Birds Beasts And Bedlam

"Gow has a fire in his belly. We need more like him."—BBC Wildlife magazine "[Gow is] a wonderful storyteller, wisely allowing his animals (and considerable bedlam) to take center stage. His stories can be bawdy, laugh-out-loud funny, poignant, or even depressing, but they're never dull."—Booklist Birds, Beasts and Bedlam recounts the adventures of farmer-turned-rewilder Derek Gow, who is saving Britain’s much-loved but dangerously threatened species, from the water vole to beaver, wildcat to white stork, and tree frog to glow worm. Derek tells us all about the realities of rewilding; how he reared delicate roe deer and a sofa-loving wild boar piglet, moved a raging bison bull across the country, got bitten by a Scottish wildcat, returned honking skeins of graylag geese to the land and water that was once theirs, and restored the white stork to the Knepp Estate with Charlie Burrell and Isabella Tree. Derek’s first book, Bringing Back the Beaver, was a riotously funny and subversive account of his single-handed reintroduction of the beaver in Britain. Birds, Beasts and Bedlam, a natural successor to Gerald Durrell’s A Zoo in My Luggage, tells the story of Derek’s rewilding journey and his work to save many more species by transforming his Devon farm into a wildlife breeding center. He now houses beavers, white storks, water voles, lynx, wildcats, and harvest mice, with the aim of releasing them into the wild one day. Tearing down fences literally and metaphorically, Derek Gow is the one person with the character and strength of will to defy authority, bend the rules—and save our wildlife. "Gow reinvents what it means to be a guardian of the countryside."—The Guardian "The radical rewilder."—The Times "Derek Gow wants his farm to be a breeding colony, a seedbed for a denuded island."—The New Yorker

"Courageous, visionary, funny."--Isabella Tree "One of the most remarkable figures in British conservation."--Observer "Gow reinvents what it means to be a guardian of the countryside."--Guardian Birds, Beasts and Bedlam recounts the adventures of Britain's favorite maverick rewilder, Derek Gow, and his single-minded mission to save our rarest wildlife--one species at a time. Author of Bringing Back the Beaver and Hunt for the Shadow Wolf, Derek shares his personal, courageous, and highly entertaining tales in Birds, Beasts and Bedlam, including how he raised a sofa-loving wild boar piglet, transported a raging bison bull across the UK, got bitten by a Scottish wildcat, and, together with Isabella Tree and Charlie Burrell, restored the ancient white stork to the pioneering Knepp Estate. After a Shetland ewe captured his heart as a boy, Derek grew up to become a farmer with a passion for ancient breeds. When he realized how many of our species were close to extinction--even on his own land--Derek tore down fences literally and metaphorically, transforming his traditional Devon farm into a 300-acre rewilding haven for beavers, water voles, lynx, wildcats, harvest mice, wild boar, and more. A project that is still ongoing today. Birds, Beasts and Bedlam continues the rich tradition of great British nature writing. Passionate, subversive, and unforgettable, it will leave you inspired to support rewilding efforts around the world, in your community, and even in your backyard. "A do-er, not a dreamer, Gow has become one of our most outspoken rewilders."--Countryfile Magazine "In this warm and funny autobiography, [Gow] writes with a whimsical fluency about the moments of humour and pathos in an unusual life."--Country Life "Gow has a fire in his belly. We need more like him."―BBC Wildlife magazine "[Gow's] stories can be bawdy, laugh-out-loud funny, poignant, or even depressing, but they're never dull."―Booklist

‘Gow reinvents what it means to be a guardian of the countryside.’—The Guardian ‘Gow has a fire in his belly. We need more like him.’—BBC Wildlife magazine Birds, Beasts and Bedlam recounts the adventures of farmer-turned-rewilder Derek Gow, who is saving Britain’s much-loved but dangerously threatened species, from the water vole to beaver, wildcat to white stork, and tree frog to glow worm. Derek tells us all about the realities of rewilding; how he reared delicate roe deer and a sofa-loving wild boar piglet, moved a raging bison bull across the country, got bitten by a Scottish wildcat, returned honking skeins of graylag geese to the land and water that was once theirs, and restored the white stork to the Knepp Estate with Charlie Burrell and Isabella Tree. Derek’s first book, Bringing Back the Beaver, was a riotously funny and subversive account of his single-handed reintroduction of the beaver in Britain. Birds, Beasts and Bedlam, a natural successor to Gerald Durrell’s A Zoo in My Luggage, tells the story of Derek’s rewilding journey and his work to save many more species by transforming his Devon farm into a wildlife breeding center. He now houses beavers, white storks, water voles, lynx, wildcats, and harvest mice, with the aim of releasing them into the wild one day. Tearing down fences literally and metaphorically, Derek Gow is the one person with the character and strength of will to defy authority, bend the rules—and save our wildlife. ‘The radical rewilder.’—The Times ‘Derek Gow wants his farm to be a breeding colony, a seedbed for a denuded island.’—The New Yorker

"A bold new voice in nature writing, from the front lines of Britain's rewilding movement Bringing Back the Beaver is farmer-turned-ecologist Derek Gow's inspirational and often riotously funny firsthand account of how the movement to rewild the British landscape with beavers has become the single most dramatic and subversive nature conservation act of the modern era. Since the early 1990s - in the face of outright opposition from government, landowning elites and even some conservation professionals - Gow has imported, quarantined and assisted the reestablishment of beavers in waterways across England and Scotland. In addition to detailing the ups and downs of rewilding beavers, Bringing Back the Beaver makes a passionate case as to why the return of one of nature's great problem solvers will be critical as part of a sustainable fix for flooding and future drought, whilst ensuring the creation of essential lifescapes that enable the broadest possible spectrum of Britain's wildlife to thrive"--

"Terrific, life-lit moments come howling out of Hunt for the Shadow Wolf."—The Telegraph "[Derek Gow is] a wry, profane truth teller who is equal parts yeoman farmer, historical ecologist, and pirate."—Ben Goldfarb, author of Eager and Crossings "Beautifully crafted, fascinating and unbearably poignant, I totally loved this book."—Isabella Tree, author of Wilding Renowned rewilder Derek Gow has a dream: that one day we will see the return of the wolf to Britain as it has already returned elsewhere. As Derek worked to reintroduce the beaver, he began to hear stories of the wolf, both real and mythical, and his fascination with this creature grew. With increasing curiosity, Derek started to piece together fragments of information, stories and artefacts to reveal a shadowy creature that first walked proud through these lands and then was hunted to extinction as coexistence turned to fear, hatred – and domination. What Derek came to realize was that the underlying motives behind our hatred were actually far more prosaic and, like most persecutions, to do with power and profit. We turned the wolf into a savage beast and saw its extirpation as a civilizing mission. But the wolf survived far longer than many thought and Derek tells of his sightings of the wolf through folklore and mythology, the records of grand estates and parish churches as well as wolf heads, both real and recreated. With bitingly funny but also tender stories, Hunt for the Shadow Wolf is Derek’s quest to uncover the true nature of this creature because, as we seek to heal our landscape, we must reconcile our relationship with it. Before we can even begin to bring the wolf back, we need to understand it. "I have loved this chase dearly and though what unfolds might be an ending of sorts, I have no intention to let this hunt cease."―Derek Gow, from Hunt for the Shadow Wolf "Gow reinvents what it means to be a guardian of the countryside."—The Guardian

For readers who enjoyed Finding the Mother Tree and The Hidden Life of Trees comes the first-ever book about a movement to restore biodiversity in our cities and towns by flipping empty lots, backyards, and degraded land into mini-forests. In Mini-Forest Revolution, author Hannah Lewis presents a compelling case that what the world needs is not a corporate-sponsored “Trillion Tree Campaign,” but instead a people-powered “plant a million mini-forests” effort. After all, nature is composed of functioning ecosystems, not tree plantations. Lewis presents the Miyawaki Method, a unique approach to reforestation devised by botanist Akira Miyawaki in response to Japan’s rapid post-war development. She explains the scientific basis for why Miyawaki-style mini-forest projects matter and how they work, including how biodiversity increases ecosystem productivity and resilience, how vegetation transforms solar energy into latent heat and releases it away from Earth, and the role of native climax species in replicating the composition of ancient forests. Lewis also explores the multi-faceted benefits of planting a mini-forest, including: • Cooling urban heat islands • Sequestering carbon • Building soil health • Increasing water retention in dry or degraded landscapes • Establishing wildlife corridors • Healing communities working to recover from trauma • Helping urban youth connect with nature Today, the Miyawaki Method is witnessing a worldwide surge in popularity as communities seek to restore degraded landscapes both urban and rural. Lewis shares the stories of mini-forests that have sprung up across the globe and the people who are planting them—from a young forest along the concrete alley of the Beirut River in Lebanon, to a forest that is recharging groundwater in Cameroon, to the backyard forest planted by tiny forest champion Shubhendu Sharma in India. Mini-Forest Revolution is complete with a step-by-step field manual for designing and planting a forest using the Miyawaki Method, with special attention to the process of developing a list of appropriate species and their respective proportions. No matter where you live, this book will inspire you to help organize a mini-forest project in your own community, and that may be one of the best decisions you can make.

Join bestselling author, activist, and garden expert Maria Rodale on her shamanic journeys as she reflects on her surprising conversations with the spirits of the familiar plants and animals around us—and the knowledge they share with us. In Love, Nature, Magic, organic advocate and former CEO of a global health and wellness company Maria Rodale combines her love of nature and gardening with her experience in shamanic journeying, embarking on an epic adventure to learn from plants, animals, and insects—including some of the most misunderstood beings in nature. Maria asks them their purpose and listens as they show and declare what they want us humans to know. From Thistles to Snakes, Poison Ivy to Mosquitoes, these nature beings convey messages that are relevant to every human, showing us how to live in balance and harmony on this Earth. Through journeys filled with surprises, humor, and foibles, follow Maria’s evolution from being annoyed with to accepting—and even falling in love with—our most difficult neighbors (including human ones). Along the way, she tells her own story of how she learned about shamanic journeying and its near-universal manifestation in traditional cultures worldwide. She describes what her experiences of shamanic journeying are like—simply, honestly, and with a touch of irreverence. Maria’s journeys include conversations with: Mugwort • Vulture • Bat • Rabbit • Lanternfly • Lightning Bug • Osage Orange • Deer • Paper Wasp • Dandelion • Tick • Groundhog • Milkweed • And more! Throughout, Rodale shares an essential truth that resonates across her shamanic explorations: We first must heal our own hearts, for only then can we truly love others and begin to heal planet Earth.