Amy-Jane Beer

A visit to the rapid where she lost a cherished friend unexpectedly reignites Amy-Jane Beer's love of rivers setting her on a journey of natural, cultural and emotional discovery. On New Year's Day 2012, Amy-Jane Beer's beloved friend Kate set out with a group of others to kayak the River Rawthey in Cumbria. Kate never came home, and her death left her devoted family and friends bereft and unmoored. Returning to visit the Rawthey years later, Amy realises how much she misses the connection to the natural world she always felt when on or close to rivers, and so begins a new phase of exploration. The Flow is a book about water, and, like water, it meanders, cascades and percolates through many lives, landscapes and stories. From West Country torrents to Levels and Fens, rocky Welsh canyons, the salmon highways of Scotland and the chalk rivers of the Yorkshire Wolds, Amy-Jane follows springs, streams and rivers to explore tributary themes of wildness and wonder, loss and healing, mythology and history, cyclicity and transformation. Threading together places and voices from across Britain, The Flow is a profound, immersive exploration of our personal and ecological place in nature.

Rivers, Water and Wildness

The Flow

The beauty and power of the world's trees is timeless. Our appreciation of one of the oldest forms of life is particularly relevant in our age of climate concern. Immerse yourself in the world of trees with a tree a day – illuminating tree folklore, botany, tree uses, beauty and history. From the strength of Alder trees (they can become as strong as stone, when old, and the cities of Amsterdam and Venice are held up by Alder pillars) to the biology behind the autumn colours of New England. From folkloric medicines in tree sap to villagers dancing inside a huge oak tree, From Shakespeare's Birnam Wood to eating Eucalyptus leaves. This book is a wonder for all nature lovers and tree enthusiasts who can dip into a fascinating and beautiful book with a tree every day. Forest bathing from your bed, you will know more about tree biology, folklore, history and geography than ever before. Author Amy Jane Beer, a nature writer for The Guardian, provides botany, poetry, folklore and history in a variety of trees, from Gingkos to Birnam Oaks. From rubber trees in Asia to the giant sequoias of California, Klimt's Birch trees to Australia's Eucalyptus. Learn how leaf veins work, the Sacred power of the Bo Tree in Sri Lanka, and reading tree rings. All wonderfully illustrated with award-winning photography, art, and illustration.

A Tree A Day

Ellena Savage

Rebecca May Johnson

Tessa Hadley

Roger Deakin

Caleb Azumah Nelson

Jamal Mahjoub

Jo Hamya

Amy Key

Michael Malay

Niellah Arboine

Marchelle Farrell

Essays from the Water's Edge

By the River

Spend every day of the year immersed in the world's most fascinating trees. In A TREE A DAY, seasoned nature writer and journalist Amy-Jane Beer shares 365 majestic and memorable trees from around the world. From the strength of Alder trees to the biology behind the autumn colors of New England; from folkloric medicines in tree sap to Shakespeare's Birnam Wood; from the giant sequoias of California to Klimt's Birch trees - A TREE A DAY explores the botany, poetry, folklore, rich history, and natural beauty of trees. Dip in and out or spend each day exploring a new natural wonder. With award-winning photography, works of art, and detailed illustrations on every page, A TREE A DAY illuminates the timeless splendor and power of the world's trees.

A Tree a Day

Discover the life of trees through science, folklore, history and art – every day of the year. Immerse yourself in the world of trees with A Tree A Day – packed with tree facts and richly illustrated throughout with photographs and art. Nature writer Amy-Jane Beer takes us on a tour around the world's woodlands to tell the stories of a variety of trees, from mysterious ginkos to historical oaks. Anyone who has sat in the dappled shade of a mighty oak or wandered in the blaze of a deciduous woodland in autumn cannot fail to appreciate the wonder of our trees and forests. Each of the 366 entries in this beautiful book – one for every day of the year – reveals some of the fascinating science, natural history or folklore of our great and gracious green neighbours, the history made beneath their branches, or the creativity they inspire. From the awesome Californian redwoods, titans of the tree world, to tiny but exquisite bonsai, and from the fantastically irritable sentinel willow of Harry Potter fame to the Japanese springtime tradition of hanami (blossom viewing) – this captivating collection showcases remarkable individuals and explores some of the ways trees support life on Earth as we know it. Celebrating one of the longest-living lifeforms on earth, A Tree A Day is forest bathing in book form and a wonder for nature lovers and tree enthusiasts alike.

Sparrows are often considered familiar to the point of invisibility, but the recent steep decline in numbers of both native British species is a reminder that these unassuming chatterboxes deserve a little more attention. Of all the true sparrow species found worldwide, only two occur in the British Isles. Globally, the story of the House Sparrow is one of dramatic expansion: from humble origins in the Middle East where they spread, along with agriculture, to become the most widely distributed bird on the planet. The smaller, more active Tree Sparrow has also spread extensively, following the domestication of rice rather than wheat, and both species have been heavily persecuted in recent years. In Spotlight Sparrows, Amy-Jane Beer examines the causes behind the decline of these familiar species, and explores their biology and life cycle, social behaviour, and the significant role that sparrows play in human culture, from Shakespeare and Edith Piaf to Captain Jack Sparrow. The Spotlight series introduces readers to the lives and behaviour of our favourite animals with eye-catching colour photography and informative expert text.

RSPB Spotlight Sparrows

Derek Hall

Daniel Gilpin

A Natural History and Identification Guide to the Animal Life of the Deep Oceans, Open Seas, Reefs, Shallow Waters, Saltwater Estuaries, and Shorelines of the World

The Illustrated World Encyclopedia of Marine Fish & Sea Creatures

Pat Morris

Discusses what mammals are and provides information about size, key features, habits, voice, diet, habitat, and distribution for such mammals as meerkats, chimpanzees, llamas, and aardvarks.

Mammals

An Essential Guide to the Threatened Species of Our World

Encyclopedia of Endangered Animals

Presents an introduction to the physical characteristics and habits of tigers.

Tigers

Andrew Campbell

Rod Preston-Mafham

Ken Preston-Mafham

Insects and other invertebrates

Animal Fact Files

Animal Fact Files Mammals

Includes in-depth profiles of fish, shells, corals, shrimp, worms, crabs, sponges, jellyfish, starfish, sharks, turtles, dolphins, porpoises, seals, walruses and whales.

The Illustrated Guide to Marine Fish of the World

Pairs lavish illustrations with concise profiles of the major marine groups as well as their life cycles, habitats, and evolutions, in a directory that includes coverage of some 600 species and features complementary maps. Original.

The Illustrated World Encyclopedia of Marine Fishes and Sea Creatures

A box set of two hardback encyclopedias of 1250 freshwater and marine creatures, with 1700 images.

Ultimate Illustrated Guide to Marine & Freshwater Fish of the World

Did you know that fish can use tools, and that wombat poo is cubic? This animal-tastic, fact-packed guide to the world of nature contains everything the budding naturalist needs to know. Meet nature’s most fearsome predators, explore the wonders of the ocean, and marvel at the ability of animals to survive in the harshest environments.If you want to get out into the wild yourself, there’s cool practical advice for tracking animals through the woods, using binoculars to spot our feathered friends and making a bird feeder in your back yard. Learn about why we should all care about endangered species, who would win in a fight between a shark and a honey badger, and how to make flowers bloom in the most unlikely places.Packed with quirky illustrations and absorbing information, this book is the perfect gift for the nature obsessive in your life.

50 Fantastic Facts for Kids of All Ages

Cool Nature

Describes and illustrates seventy-nine mammals living in different parts of North America.

Encyclopedia of North American Mammals

This reference volume takes a look at nine biological systems and their foundations in cell biology and genetics.

Amy-Jane Beer

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