The Simple Things - 04.2020

Every Day Nature

By Andy Beer

(National Trust)

Find beauty

in accessible,

easy-to-discover

nature, every

day of the year

To quietly change

your life over an

observant year, all you need is “curiosity

and imagination” and a willingness to

step outside. Beer’s glorious day-by-

day guide to nature is refreshingly easy

to follow. Parks, hedgerows and road

verges can all be a source of wonder.

April days are filled with the sound

of thrushes and blackbirds, holly blue

butterflies and red mason bees are

out and about, the grass is alive with

dandelions and daisies, and the woods

with nettles, docks and bluebells.

The Accidental

Countryside:

Hidden Havens for

Britain’s Wildlife

By Stephen Moss

(Faber)

A wildlife-rich tour

of the in-between

habitats of the

British Isles

Moss is on a mission “to unravel the

surprising and often uplifting story of

how humans have built places for their

own needs and how, through the laws

of unforeseen consequences, the wildlife

has taken advantage of us.” Perhaps

most hopeful are motorways managed

with less mowing and more wild flowers,

keeping millions of commuters in tune

with the changing seasons.

Losing Eden: Why

our Minds Need

the Wild By Lucy

Jones (Allen Lane)

A galvanising call

to protect the natural

world before it’s

too late

At first, Jones’

question was

relatively simple: “How and why does

nature make us feel good?” But as she

watched our “assault” on “wildlife, plants,

trees, habitats” and the effects of global

warming, her question changed: how

would our disconnection from the natural

world affect our mental health, our

emotional lives? Combining scientific

research with illuminating visits around

the world, Jones hollers a rallying cry for

a deeper connection with the wild, for our

planet’s health and our own wellbeing.

“Ap r il d a ys a re

filled with the

sound of

thrushes and

blackbirds, holly

blue butterf lies

and red mason

bees are out

and about”

“He lyrically

describes what

to look for, f rom

sand martins

to the draught

of a bat’s wing

on a darkening

evening”

How to See Nature

By Paul Evans

(Batsford)

A lyrical celebration

of the marvellously

diverse wildlife of

modern Britain

Essayist and poet

Evans “unspools a

thread of wonder”

as he wanders from brownfield edgelands

to rural developments – all “places

nevertheless full of nature to see.” Keenly

knowledgeable, he lyrically describes

what to look for, from sand martins to the

draught of a bat’s wing on a darkening

evening. Even weeds can be wonderful:

witness the feathery whiteness of an open

rosebay willowherb seedpod, exhausted

“after the carmine blaze of summer.”

TAKING ACTION

BOOKS

EveryDayNature

ByAndyBeer

(NationalTrust)

Findbeauty

in accessible,

easy-to-discover

nature,every

dayof theyear

Toquietlychange

yourlifeoveran

observantyear,all youneedis “curiosity

andimagination”anda willingnessto

stepoutside.Beer’sgloriousday-by-

dayguideto natureis refreshinglyeasy

to follow.Parks,hedgerowsandroad

vergescanall bea sourceof wonder.

Aprildaysarefilledwiththesound

of thrushesandblackbirds,hollyblue

butterfliesandredmasonbeesare

outandabout,thegrassis alivewith

dandelionsanddaisies,andthewoods

withnettles,docksandbluebells.

TheAccidental

Countryside:

HiddenHavensfor

Britain’sWildlife

ByStephenMoss

(Faber)

A wildlife-richtour

of thein-between

habitatsof the

BritishIsles

Mossis ona mission“tounravelthe

surprisingandoftenupliftingstoryof

howhumanshavebuiltplacesfortheir

ownneedsandhow,throughthelaws

of unforeseenconsequences,thewildlife

hastakenadvantageof us.”Perhaps

mosthopefularemotorwaysmanaged

withlessmowingandmorewildflowers,

keepingmillionsof commutersin tune

withthechangingseasons.

LosingEden:Why

ourMindsNeed

theWildByLucy

Jones(AllenLane)

A galvanisingcall

to protectthenatural

worldbeforeit’s

toolate

Atfirst,Jones’

questionwas

relativelysimple:“Howandwhydoes

naturemakeusfeelgood?”Butas she

watchedour“assault”on“wildlife,plants,

trees,habitats”andtheeffectsof global

warming,herquestionchanged:how

wouldourdisconnectionfromthenatural

worldaffectourmentalhealth,our

emotionallives?Combiningscientific

researchwithilluminatingvisitsaround

theworld,Joneshollersa rallyingcryfor

a deeperconnectionwiththewild,forour

planet’shealthandourownwellbeing.

“Ap r il d a ys a re

filled with the

sound of

thrushes and

blackbirds, holly

blue butterf lies

and red mason

bees are out

and about”

“Helyrically

describeswhat

tolookfor,f rom

sandmartins

tothedraught

ofa bat’swing

ona darkening

evening”

How to See Nature

By Paul Evans

(Batsford)

A lyrical celebration

of the marvellously

diverse wildlife of

modern Britain

Essayist and poet

Evans “unspools a

thread of wonder”

as he wanders from brownfield edgelands

to rural developments – all “places

nevertheless full of nature to see.” Keenly

knowledgeable, he lyrically describes

what to look for, from sand martins to the

draught of a bat’s wing on a darkening

evening. Even weeds can be wonderful:

witness the feathery whiteness of an open

rosebay willowherb seedpod, exhausted

“after the carmine blaze of summer.”

TAKING ACTION

BOOKS