential - as a place for nature to return and flourish. Here is the story of how, over a number of years, he undertook a project to 'rewild' the field: digging a pond, forging meadowlands, creating habitats for birds and insects, encouraging flowers and plants that support pollinators and wildlife. Eventually what was once just a grassy space was again buzzing with life.
£10.99
-
A Little Bird Told Me
52 beautiful and quirky watercolour drawings and a linguistic curio for every week of the year
£12.99
-
Beauty of the Beasts
In an age of catastrophic biodiversity loss, the author of Aesop's Animals explains why we should champion and protect nature's underdogs.
£20.00
-
Be More Bird
'Part memoir, part beginner's guide, part self-help, but wholly wonderful book ? It's a real treat to read these nuggets of winged wisdom' MAIL ON SUNDAY'A small masterpiece, written with heart, self-belief and wisdom. Wonderful!' PAUL THEROUX
£16.99
-
Ancient
Ancient woods are Britain's richest habitats: rare fragments of our landscape that teem with life from soil to canopy. They live in our collective imagination as quiet places, best left pristine and untouched. But their story has always been one of interdependence with people. Now, as ever, these woods - including remnants of the primeval 'wildwood' - need the thoughtful intervention of humans to survive. With the benefit of over twenty years' experience rehabilitating ancient woodland - from the Lakes to the Peak District, by way of suburban London's hidden gems - Luke Barley brings us deep into this hidden world to reveal majestic oaks, freshly coppiced hazels, endangered limes, and the passionate individuals tending them for future generations.
£25.00
-
Spring Is the Only Season
From the acclaimed, bestselling author of the Bad Birdwatcher trilogy, comes an enchanting celebration of the transformative power of spring
£10.99
-
The Intertidal Zone
Where the land meets the sea, life clings to the margins in a world of relentless change. The intertidal zone is a place of extremes-where creatures endure crashing waves, scorching sun, and the constant ebb and flow of the tides. It is a place of resilience and adaptation and home to some of the most extraordinary organisms on the planet. Blending marine biology, oceanography, and evolutionary science, marine biologist Ruth Searle takes us on a journey through the deep history of the intertidal zone - from its ancient origins as the possible cradle of life to the remarkable adaptations of the species that inhabit it today. Exploring the geological forces that shape coastlines, the mechanics of tides and waves, and the evolutionary arms race that has unfolded on the shore, this book reveals how the intertidal has not only survived mass extinctions but has driven some of nature's most extraordinary innovations.
£10.99
-
To Hear the Trees Speak
A sort of history of the world in ten iconic trees from around the world including the eucalyptus, the Baobab and the oak. A beautiful and moving account of our relationship with trees
£12.99
-
The Art of Patience
'The Art of Patience' sees the renowned French adventurer and writer Sylvain Tesson undertake an expedition to the mountains of Tibet in search of the famously elusive snow leopard. After the publication of 'The Consolations of the Forest' (2014), Sylvain Tesson had a devastating climbing accident that broke far too many bones in his body. A year later, determined to walk himself back to health, he set off on the backroads of France from the Piedmont to Brittany. Then in 2018, in the footsteps of the admired American writer Peter Matthiessen, he undertook a far more ambitious, far more testing journey: to learn the art of patience, waiting for the snow leopard to appear - no small challenge for a man who all his life has sought to beat time by outrunning it.
£9.99
-
Night Life
John Lewis-Stempel heads back out into the night to discover how nocturnal wildlife takes charge of their ink-black domain. As humans we stumble, clumsy in the dark, so how do the creatures of the night take on a new strength as the sun sets? Using the stars above as his guide, and only his faithful dog by his side, he moves across the wilderness to explore the effect the night has on our senses, and see what we can learn from our animal friends.
£12.99
You have seen 48 out of 595 products