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Books > Sport & Leisure > Natural history, country life & pets > Plant life: general
The stories of the planet's oldest trees and what they have meant
to human beings. Humans have always revered long-lived trees. But
as historian Jared Farmer reveals in Elderflora, our veneration
took a modern turn in the eighteenth century when naturalists
embarked on a quest to locate and precisely date the oldest living
things on earth. The new science of tree time prompted travellers
to visit ancient specimens and conservationists to protect sacred
groves. Exploitation accompanied sanctification, as old-growth
forests succumbed to imperial expansion and the industrial
revolution. Taking us from Lebanon to New Zealand to California,
Farmer surveys the complex history of the world's oldest trees,
including voices of Indigenous peoples, religious figures, and
contemporary scientists who study elderflora in crisis. In a
changing climate, a long future is still possible, Farmer shows,
but only if we give care to young things that might grow old.
Combining rigorous scholarship with lyrical writing, Elderflora
chronicles the complex roles ancient trees have played in the
modern world and illuminates how we might need old trees now more
than ever.
Back in print just in time for spring! Originally published in
1948, this is the germinal text on nearly 250 species of spring
wildflowers found in West Virginia. Common or English names and
scientific or Latin names are given for each species. The
descriptions are in two sections: The first description includes
the meaning of the name of the flower, uses, habitats, and ranges
in West Virginia. Secondly, the plant itself is described in deep
detail to help in identification. Each description is accompanied
by a facing page detailed line drawing. This book is a must have
for those interested in the beauty and science of West Virginia's
spring flora.
Packed full of information, "Scottish Wild Flowers" is an ideal
guide for both visitors and residents of Scotland who wish to learn
about the fascinating wealth of wild flowers that can be found
there. Each species is illustrated in full colour with a
comprehensive description, plus the plant's English, Latin and
Gaelic names. For ease of use, the plants are grouped together by
the type of habitat in which they can be found, including
Highlands, Lowlands and Coasts. Habitats are arranged from those
most influenced by humans, progressing towards wilder and more
remote areas. The book includes a section with up-to-date details
about places of interest and the best sites for finding some of the
most attractive and special species of wild flowers in Scotland.
Ireland, the Emerald Isle, is famous for its checkerboard landscape
of green fields and hedgerows. Its coast showcases sandy beaches,
mudflats and saltmarshes, Atlantic Rainforests, rocky shores and
cliffs, all home to a staggering variety of wildlife. Ireland's
coastal waters are among the best in Europe to see whales and
dolphins and other rare marine animals. The Crossbill Guide Ireland
is the authoritative wildlife and nature travel guidebook to that
island and includes both the Republic of Ireland and Northern
Ireland. The book provides insights into how this varied landscape
came into being with a description of its flora and fauna. The book
combines this background with carefully selected hiking and driving
routes that cover the best places to discover Ireland's wildlife
and ecosystems. If you want to explore Ireland's wild side, this is
the book you need.
The Sappi Tree Spotting series is a breakthrough in botanical literature.
This revised edition with updated tree names allows for easy and enjoyable identification, offering readers beautiful illustrations and photographs making for truly enlightening reading.
Sappi Tree Spotting provides the reader with powerful tools to help look for easy-to-find trees in the right places, builds knowledge on uniquely shaped and seasonally striking trees, and uses clear and simple terminology. Grids showing seasonal changes, animal and human uses for each tree, gardening tips and beautifully detailed maps add to the richness of the tree-spotting experience.
South Africa has a treasure of magnificent, indigenous trees to be found in the diverse and spectacular natural habitats of our country. If you love trees but have found it difficult to find and name them, this book is all you need to enhance and develop your adventure with them.
An endangered forest. An abandoned snow leopard. A child who only
feels comfortable talking to animals. When fates collide, the
unbelievable can happen ... 'Put me in mind of Dodi Smith and
Gerald Durrell at their very best - enchanting and thrilling in
equal measure.' Piers Torday 'Reads like a classic. I loved it.'
Pam Munoz Ryan Maggie's stutter makes going to school hard. She
will do almost anything to avoid speaking in class - even if that
leads to trouble. Sent to stay in the depths of Cornwall with a
grandfather she barely knows, Maggie discovers an abandoned snow
leopard hiding in the nearby Wildoak Forest. Sheltered by the
ancient trees, the two of them build an understanding in secret.
But when the cub is spotted by local villagers, danger follows -
threatening everything she has come to believe in. Can Maggie find
an answer before time runs out - not just for the cub, but for
herself and the forest as well? An enticing, classic new voice in
children's fiction - perfect for fans of Natasha Farrant or Melissa
Harrison Told in alternating voices, Wildoak shimmers with life as
it explores the delicate interconnectedness of the human, animal
and natural worlds The bond between a troubled child and an
abandoned snow leopard is at the heart of this emotional and
atmospheric story set in the 1960s
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