Showing titles in Animals

Honey bees get all the press, but the fascinating story of North America's native bees - an endangered species essential to our ecosystems and food supplies - is just as crucial. Our Native Bees is the result of Paige Embry's yearlong quest to learn more about these forgotten, yet fundamental, creatures. Through interviews with farmers, gardeners, scientists, and bee experts, Embry explores the importance of native bees and focuses on why they play a key role in gardening and agriculture.

Otters hold an almost unique place in the animal kingdom of the British Isles, being one of the very few creatures that give birth once every two years. They are the most secretive yet also the most popular mammals - they are found in every county but are so rarely seen that they have been raised to mythical status. When Simon Cooper bought an abandoned water mill that straddles a small chalkstream in Southern England, little did he know that he would come to share the mill with a family of wild otters.

As historian Mark Essig reveals in Lesser Beasts, swine have such a bad reputation for precisely the same reasons they are so valuable as a source of food: they are intelligent, self-sufficient, and omnivorous. What's more, he argues, we ignore our historic partnership with these astonishing animals at our peril.

Fruit flies, silverfish, dandelions, and crabgrass are the bane of many people and the target of numerous chemical and physical eradication efforts. In this compelling reassessment of the relationship between humans and the natural world, John Hainze - an entomologist and former pesticide developer - considers the fascinating and bizarre history of how these so-called invasive or unwanted pests and weeds have co-evolved with humanity and highlights the benefits of a greater respect and moral consideration toward these organisms.

There are more crows now than ever. Their abundance is both an indicator of ecological imbalance and a generous opportunity to connect with the animal world. Crow Planet reminds us that we do not need to head to faraway places to encounter "nature." Rather, even in the suburbs and cities where...

Bears have always held a central place in our collective memory, from Indigenous folklore and Greek mythology to nineteenth-century fairytales and the modern toy shop. But as humans and bears come into ever-closer contact, our relationship nears a tipping point. Today, most of the eight remaining bear species are threatened with extinction. Some, such as the panda bear and the polar bear, are icons of the natural world; others, such as the spectacled bear and the sloth bear, are far less known.

In the Eye of the Wild begins with an account of the French anthropologist Nastassja Martin's near fatal run-in with a Kamchatka bear in the mountains of Siberia. Martin's professional interest is animism; she addresses philosophical questions about the relation of humankind to nature, and in her work she seeks to partake as fully as she can in the lives of the indigenous peoples she studies. Her violent encounter with the bear, however, brings her face-to-face with something entirely beyond her ken—the untamed, the nonhuman, the animal, the wild.

Caring for horses can give us a sense of responsibility. They can help in times of depression and take us out of ruts when we lose our ambition to do anything. It can help build confidence and allow us to build a sense of self-acceptance. Through interacting with horses, we can engage in emotional healing, relieve stress while building patience and trust. If you want to learn about how to care for horses and how horses can help you in your self-help journey, then this book is for you. If you are a novice or have been riding and caring for horses your whole life, this book is for you.

Natalie O'Rourke was an ordinary little girl from Birmingham in all respects save one: she was lonely. When she discovered how much she loved horses, she decided she wanted to grow up and run a riding stables. She wanted her stables to cater for children and adults with disabilities, additional needs and anyone who needed a friend—people who you might not expect to find riding, but who she knew could find happiness through horses, because she had.

From miniature donkeys to enormous draft horses, from regal Arabian stallions to sassy Shetland ponies, horses and other equines bring us delight and comfort whenever we encounter them. Even more so, perhaps, when humans and horses are brought together through a rescue. Whether someone has started a rescue ranch on purpose or circumstances align to match up the right horse with the right person, stories of second chances warm our hearts and restore our hope.

Journey along with wildlife cameraman Hamza Yassin as he recounts stories of his birdwatching adventures and shares tips and tricks in this guide for beginning birders. With practical advice and personal anecdotes, you will learn how to get started in birdwatching and hone your identification skills to become an experienced twitcher. Whether you need a companion on your next expedition or simply wish to dip in and out as you learn more, Be a Birder is fit for every purpose, and encourages us all to discover the joy of birdwatching.

In this uplifting memoir, a professor and activist shares what birds can teach us about life, social change, and protecting the environment. Trish O’Kane is an accidental ornithologist. In her nearly two decades writing about justice as an investigative journalist, she'd never paid attention...

"The demon of speed is often associated with forgetting, with avoidance...and slowness with memory and confronting," observes Milan Kundera in his novel Slowness. With that purpose in mind - a search for slowness and tranquility - Andy Merrifield sets out on a journey of the soul with a friend's donkey, Gribouille, to walk amid the ruins and spectacular vistas of southern France's Haute-Auvergne.

This audiobook by Eugène Marais is a passionate, insightful account into the world of termites. It is a meticulously researched expose of their complex, highly structured community life.

ONE OF USA TODAY'S “20 SUMMER BOOKS YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS” In the bestselling tradition of works by such authors as Susan Orlean and Mary Roach, a New York Times reporter and Pulitzer Prize finalist explores why so many people—including herself—are obsessed with horses. It may surprise...

HowExpert Guide to Insects is your gateway to over 100 of the world’s most interesting and fascinating insects. This guide, organized alphabetically, is a great go-to listen for fun or to sharpen your trivia knowledge. Many different kinds of insects are covered, and you’ll get to know why each one made the list. One-hundred-one insects, from Alderflies to Zorapterans, are just waiting for you to find out more! You’ll learn about insects that mimic flowers, insects that can spit acid, and even insects that clone themselves.

Each June, Tory Bilski meets up with fellow women travelers in Reykjavik where they head to northern Iceland, near the Greenland Sea. They escape their ordinary lives to live an extraordinary one at a horse farm perched at the edge of the world. If only for a short while.

Welcome to the amazing world of Bears Photos and Facts for Everyone! The animal facts in this nature book are here for you to be amazed by bears. You will find bears in nature with pictures to include the many bear species, sizes, breeding and eating habits, and interesting facts. Bears Photos and Facts for Everyone is Book 1 of the Learn with Facts series. This book is built around a clear concept: The amazing life of bears with facts and color photos.

Born and raised in the South Yorkshire mining village of Hoyland Common, it seemed all too likely that Richard Hines would end up working in the pits, especially when, unlike his older brother Barry, he failed the 11+. Crushed by this, and persecuted by the cruelty of his teachers, Richard spent his time in the fields. One morning, he came across a nest of kestrels. Instantly captivated, he sought out ancient falconry texts from the local library.

There's nothing quite like relaxing right by the water while the cool mist and morning sunshine hits you, while you cast out your line. But a lot of people still don't know how to fish. This guide is perfect for the wannabe fisher in your life, and will teach you the basics on how to cast a line, which lures to use, and which techniques are perfect for reeling in that catch of the day.