Best of
Conservation

2021

The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees


Douglas W. Tallamy - 2021
    His second book, the New York Times bestseller Nature’s Best Hope, urged homeowners to take conservation into their own hands. Now, he turns his advocacy to one of the most important species of the plant kingdom—the mighty oak tree.   Oaks sustain a complex and fascinating web of wildlife. The Nature of Oaks reveals what is going on in oak trees month by month, highlighting the seasonal cycles of life, death, and renewal. From woodpeckers who collect and store hundreds of acorns for sustenance to the beauty of jewel caterpillars, Tallamy illuminates and celebrates the wonders that occur right in our own backyards. He also shares practical advice about how to plant and care for an oak, along with information about the best oak species for your area. The Nature of Oaks will inspire you to treasure these trees and to act to nurture and protect them.

The Shark Caller


Zillah Bethell - 2021
    At first they are angry and out of sync with the island and each other. But when the tide breathes the promise of treasure, can they overcome their differences and brave the deadliest shark in the ocean?

The Elephants Come Home: A True Story of Seven Elephants, Two People, and One Extraordinary Friendship


Kim Tomsic - 2021
    They welcome the elephants to their wildlife sanctuary—Thula Thula—with open arms. But the elephants are much less sure they want to stay. How will Lawrence prove to them that they are safe and loved? What follows is a gorgeously illustrated real-life story of a friendship . . . and the story of the miraculous way that love given freely will return—greater and more wonderful than it began.• TOUCHING ANIMAL FRIENDSHIPS: Owen and Mzee, Tarra and Bella, Rescue and Jessica . . . touching true stories of the emotional bonds possible between species are charming, and speak to the limitlessness of love.• ELEPHANT APPEAL: Elephants are one of the most fascinating and charming wild animals in all of nature. This heartwarming true story will intrigue and inspire children, and turn even the most reluctant readers into elephant enthusiasts.• CONSERVATION THEME: This book tells the true story of caring for one of the world's most beloved endangered animals: the African elephant. This book is a great, upbeat jumping-off point for discussions of the importance of preserving endangered species and their environments.• ENGAGING NONFICTION: There's no better way to get readers hooked on factual books than to offer them real-life stories with heart and meaning.• STRONG CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) emphasize learning about animal habitats/biomes in K–2 curriculums, while later grades address topics like conservation and endangered species. With a depth of research and an engaging, highly visual narrative, this book is an excellent resource for librarians and primary school educators.Perfect for:• Kindergarten and elementary school teachers• Parents and grandparents• Librarians• Lovers of animals, wildlife, and the natural world• Zoo and natural history museumgoers

Not on My Watch: How a Renegade Whale Biologist Took on Governments and Industry to Save Wild Salmon


Alexandra Morton - 2021
    Her account of that fight is both inspiring in its own right and a roadmap of resistance.Alexandra Morton came north from California in the early 1980s, following her first love--the northern resident orca. In remote Echo Bay, in the Broughton Archipelago, she found the perfect place to settle into all she had ever dreamed of: a lifetime of observing and learning what these big-brained mammals are saying to each other. She was lucky enough to get there just in time to witness a place of true natural abundance, and learned how to thrive in the wilderness as a scientist and a single mother.Then, in 1989, industrial aquaculture moved into the region, chasing the whales away. Her fisherman neighbours asked her if she would write letters on their behalf to government explaining the damage the farms were doing to the fisheries, and one thing led to another. Soon Alex had shifted her scientific focus to documenting the infectious diseases and parasites that pour from the ocean farm pens of Atlantic salmon into the migration routes of wild Pacific salmon, and then to proving their disastrous impact on wild salmon and the entire ecosystem of the coast.Alex stood against the farms, first representing her community, then alone, and at last as part of an uprising that built around her as ancient Indigenous governance resisted a province and a country that wouldn't obey their own court rulings. She has used her science, many acts of protest and the legal system in her unrelenting efforts to save wild salmon and ultimately the whales--a story that reveals her own doggedness and bravery but also shines a bright light on the ways other humans doggedly resist the truth. Here, she brilliantly calls those humans to account for the sake of us all.

Amara and the Bats


Emma Reynolds - 2021
    But when Amara moves to a new town, she learns that her beloved bats no longer roost nearby because so many trees are being cut down. Amara is upset. What can she do to help? She’s just one person, and the problem feels so much bigger than her. But after doing some research, she discovers that there are many young people making big changes all around the world. Inspired to take action, Amara gathers her new friends to help save the bats. Together, she knows they can make a difference! Emma Reynolds crafts an inspiring story about community action, perseverance, and what to do in the face of climate anxiety. At its heart, this is a story about hope and finding a place to call home.

The Big Beach Cleanup


Charlotte Offsay - 2021
    Determined to help save their favorite place, Cora and Mama get to work picking up the single-use plastics that have washed onto the shore. It will take more than four hands to clean up the beach, but Cora is just getting started.

Silent Earth: Averting the Insect Apocalypse


Dave Goulson - 2021
    And the first step is to start looking after the insects, the little creatures that make our shared world go round. Insects are essential for life as we know it. As they become scarcer, our world will slowly grind to a halt; we simply cannot function without them. Drawing on the latest ground-breaking research and a lifetime's study, Dave Goulson reveals the shocking decline of insect populations that has taken place in recent decades, with potentially catastrophic consequences. He passionately argues that we must all learn to love, respect, and care for our six-legged friends. Eye-opening, inspiring, and riveting, Silent Earth is part love letter to the insect world, part elegy, part rousing manifesto for a greener planet. It is a call to arms for profound change at every level--in government policy, agriculture, industry, and in our own homes and gardens. Although time is running out, it is not too late for insect populations to recover. We may feel helpless in the face of many of the environmental issues that loom on the horizon, but Goulson shows us how we can take simple steps to encourage insects and counter their destruction.

Bright Green Lies: How the Environmental Movement Lost Its Way and What We Can Do About It (Politics of the Living)


Derrick Jensen - 2021
    And we hear all the time that 'solar power will save the planet.' But a) will 'renewables' actually power the economy? and b) are 'renewables' good for the planet?The answer in both cases is no.In fact, the answer is worse than no, in that because of these bright green lies much of the environmental movement has been transformed from being about saving wild places and wild nature into being about powering the industrial economy. These bright green lies have turned much of the environmental movement into a lobbying arm for a sector of the industrial economy, such that you can have 100,000 people marching on the streets of Washington, D.C., and if you ask them why they're marching, they'll say, 'To save the planet," but if you ask them for their demands, they'll say, "Subsidies for the solar industry." There has never been another social movement so completely coopted.Bright Green Lies systematically debunks many of the lies and distortions that characterize the discourse of those who argue that 'technology will stop global warming' or that 'technology will save the planet.' The book has a chapter devoted to debunking claims that each of following will individually or collectively power this culture sustainably; or help the planet: solar power, wind power, recycling, 'efficiency, ' batteries and other forms of energy storage, changes in the electrical grid, and hydropower. The authors also provide their own solutions, and more importantly, a way of looking at these problems that centers on the health of the planet.This book has taken six years to research and write. And no one is more qualified to write this book. The book's co-authors share between them seventy years of front-line grassroots environmental activism. In addition, Derrick Jensen is the author of twenty-five books, including the acclaimed A Language Older Than Words and Endgame. Lierre Keith is the author of The Vegetarian Myth, Deep Green Resistance, and others. Max Wilbert has been researching and writing about the environmental harms caused by solar, wind, and other 'renewables' for nearly a decade.

Green Humour For A Greying Planet


Rohan Chakravarty - 2021
    is gifted with the ability to convey hard truths about science and people with a skill that is rare and unique. [This book is] a must read. -Dia Mirza, Actor and Producer, United Nations SDGS Advocate, Wildlife Trust of India AmbassadorRohan finds ways to portray the most stark environmental injustices ... I am yet to come across a more talented and effective advocate for Mother Earth and her voiceless children. -Faye D'Souza, Journalist and EntrepreneurGreen Humour For A Greying Planet is a curation of gag cartoons and comic strips based exclusively on wildlife and nature, perhaps the first of its kind. At a time when global warming, wildlife crimes and man-animal conflicts are at their worst, 'Green Humour' is sure to provide its readers some much needed comic relief. A comprehensive and satirical take on various aspects of the natural world and the threats to its conservation, this book will appeal to both the scientifically inclined readers as well as the general readers.

The Last Straw: Kids vs. Plastics


Susan Hood - 2021
    Jane GoodallThere’s no doubt about it—plastic is in almost everything. From our phones and computers to our toys and utensils, plastic is everywhere. But the amount of plastic we throw away is hurting the health of our planet.With The Last Straw: Kids vs. Plastics, readers will be fascinated as they learn about the growing plastic problem and meet just a few of the young activists who are standing up and speaking out for change.You’ll hear about the “Be Straw Free” campaign, started by nine-year-old Milo Cress.You’ll discover how scientists are using jellyfish snot and munching, crunching caterpillars to break down plastic pollution faster.You’ll meet Xóchitl Guadalupe Cruz López, the eight-year-old girl turning old plastic bottles into solar heaters.And there are many more incredible kids here, not much older than our readers, who will inspire us all to change the way we think about plastic!With an introduction from Milo Cress and bright, colorful illustrations from Christiane Engel, this collection of brilliant, lyrical nonfiction poems by award-winning author Susan Hood highlights the threat of plastic and the kids who are fighting for change to save our planet. Includes extensive backmatter with a timeline, author’s note, further resources, and more.

Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear


Trang Nguyễn - 2021
    But her toughest challenge yet comes when she's tasked with returning Sorya--the sun bear she raised from infancy--back into the wild. Because despite being a different species, Sorya is Chang's best friend. And letting a friend go is never easy . . . even when it's the right thing to do.With breathtaking art and STEM facts galore, Chang's daring story is for any young reader, animal lover, and intrepid explorer!

Wild Souls: Freedom and Flourishing in the Non-Human World


Emma Marris - 2021
    But in fact, between animal welfare and conservation science there exists a space of underexamined and unresolved tension: wildness itself. When is it right to capture or feed wild animals for the good of their species? How do we balance the rights of introduced species with those already established within an ecosystem? Can hunting be ecological? Are any animals truly wild on a planet that humans have so thoroughly changed? No clear guidelines yet exist to help us resolve such questions.Transporting readers into the field with scientists tackling these profound challenges, Emma Marris tells the affecting and inspiring stories of animals around the globe-from Peruvian monkeys to Australian bilbies, rare Hawai'ian birds to majestic Oregon wolves. And she offers a companionable tour of the philosophical ideas that may steer our search for sustainability and justice in the non-human world. Revealing just how intertwined animal life and human life really are, Wild Souls will change the way we think about nature-and our place within it.

Scientist: E. O. Wilson: A Life in Nature


Richard Rhodes - 2021
    O. Wilson, one of the most ground-breaking and controversial scientists of our time--from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Making of the Atomic Bomb "An impressive account of one of the 20th century's most prominent biologists, for whom the natural world is 'a sanctuary and a realm of boundless adventure; the fewer the people in it, the better.'" --The New York Times Book ReviewFew biologists in the long history of that science have been as productive, as ground-breaking and as controversial as the Alabama-born Edward Osborne Wilson. At 91 years of age he may be the most eminent American scientist in any field.Fascinated from an early age by the natural world in general and ants in particular, his field work on them and on all social insects has vastly expanded our knowledge of their many species and fascinating ways of being. This work led to his 1975 book Sociobiology, which created an intellectual firestorm from his contention that all animal behavior, including that of humans, is governed by the laws of evolution and genetics. Subsequently Wilson has become a leading voice on the crucial importance to all life of biodiversity and has worked tirelessly to synthesize the fields of science and the humanities in a fruitful way.Richard Rhodes is himself a towering figure in the field of science writing and he has had complete and unfettered access to Wilson, his associates, and his papers in writing this book. The result is one of the most accomplished and anticipated and urgently needed scientific biographies in years.

Wild And Wilful


Neha Sinha - 2021
    Indian elephants are trapped by railway lines and fences, but are reclaiming their bodies and colonizing new areas in central India. And in our dirty cities, the sparkling Plain Tiger Butterfly flourishes as one of our last links to wildlife.Wild animals exist beyond our control. They are harmless, only occasionally dangerous. They live with us, or in spite of us. Those who know them understand that wild animals require acceptance for what they are, not enslavement for what we want them to be.In this book, we meet fifteen iconic Indian species in need of conservation and heart. The author explores what these creatures need, and how they exert agency and decision-making. With an equal emphasis on human and animal, science and skilled prose, Wild and Wilful reveals the magic of the wild in our daily lives. It will take you from fear to wonder.

A Pocket Guide to Sustainable Food Shopping: How to Navigate the Grocery Store, Read Labels, and Help Save the Planet


Kate Bratskeir - 2021
    We all try to live more ethically in our day-to-day lives, but sometimes it’s difficult to implement all we have learned about sustainability into our hectic schedules. This is particularly true when making shopping decisions at the grocery store. In The Pocket Guide to Sustainable Food Shopping you’ll learn the key ingredients to living a healthier and more eco-friendly life, particularly when shopping for the food that fuels you. Let this book be your supermarket companion as you roam the aisles. Including journal pages that you can tear out, this guide provides tips and advice on the best supplies to bring with you when you get your groceries. From how to read the labels to navigating the produce aisle to information on meat, dairy, eggs, and fish to the importance of packaging when buying dried goods, this book has all the answers you need to shop with an ethical mindset. Whether you’re someone who has been making simple, effortless changes for years or someone who doesn’t know where to start, The Pocket Guide to Sustainable Food Shopping is your go-to handbook for anyone who wants to make a difference.

A Shape in the Dark: Living and Dying with Brown Bears


Bjorn Dihle - 2021
    Much more than a report on human-bear interactions, this compelling story intimately explores our relationship with one of the world’s most powerful predators. An authentic and thoughtful work, it blends outdoor adventure, history, and elements of memoir to present a mesmerizing portrait of Alaska’s brown bears and grizzlies, informed by the species’ larger history and their fragile future.

Homewaters: A Human and Natural History of Puget Sound


David B Williams - 2021
    For millennia, vibrant Coast Salish communities have lived beside these waters dense with nutrient-rich foods, with cultures intertwined through exchanges across the waterways. Transformed by settlement and resource extraction, Puget Sound and its future health now depend on a better understanding of the region's ecological complexities.Focusing on the area south of Port Townsend and between the Cascade and Olympic mountains, Williams uncovers human and natural histories in, on, and around the Sound. In conversations with archaeologists, biologists, and tribal authorities, Williams traces how generations of humans have interacted with such species as geoducks, salmon, orcas, rockfish, and herring. He sheds light on how warfare shaped development and how people have moved across this maritime highway, in canoes, the mosquito fleet, and today's ferry system. The book also takes an unflinching look at how the Sound's ecosystems have suffered from human behavior, including pollution, habitat destruction, and the effects of climate change.Witty, graceful, and deeply informed, Homewaters weaves history and science into a fascinating and hopeful narrative, one that will introduce newcomers to the astonishing life that inhabits the Sound and offers longtime residents new insight into and appreciation of the waters they call home.

Wasps: The Astonishing Diversity of a Misunderstood Insect


Eric R. Eaton - 2021
    These amazing, mostly solitary creatures thrive in nearly every habitat on Earth, and their influence on our lives is overwhelmingly beneficial. Wasps are agents of pest control in agriculture and gardens. They are subjects of study in medicine, engineering, and other important fields. Wasps pollinate flowers, engage in symbiotic relationships with other organisms, and create architectural masterpieces in the form of their nests. This richly illustrated book introduces you to some of the most spectacular members of the wasp realm, colorful in both appearance and lifestyle. From minute fairyflies to gargantuan tarantula hawks, wasps exploit almost every niche on the planet. So successful are they at survival that other organisms emulate their appearance and behavior. The sting is the least reason to respect wasps and, as you will see, no reason to loathe them, either. Written by a leading authority on these remarkable insects, Wasps reveals a world of staggering variety and endless fascination.Packed with more than 150 incredible color photosIncludes a wealth of eye-popping infographicsProvides comprehensive treatments of most wasp familiesDescribes wasp species from all corners of the worldCovers wasp evolution, ecology, physiology, diversity, and behaviorHighlights the positive relationships wasps share with humans and the environment

When We All Stopped


Tom Rivett-Carnac - 2021
    What happens next is up to us and this story is as likely as any other. We who are here now get to choose where we take the human story next.Let' choose well...

Arrow


Samantha M. Clark - 2021
    He was raised by the Guardian Tree, the protector of the forest, which uses the earth’s magic to keep it hidden from those who have sought to exploit and kill it. But now the magic veil is deteriorating, the forest is dying, and Arrow may be the only one who can save it. Arrow never saw another human until one day, a man in a small airplane crash-lands in the forest. Then, a group of children finds their way in, escaping from their brutal, arid world where the rich live in luxurious, walled-off cities and the poor struggle for survival. The Guardian Tree urges Arrow to convince the trespassers to leave by any means necessary. Arrow is curious about these newcomers, but their arrival sets off a chain of events that leave him with a devastating choice: be accepted by his own kind or fight to save the forest that is his home.

Begin with a Bee


Liza Ketchum - 2021
    The life cycle of the rusty-patched bumblebee is a tale of wonder, the adventure of one queen bee who carries an entire colony of bees inside her tiny body. Her story begins in the spring when she emerges from a hole in the ground to search for pollen. She finds a nest, “underground best,” lays a few eggs, and seals them in pollen. All summer this single queen lays more eggs, and more worker bees hatch. They gather pollen and maintain the colony until next year’s queen hatches in the fall.The queen bee’s life unfolds through Claudia McGehee’s captivating illustrations. The authors—three beloved and prolific writers of award-winning children’s books—impart the poetry and basic science of the rusty-patched bumblebee, the first bee to appear on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Endangered Species list. Extensive commentary at the end of the book offers suggestions for being a friend to bees as well as a good citizen of the natural world. It also introduces the native plants that bumblebees need for survival. Begin with a Bee might inspire a child (or any of us) to seek out, identify, even cultivate these essential flowers—and participate in the next chapter in the story of all bumblebees.

Setsuko and the Song of the Sea


Fiona Barker - 2021
    She dives its depths.But she worries that her friends have chosen to abandon her way of life. Then she meets a whale who also fears he is the last of his kind.In return for giving him hope, he gifts her a songwhich she uses to remind people of the beauty of the ocean.The Song of the Sea is a story of friendship and hope in an uncertain world.

A Trillion Trees: How We Can Reforest Our World


Fred Pearce - 2021
    They make the rain and sustain biodiversity. They are essential for nature and for us. And yet, we are cutting and burning them at such a rate that many forests are fast approaching tipping points beyond which they will simply shrivel and die. But there is still time, and there is still hope. If we had a trillion more trees, the damage could be undone. So should we get planting? Not so fast. Fred Pearce argues in this inspiring new book that we can have our forests back, but mass planting should be a last resort. Instead, we should mostly stand back, make room and let nature — and those who dwell in the forests — do the rest.Taking us from the barren sites of illegal logging and monocrop farming to the smouldering rainforests of the Amazon, Fred Pearce tells a revelatory new history of the relationship between humans and trees – and shows us how we can change it for the better. Here we meet the pilot who discovered flying rivers, the village elders who are farming amid the trees, and the scientists challenging received wisdom. And we visit some of the world’s most wondrous treescapes, from the orchid-rich moutaintops of Ecuador to the gnarled and ancient glades of the South Downs.Combining vivid travel writing with cutting edge science, A Trillion Trees is both an environmental call to arms and a celebration of our planet’s vast arboreal riches.

The Tale of the Whale


Karen Swann - 2021
    This beautiful tale of friendship between a child and a whale invites us to consider our responsibilities towards the environment and makes a direct plea to end plastic pollution.'Where land becomes sky and the sky becomes sea, I first saw the whale, and the whale first saw me. And high on the breeze came his sweet-sounding song 'I've so much to show you, if you'll come along'.

The Boy and the Elephant: CBCA's Notable Picture Book 2022


Freya Blackwood - 2021
    But amidst the bustle and the noise, the boy has a secret ...In the overgrown lot next to his apartment building, deep within the green, he has a friend.But one day progress arrives, bringing with it plans for something new, and the boy must find a way to save his friend before it's too late ...From award-winning illustrator and storyteller Freya Blackwood comes a magical and tender wordless picture book about the world we live in and our ability to change it.PRAISE'full of innocent, powerful childlike optimism and love'- Books+Publishing

Thirteen Paces by Four: Backyard Biophilia and the Emerging Earth Ethic


Joe Gray - 2021
    Contemplating what a love of nature really means and implies, the author weaves a narrative of interlinked ideas that are integral to humanity’s positive cohabitation of Earth with the rest of life.

Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in an Age of Extinction


Michelle NijhuisMichelle Nijhuis - 2021
    In Beloved Beasts, acclaimed science journalist Michelle Nijhuis traces the movement’s history: from early battles to save charismatic species such as the American bison and bald eagle to today’s global effort to defend life on a larger scale.She describes the vital role of scientists and activists such as Aldo Leopold and Rachel Carson as well as lesser-known figures in conservation history; she reveals the origins of vital organizations like the Audubon Society and the World Wildlife Fund; she explores current efforts to protect species such as the whooping crane and the black rhinoceros; and she confronts the darker side of conservation, long shadowed by racism and colonialism.As the destruction of other species continues and the effects of climate change escalate, Beloved Beasts charts the ways conservation is becoming a movement for the protection of all species—including our own.

Waiting for a Warbler


Sneed B. Collard III - 2021
    One of them is a Cerulean warbler. He will lose more than half his body weight even if the journey goes well. Aloft over the vast ocean, the birds encourage each other with squeaky chirps that say, “We are still alive. We can do this.”Owen’s family watches televised reports of a great storm over the Gulf of Mexico, fearing what it may mean for migrating songbirds. In alternating spreads, we wait and hope with Owen, then struggle through the storm with the warbler.  This moving story with its hopeful ending appeals to us to preserve the things we love. The backmatter includes a North American bird migration map, birding information for kids, and guidance for how native plantings can transform yards into bird and wildlife habitat.

Questions Raised by Quolls: Fatherhood and Conservation in an Uncertain World


Harry Saddler - 2021
    We were cleaning up after dinner in the gathering dark, the pots and pans scraped empty but with traces of our meal still lingering, when we heard the noise of them: yapping calls, one to the other, or just to themselves in their excitement.’When Harry Saddler first encountered a quoll while camping with his father, he was struck by the beauty of the rare creature who had emerged fromthe bush, sniffing for dinner. As Harry frantically snapped a photo, the fast-moving mammal disappeared back into the undergrowth.Many years later that blurry photo remains a memory, as fleeting as the animal it captured. After two centuries of habitat destruction, quolls are now on the brink of extinction and Harry, contemplating fatherhood, aches for the absence of all the species lost to children born today.Questions Raised by Quolls is an eloquent examination of extinction and conservation set against the backdrop of global climate change. From his own family lineage, Harry reveals how humanity’s ever-accelerating modern way of life runs parallel with the destruction of the natural world. Evocative and challenging, this eulogy to lost species will force you to question your place in the vast interconnected web of life.

Orca: Shared Waters, Shared Home


Lynda Mapes - 2021
    This extraordinary and caring behavior sparked not only worldwide sympathy, but also a revival of our awareness of the critical need to preserve orcas, the chinook salmon they feed on, and their habitat that together make up the core of Pacific Northwest identity. In Orca: Shared Waters, Shared Home journalist Lynda V. Mapes explores the natural history of the orca and the unique challenges for survival of the Southern Resident group that frequents Puget Sound. These whales are among the most urban in the world, a focus of researchers, tourists, and politicians alike. Once referred to as blackfish and still known as killer whales, orcas were for generations regarded as vermin to be avoided or exterminated, then later were captured live for aquariums all over the world. With greater exposure, scientists realized how intelligent the mammal is and are learning about their matriarchal family groups, vocalizations, behavior, and different subspecies. Today only 74 Southern Resident whales are left, and they are threatened by habitat degradation, lack of chinook salmon (their primary food source), relentless growth, and climate change. Can we reverse the trend? This special project, co-published with the Pulitzer Prize winning Seattle Times newspaper, features stunning imagery by Times photographer Steve Ringman, as well as from partner organizations including The Whale Museum, NOAA, and Center for Whale Research.

Black Lion: Alive in the Wilderness


Sicelo Mbatha - 2021
    Instead, he was irresistibly drawn to it. As a volunteer at Imfolozi Nature Reserve, close encounters with animals taught him to 'see' with his heart and thus began a spiritual awakening.Drawing from his Zulu culture and a yearning to better understand human's relationship to nature, Sicelo has forged a new path to nature with an immersive, respectful and transformative way of being in the wilderness. As humanity hurtles into the anthropogenic 21st century, Black Lion is an urgent reminder of how much we need wilderness for our emotional and spiritual survival.'A brave account of a natural disaster, and of achieving reconciliation with the predatoriness of life.' Richard Mabey on Mbatha's essay, Letting Go.

Swan Song


Gill Lewis - 2021
    But when the swans’ habitat is threatened and tragedy strikes at home, can Dylan keep going when it feels like everything is slipping out of control again?A profoundly moving novel on the redemptive, healing power of nature from bestseller Gill Lewis.

Getting Closer: Rediscovering Nature Through Bird Photography


Paul Sorrell - 2021
    With a focus on birds, the book is directed primarily at photographers (of all levels of skill and experience), but also at birders, people interested in the outdoors, and those who would simply like to achieve a deeper connection with the natural world. The introduction makes the case for reconnecting with nature in a way that will draw in a wide range of readers, not just photographers. We have to reconnect, as most of us have lost the spontaneous bond with nature we enjoyed as young children and, in the face of impending ecological disaster, reconnecting with nature is our most urgent task. The author offers a simple, practical path for readers to begin to ‘rewild’ themselves. This is the focus of the second part of the book, where the author explores ways of becoming attentive to the natural world around you, wherever you may live. Through self-contained spreads on topics ranging from ‘the four seasons’ and ‘winds and tides’ to ‘flight shots’ and ‘colour and texture’, he introduces basic, hands-on techniques that, with practice, will enable readers to both deeply connect with their environment and become proficient wildlife photographers. ‘Top tips’ on each spread provide technical information aimed at more serious photographers.

When We Went Wild


Isabella Tree - 2021
    Nancy and Jake are farmers. They raise their cows and pigs, and grow their crops. They use a lot of big machines to help them, and spray a lot of chemicals to get rid of the weeds and the pests. That’s what all good farmers do, isn’t it? And yet, there is no wildlife living on their farm. The animals look sad. Even the trees look sad! One day, Nancy has an idea... what if they stopped using all the machines, and all the chemicals, and instead they went wild? The author’s own experience of rewilding her estate at Knepp in West Sussex, England, has influenced conservation techniques around the world that are bringing nature back to the countryside and bringing threatened species back from the brink.Ivy Kids brings you beautiful, sustainably printed books to rewild your child. They are hopeful, joyful stories and nonfiction about nature and the environment that are charmingly illustrated and printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper, locally in the US, and using renewable energy.Praise for Wilding, the author’s best-selling memoir: “In a story that is part personal memoir, part work of conservation, Tree reveals the capacity of the wild to reclaim the land—as long as humans step out of the way.”  —Smithsonian, “The Ten Best Science Books of 2018” “Wilding is both a timely and important book.”  —Tim Flannery, The New York Review of Books

A Wild Idea: How the Environmental Movement Tamed the Adirondacks


Brad Edmondson - 2021
    "The history of a globally significant land-use plan for New York State's six-million-acre Adirondack Park, the environmentalists who worked for decades to turn it into law, and the opponents who rose to meet them"--

Aesop’s Animals: The Science Behind the Fables


Jo Wimpenny - 2021
    The morals still inform our judgments, but have they influenced our views of the animal protagonists as well? And, if so, is there any truth behind the stereotypes? Are crows smart enough to reason? Are pigeons so dumb they cannot tell the difference between painting and reality? Are ants truly capable of looking ahead to the future and planning their actions? In Aesop's Animals, zoologist Jo Wimpenny turns a critical eye to the fables and ask whether there is any scientific truth to Aesop's portrayal of his animals. She brings the tales into the twenty-first century, introducing the latest scientific research on some of the most fascinating topics in animal behavior. Each chapter focuses on a different fable and a different topic in ethology, including future planning, tool use, self-recognition, cooperation and deception. At the end of each chapter, the author pulls together the evidence to assess whether Aesop's portrayal of the animals holds true from a modern, scientific perspective. Through interviews with leading researchers in the behavioral ecology, this book brings these famous tales back to life. People are always fascinated by animal behavior, especially studies that suggest the presence of intelligence and other 'human-like' characteristics that reveal how we may share more with these creatures than we ever imagined. Aesop's Animals builds on this, revealing cutting-edge research findings about animal abilities, as well as enabling the reader to explore and challenge their own preconceived notions about the animal kingdom.

This Book is Cruelty Free


Linda Newbery - 2021
    Learn how to make the right choices to live a cruelty-free life and demystify the morals and ethics around animals and wildlife. How do the everyday choices you make affect animals and the environment? This book looks at all the things you can do to live cruelty free. It's a guide for older children and teenagers concerned about animals, wildlife and the planet we live on.Packed with information on how to live a cruelty-free life, it includes sections on:Using your spending power. The choices we make – what to eat, what to buy, what to wear – and how these affect animals. Asking questions and reading labels.Cruelty-free fashion and beauty.What's on your plate? Being vegetarian or vegan, or just eating less meat? What impact can your diet have on cruelty and on the environment?Should you have a pet? If so, would your pet choose you as its owner? Points to consider before bringing an animal into your home.Animals on show. Do zoos and animal parks look after animals or exploit them? Good zoos and their important conservation work.Watching wild animals. Watching and learning about wildlife – building an appreciation of nature and helping your mental wellbeing.Love those bugs! Many people are squeamish about insects, but these creatures are vital to ecosystems.Don’t throw it away – there is no away. Simple things everyone can do to avoid waste: recycling, re-using, choosing plastic-free. Resist the throwaway culture.Where do you draw your line? What can you realistically achieve? Some of the difficulties, especially if family / friends don’t agree with you. What are the best (and worst) ways of influencing others? How to feel confident with your decisions.How to handle everyday situations and counter arguments.Campaigning – anti-cruelty organisations to support. The power of protest.This book will help you to live as cruelty-free as possible and to examine all of the areas in your life where you can help animals and the environment.Choose to live without cruelty. Choose this book and find out how.

Extinctions: Living and Dying in the Margin of Error


Michael Hannah - 2021
    In comparison with these ancient events, today's biotic crisis hasn't (yet) reached the level of extinction to be called a mass extinction. But we are certainly in crisis, and current parallels with ancient mass extinction events are profound and deeply worrying. Humanity's actions are applying the same sorts of pressures - on similar scales - that in the past pushed the Earth system out of equilibrium and triggered mass extinction events. Analysis of the fossil record suggests that we still have some time to avert this disaster: but we must act now.

Zoom: Rainforest Adventure


Susan Hayes - 2021
    Join Lin as she treks through the rainforest on an animal-packed adventure, with die-cuts, a pop-up, and surprises throughout! On this trek into the Amazon rainforest, die cut pages and one surprise pop-up make every page an interactive experience as you discover mischievous monkeys, slithery snakes, smiling sloths, hovering hummingbirds, and delightful dolphins in one of the most exciting places on Earth.

At the Height of the Moon: A Book of Bedtime Poetry and Art


Annette Roeder - 2021
    Divided into eight thematic sections it features dozens of double-paged spreads that families will turn to again and again as part of their bedtime routine. The carefully chosen, diverse selection of images includes works by John Singer Sargent, Georgia O'Keeffe, Utagawa Hiroshige and Henri Le Sidoner among many others, beautifully reproduced in luminous color. Accompanying these artworks are poems, mediations and short fiction that range from lighthearted verse to eerie folktales. Together these words and pictures create meaningful impressions that children will treasure and remember as they drift off to sleep--and hold onto for the rest of their lives.

The Animals Are Leaving Us


Martin Rowe - 2021
    For four years, from January 2017 to January 2021, writer and publisher Martin Rowe documented the state of the United States and the world—using the verse form of ottava rima. In June 2019, he dedicated thirty of those verses to two extraordinarily compelling and distressing photographs of animals in extremis taken by Canadian photojournalist Jo-Anne McArthur. Now expanded to include more verses and more of McArthur’s stunning images, The Animals Are Leaving Us forms a testament to the particular moments in the lives and deaths of individual creatures, and a requiem for the many billions of animals who are subject to the cruel whims of our species, and who are vanishing from the wild places of the Earth.

Curious Creatures Glowing in the Dark


Zoe Armstrong - 2021
    With more emphasis on topic specific children’s non-fiction, and the popularity of more lyrical prose intertwined with stunning illustrations, this series of books is sure to be a hit with younger children who are just starting to learn about the world we live in and its amazing - and sometimes bizarre - plants and creatures.

Flight from Grace: A Cultural History of Humans and Birds


Richard Pope - 2021
    Our natural environment is being compromised, and birds and other animals are disappearing at an alarming rate. Flight from Grace does not so much reveal the extent of the damage as ask and answer the perplexing question: why? This book traces human reverence for birds from the Stone Age and the New Stone Age, through the cultures of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Peru, and Greece and through biblical traditions, up to its vestiges in the present. Richard Pope takes a hard look at Judaeo-Christian and ancient Greek thought to demonstrate how the emergence of anthropocentrism and belittling of nature led to our present-day ecological dilemma. Striking images of cultural artifacts -- many little-known -- together with extensive discussion of art, music, literature, and religion illustrate the paradox in our contemporary relationship to the natural world. Humanity, in moving from its paleolithic origins to modern times, has simultaneously distanced itself from and disenchanted nature. Suggesting that the replacement of an animistic worldview with a mechanistic one has led humans to deny their animality, Flight from Grace calls on readers to appreciate how our past relationship with birds might help transform our current relationship with nature.

Deer-Resistant Native Plants for the Northeast


Ruth Rogers Clausen - 2021
    In Deer-Resistant Native Plants for the Northeast, Ruth Rogers Clausen and Gregory D. Tepper provide a list of native plants that have one more benefit—they are proven to help prevent your garden from becoming a deer buffet. From annuals and perennials to grasses and shrubs, every suggested plant includes a deer-resistance rating, growing advice, companion species, and the beneficial wildlife the plant does attract. Let these beautiful natives help your landscape flourish!   For gardeners in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, DC.

One Potoroo: A Story of Survival


Penny Jaye - 2021
    Frightened, hurt and alone, Potoroo needs a new home - somewhere safe from predators and with plenty of his favorite food. Luckily, a team of conservationists know where Potoroo can go to be safe.One Potoroo: A Story of Survival is a beautifully illustrated book about the world's most endangered marsupial, the Gilbert's Potoroo, and the conservation work that has kept this unique Australian alive.Reading level varies from child to child, but we recommend this book for ages 6-9.FEATURES: A beautifully illustrated picture book, inspired by real events, about the world's most endangered marsupial, the Gilbert's PotorooFeatures an author's note and factual information about the Gilbert's Potoroo, its history and conservation statusHighlights the importance of proactive conservation efforts and responses to environmental change.