‘Secrets of the Vegetable Garden’ is a picture book with a difference! Children hold the book up to light or shine a torch behind the page to reveal the hidden activity going on in the garden: seeds appear magically under soil in a pot; roots and worms, normally hidden to us, become apparent under the…
Miles Irving’s, ‘The Forager Handbook’, begins with a passionate introduction about a revolution in the food industry and a burgeoning communal return to our ancestral roots. His enthusiasm and knowledge are clear from the start, and the book, without doubt, does offer a wealth of information. However, I fear the title misleads us in its…
It seems to have been a bad summer for the elm across southern England. Wherever there is elm, there are the tell-tale signs of attack by the elm bark beetle with shriveled brown leaves and bent-over branches standing out against the green hedge background. From being green and healthy-looking in May and June, during July…
Anna Carlile’s book accomplishes an impressive merging of style and substance; at first glance stunning and evocative photography draws the reader in yet suggests that this is nothing more than a walk in the woods in coffee-table-reading form. However, on full immersion into the (admittedly slightly hard-on-the-eye) text and projects Carlile has brought together, one…
“Dragonflies are rock and roll insects,” states Nick Baker in the foreword. They are high energy aerial predators that have the raptorial appeal of birds of prey and the grace, agility and vibrancy of butterflies. They inhabit just about anywhere and everywhere connected to water. Did you know there are 56 species? The high quality…
It’s very easy, with rules and regulation, for school children to spend much of their class time… indoors. This book is full of ideas to get kids to experience and enjoy being outside… and help adults stuck for what to do! Tried-and-true activities cover: gardening (the author is a horticulturalist); things to do at dawn…
I should begin by declaring an interest: I like watching bees and can often be found in the garden looking at them when I might be doing something more productive. It’s as though their sheer industriousness is enough without my joining in. I am not an expert on bees, nor do I possess great knowledge…
This 28 minute DVD about the native UK honey bee is available in both Welsh and English on the same disc. It is aimed at Key Stage 1, although it says it is suitable for all primary school children. The DVD sets out to explain in straightforward language the importance of the honey bee to us…
A new e-book, Prophet and Loss, celebrates the wildness legacy left by the founder of UK nature conservation, Charles Rothschild. It’s written by Simon Barnes reveals and illustrated by wildlife artist Nik Pollard, and is s a must-read says the Wildlife Trusts. Barnes re-visits seven of the 284 special places which Charles Rothschild and his…
Being a Beast by Charles Foster explores what it’s like to be an animal – well, as far as we humans can ever manage to do this, and judging by the reviews, Foster does an extraordinary job, unbelievably well. This is what the publishers say: “Charles Foster wanted to know what it was like to…