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Being a Beast: Adventures Across the Species Divide
by Charles FosterA passionate naturalist explores what it’s really like to be an animal—by living like themHow can we ever be sure that we really know the other? To test the limits of our ability to inhabit lives that are not our own, Charles Foster set out to know the ultimate other: the non-humans, the beasts. And to do that, he tried to be like them, choosing a badger, an otter, a fox, a deer, and a swift. He lived alongside badgers for weeks, sleeping in a sett in a Welsh hillside and eating earthworms, learning to sense the landscape through his nose rather than his eyes. He caught fish in his teeth while swimming like an otter; rooted through London garbage cans as an urban fox; was hunted by bloodhounds as a red deer, nearly dying in the snow. And he followed the swifts on their migration route over the Strait of Gibraltar, discovering himself to be strangely connected to the birds. A lyrical, intimate, and completely radical look at the life of animals—human and other—Being a Beast mingles neuroscience and psychology, nature writing and memoir to cross the boundaries separating the species. It is an extraordinary journey full of thrills and surprises, humor and joy. And, ultimately, it is an inquiry into the human experience in our world, carried out by exploring the full range of the life around us.
Being a Bee
by Jinny JohnsonBuzz into Being a Bee to discover more about this incredible insect.Buzzing from flower to flower, and making delicious honey to eat, bees have endless child appeal. But there's even more to bees than meets the eye... Buzz into Being a Bee to discover more about this incredible insect. Children will love learning about life in the hive, bee families, and how older bees work together to look after and raise baby bees. They can find out about beekeeping, how and why bees make honey, and how they dance to communicate with other bees.The book also gently introduces children to the idea of conservation - explaining why bees are in danger, the need to protect them, and all the ways we can help, from planting wild flowers to buying local honey. Gentle engaging text, and bright, captivating artwork will ensure children finish the book as bee experts!
Being a Butterfly (Being a Minibeast #3)
by Annabelle LynchDiscover how a caterpillar transforms into a bright, beautiful butterfly in this wonderfully illustrated picture bookBeing a Butterfly brings a butterfly's brief, precious life cycle to beautiful life. Follow the story of a little green caterpillar as it hatches, grows and transforms itself into a bright, colourful butterfly. Learn how butterflies move, feed themselves and pollinate flowers, before finding a mate and beginning the whole cycle of life again.This wonderfully illustrated picture book is a perfect introduction to life cycles for readers aged 5 and up. It also gently introduces them to the idea of conservation.List of contents: Left on a leafHatching outA greedy caterpillarShedding skinTime to restChanging timesA beautiful butterflyLearning to flyFinding flowers Billions of butterfliesFinding a mateNew eggsProtecting butterfliesGlossaryFind out more
Being a Cat: An Alaskan Childhood Story
by Cindy BaldwinSarah's Days is a series of picture books written by Cindy Baldwin. Sarah is a curious five-year-old who has different adventures and experiences each day. At the end of the day she goes home to tell her father all about it.
Being a Therapist in a Time of Climate Breakdown
by Judith Anderson Caroline Hickman Tree Staunton Jenny O’GormanThis book introduces readers to the known psychological aspects of climate change as a pressing global concern and explores how they are relevant to current and future clinical practice.Arguing that it is vital for ecological concerns to enter the therapy room, this book calls for change from regulatory bodies, training institutes and individual practitioners. The book includes original thinking and research by practitioners from a range of perspectives, including psychodynamic, eco-systemic and integrative. It considers how our different modalities and ways of working need to be adapted to be applicable to the ecological crises. It includes Voices from people who are not practitioners about their experience including how they see the role of therapy. Chapters deal with topics from climate science, including the emotional and mental health impacts of climate breakdown, professional ethics and wider systemic understandings of current therapeutic approaches. Also discussed are the practice-based implications of becoming a climate-aware therapist, eco-psychosocial approaches and the inextricable links between the climate crises and racism, colonialism and social injustice. Being a Therapist in a Time of Climate Breakdown will enable therapists and mental health professionals across a range of modalities to engage with their own thoughts and feelings about climate breakdown and consider how it both changes and reinforces aspects of their therapeutic work.
Being and Swine: The End of Nature (As We Knew It)
by Fahim AmirForget everything you think you know about nature. Fahim Amir’s award-winning book takes pure delight in posing unexpected questions: Are animals victims of human domination, or heroes of resistance? Is nature pristine and defenceless, or sentient and devious? Is being human really a prerequisite for being political? In a world where birds on Viagra punch above their weight and termites hijack the heating systems of major cities, animals can be recast as vigilantes, agitators, and public enemies in their own right. Under Amir’s magic spell, pigs transform from slaughterhouse innocents into rioting revolutionaries, pigeons from urban pests into unruly militants, honeybees from virtuous fuzzballs into shameless centrefold models for eco-capitalism. As paws, claws, talons, and hooves seize the means of production, Being and Swine spirals higher and higher into a heady thesis that becomes more convincing by the minute. At the heart of Amir’s writing is a deep optimism and bracingly fresh reading of Marxist, post-colonial, and feminist theory, building upon the radical scholarship of Donna J. Haraway and others. Contrarian, whip-smart, and wildly innovative, no other book will laugh at your convictions quite like this one.
Being the Change: Live Well and Spark a Climate Revolution
by Peter Kalmus&“A plethora of insights about nature and ourselves, revealed by one man&’s journey as he comes to terms with human exploitation of our planet.&” —Dr. James Hansen, climate scientist and former director of NASA&’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies Life on one-tenth the fossil fuels turns out to be awesome. We all want to be happy. Yet as we consume ever more in a frantic bid for happiness, global warming worsens. Alarmed by drastic changes now occurring in the Earth&’s climate systems, Peter Kalmus, a climate scientist and suburban father of two, embarked on a journey to change his life and the world. He began by bicycling, growing food, meditating, and making other simple, fulfilling changes. Ultimately, he slashed his climate impact to under a tenth of the US average and became happier in the process.Being the Change explores the connections between our individual daily actions and our collective predicament. It merges science, spirituality, and practical action to develop a satisfying and appropriate response to global warming. Part one exposes our interconnected predicament: overpopulation, global warming, industrial agriculture, growth-addicted economics, a sold-out political system, and a mindset of separation from nature. It also includes a readable but authoritative overview of climate science. Part two offers a response at once obvious and unprecedented: mindfully opting out of this broken system and aligning our daily lives with the biosphere. The core message is deeply optimistic: living without fossil fuels is not only possible, it can be better. &“In this timely and provocative book, Peter Kalmus points out that changing the world has to start with changing our own lives. It&’s a crucial message that needs to be heard.&” —John Michael Greer, author of After Progress and The Retro Future
Being with Trees: Awaken Your Senses to the Wonders of Nature; Poetry, Reflections & Inspiration
by Hannah FriesPoet and nature lover Hannah Fries invites readers to slow down and connect with the wonders and healing power of nature, featuring a guided journey of prompts, poetry, meditations, and inspirational photos, with a foreword by Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass.
Believers: Making a Life at the End of the World
by Lisa WellsIn search of answers and action, the award-winning poet and essayist Lisa Wells brings us Believers, introducing trailblazers and outliers from across the globe who have found radically new ways to live and reconnect to the Earth in the face of climate change We find ourselves at the end of the world. How, then, shall we live?Like most of us, Lisa Wells has spent years overwhelmed by increasingly urgent news of climate change on an apocalyptic scale. She did not need to be convinced of the stakes, but she could not find practical answers. She embarked on a pilgrimage, seeking wisdom and paths to action from outliers and visionaries, pragmatists and iconoclasts. Believers tracks through the lives of these people who are dedicated to repairing the earth and seemingly undaunted by the task ahead.Wells meets an itinerant gardener and misanthrope leading a group of nomadic activists in rewilding the American desert. She finds a group of environmentalist Christians practicing “watershed discipleship” in New Mexico and another group in Philadelphia turning the tools of violence into tools of farming—guns into ploughshares. She watches the world’s greatest tracker teach others how to read a trail, and visits botanists who are restoring land overrun by invasive species and destructive humans. She talks with survivors of catastrophic wildfires in California as they try to rebuild in ways that acknowledge the fires will come again. Through empathic, critical portraits, Wells shows that these trailblazers are not so far beyond the rest of us. They have had the same realization, have accepted that we are living through a global catastrophe, but are trying to answer the next question: How do you make a life at the end of the world? Through this miraculous commingling of acceptance and activism, this focus on seeing clearly and moving forward, Wells is able to take the devastating news facing us all, every day, and inject a possibility of real hope. Believers demands transformation. It will change how you think about your own actions, about how you can still make an impact, and about how we might yet reckon with our inheritance.
Believing Cassandra: An Optimist Looks at a Pessimist's World
by Alan AtkissonAtKisson sees concerned citizens and scientists who view the world hurtling toward self-destruction. Is it true that most of the human race could care less about their dire warnings?
Belle's Journey: An Osprey Takes Flight
by Rob BierregaardTake flight with Belle, an osprey born on Martha's Vineyard as she learns to fly and migrates for the first time to Brazil and back--a journey of more than 8,000 miles.Dr. B. and Dick, two osprey scientists in Massachusetts, observe ospreys and their offspring, tagging one special fledgling with a transmitter to better study migration habits. Follow Belle as she attempts her first flight, conquers her first fishing endeavour, and heads south for her first migration all while her tracking device transmits information about where's she been. Based on information garnered through twenty years of research by the author, Belle's Journey will soar into reader's hearts.
Bells of Mindfulness
by Thich Nhat HanhThe Bells of Mindfulness is part of the Parallax Press Moments series of short ebooks. Thich Nhat Hanh presents a dramatic vision of the future of our planet, a call for environmental awareness, and Buddhist teachings on interconnectedness. Ultimately, Nhat Hanh believes that engaging with the world is the key to our individual and collective survival. Selected from his best-selling title The World We Have.
Belonging on an Island: Birds, Extinction, and Evolution in Hawai'i
by Daniel Lewis“A book devoted to the beauty of [Hawaiian] birds . . . is a welcome event. [It] will be both an elegy and an important record of what has been lost to us all.” —W. S. Merwin, Pulitzer Prize–winning poet, The Shadow of SiriusA lively, rich natural history of Hawaiian birds that challenges existing ideas about what constitutes biocultural nativeness and belongingThis natural history takes readers on a thousand-year journey as it explores the Hawaiian Islands’ beautiful birds and a variety of topics including extinction, evolution, survival, conservationists and their work, and, most significantly, the concept of belonging. Author Daniel Lewis, an award-winning historian and globe-traveling amateur birder, builds this lively text around the stories of four species—the Stumbling Moa-Nalo, the Kaua‘I ‘O‘o, the Palila, and the Japanese White-Eye.Lewis offers innovative ways to think about what it means to be native and proposes new definitions that apply to people as well as to birds. Being native, he argues, is a relative state influenced by factors including the passage of time, charisma, scarcity, utility to others, short-term evolutionary processes, and changing relationships with other organisms. This book also describes how bird conservation started in Hawai‘i, and the naturalists and environmentalists who did extraordinary work.“With insight, humor, scholarship, and love, Daniel Lewis illustrates how and why the question of who or what “belongs” somewhere is both deceptively complex and increasingly important in today’s Anthropocene world.” —Robert J. Cabin, author of Restoring Paradise: Rethinking and Rebuilding Nature in Hawai‘i“Lewis’s fascinating story of Hawaii is, in microcosm, the history of humans on our fragile Earth.” —Bruce M. Beehler, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Beloved Beasts: Fighting For Life In An Age Of Extinction
by Michelle NijhuisOne of Literary Hub's Most Anticipated Books of 2021 A vibrant history of the modern conservation movement—told through the lives and ideas of the people who built it. In the late nineteenth century, as humans came to realize that our rapidly industrializing and globalizing societies were driving other animal species to extinction, a movement to protect and conserve them was born. In Beloved Beasts, acclaimed science journalist Michelle Nijhuis traces the movement’s history: from early battles to save charismatic species such as the American bison and bald eagle to today’s global effort to defend life on a larger scale. She describes the vital role of scientists and activists such as Aldo Leopold and Rachel Carson as well as lesser-known figures in conservation history; she reveals the origins of vital organizations like the Audubon Society and the World Wildlife Fund; she explores current efforts to protect species such as the whooping crane and the black rhinoceros; and she confronts the darker side of conservation, long shadowed by racism and colonialism. As the destruction of other species continues and the effects of climate change escalate, Beloved Beasts charts the ways conservation is becoming a movement for the protection of all species—including our own.
Below Freezing: Elegy for the Melting Planet
by Donald AndersonClimate change is here. This book moves beyond misery and misunderstanding, taking a literary approach to the debate. Below Freezing is a unique assemblage of scientific fact, newspaper reports, and excerpts from novels, short stories, nonfiction, history, creative nonfiction, and poetry—a commonplace book for our era of altering climate. This polyphony of voices functions as an oratorio, shifting from chorus to solo and back to chorus. An unconventional and brilliant book, Below Freezing is both timely and pertinent—an original gaze at this melting ball we call home.
Below the Edge of Darkness: A Memoir of Exploring Light and Life in the Deep Sea
by Edith WidderA pioneering marine biologist takes us down into the deep ocean to understand bioluminescence—the language of light that helps life communicate in the darkness—and what it tells us about the future of life on Earth. <p><p> Edith Widder’s childhood dream of becoming a marine biologist was almost derailed in college, when complications from a surgery gone wrong caused temporary blindness. A new reality of shifting shadows drew her fascination to the power of light—as well as the importance of optimism. As her vision cleared, Widder found the intersection of her two passions in oceanic bioluminescence, a little-explored scientific field within Earth’s last great unknown frontier: the deep ocean. <p><p> With little promise of funding or employment, she leaped at the first opportunity to train as a submersible pilot and dove into the darkness. Widder’s first journey into the deep ocean, in a diving suit that resembled a suit of armor, took her to a depth of eight hundred feet. She turned off the lights and witnessed breathtaking underwater fireworks: explosions of bioluminescent activity. Concerns about her future career vanished. She only wanted to know one thing: Why was there so much light down there? <p><p> Below the Edge of Darkness takes readers deep into our planet’s oceans as Widder pursues her questions about one of the most important and widely used forms of communication in nature. In the process, she reveals hidden worlds and a dazzling menagerie of behaviors and animals, from microbes to leviathans, many never before seen or, like the legendary giant squid, never before filmed in their deep-sea lairs. Alongside Widder, we experience life-and-death equipment malfunctions and witness breakthroughs in technology and understanding, all set against a growing awareness of the deteriorating health of our largest and least understood ecosystem. A thrilling adventure story as well as a scientific revelation, Below the Edge of Darkness reckons with the complicated and sometimes dangerous realities of exploration. Widder shows us how when we push our boundaries and expand our worlds, discovery and wonder follow. These are the ultimate keys to the ocean’s salvation—and thus to our future on this planet.
Below the Edge of Darkness: Exploring Light and Life in the Deep Sea
by Edith Widder'A book of marvels, marvellously written' RICHARD DAWKINSA pioneering marine biologist takes us down into the deep ocean to understand bioluminescence, the language of light that helps life communicate in the darkness, and what it tells us about the future of life on Earth.Edith Widder grew up determined to become a marine biologist. But after complications from a surgery during college caused her to go temporarily blind, she became fascinated by light as well as the power of optimism. Her focus turned to oceanic bioluminescence, a scientific frontier, and with little promise of funding or employment she took a leap into the dark. Below the Edge of Darkness explores the depths of the planet's oceans as Widder seeks to understand one of the most important and widely used forms of communication in nature. In the process, she reveals hidden worlds and a dazzling menagerie of behaviours and animals, many never-before-seen or, like the legendary Giant Squid, never-before-filmed in its deep-sea lair. Alongside Widder, we experience life-and-death equipment malfunctions and witness breakthroughs in technology and understanding, all of it set against a growing awareness of the deteriorating health of our largest and least understood ecosystem.This is an adventure story as well as a science story. But it's also about the sometimes complicated business of exploration. And ultimately, Widder shows us that exploration, and the corresponding senses of discovery and wonder, are the keys to the ocean's salvation and thus our future on this planet.'Edie's story is one of hardscrabble optimism, two-fisted exploration and groundbreaking research. As I've said many times, I'd have wrapped my submersible, the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER, in bacon if it would have lured the elusive giant squid from the depths. In Below the Edge of Darkness, Edie tells you how she did it' JAMES CAMERON
Below the Edge of Darkness: Exploring Light and Life in the Deep Sea
by Edith WidderA pioneering marine biologist takes us down into the deep ocean in this 'thrilling blend of hard science and high adventure' (The New York Times)Edith Widder grew up determined to become a marine biologist. But after complications from a surgery during college caused her to go temporarily blind, she became fascinated by light as well as the power of optimism. Below the Edge of Darkness explores the depths of the planet's oceans as Widder seeks to understand bioluminescence, one of the most important and widely used forms of communication in nature. In the process, she reveals hidden worlds and a dazzling menagerie of behaviours and animals. Alongside Widder, we experience life-and-death equipment malfunctions and witness breakthroughs in technology and understanding, all of it set against a growing awareness of the deteriorating health of our largest and least understood ecosystem.'A vivid account of ocean life' ROBIN MCKIE, GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE DAY'Edie's story is one of hardscrabble optimism, two-fisted exploration and groundbreaking research. She's done things I dream of doing' JAMES CAMERON'A book of marvels, marvellously written' RICHARD DAWKINS
Belowground Defence Strategies in Plants (Signaling and Communication in Plants)
by Christine M.F. Vos Kemal KazanThis book summarizes our current knowledge on belowground defence strategies in plants by world-class scientists actively working in the area. The volume includes chapters covering belowground defence to main soil pathogens such as Fusarium, Rhizoctonia, Verticillium, Phytophthora, Pythium and Plasmodiophora, as well as to migratory and sedentary plant parasitic nematodes. In addition, the role of root exudates in belowground plant defence will be highlighted, as well as the crucial roles of pathogen effectors in overcoming root defences. Finally, accumulating evidence on how plants can differentiate beneficial soil microbes from the pathogenic ones will be covered as well. Better understanding of belowground defences can lead to the development of environmentally friendly plant protection strategies effective against soil-borne pathogens which cause substantial damage on many crop plants all over the world. The book will be a useful reference for plant pathologists, agronomists, plant molecular biologists as well as students working on these and related areas.
Beltane: Springtime Rituals, Lore and Celebration
by Raven GrimassiDiscover the roots of Beltane or "bright fire," the ancient Pagan festival that celebrates spring and the return of nature's season of growth and renewal. Raven Grimassi reveals the history behind the revelry, and shows you how to welcome this sacred season of fertility, growth, and gain with: May Day magick and divination: Beltane spells to attract money, success, love, and serenity; scrying with a bowl or glass Beltane goodies: Quick May Wine, Bacchus Pudding, May Serpent Cake, May Wreath Cake Seasonal crafts: Maypole centerpiece, May wreath and garland, pentacle hair braids, May Day basket Springtime rituals and traditions: the Maypole dance, May doll, the Mummer's Play, Beltane fires, May King and Queen Myths, fairy and flower lore: Green Man, Jack-in-the-Green, Dusio, Hobby Horse; elves, trolls and fairies; spring flowers and their correspondences
Beluga Whales (Worldlife Library)
by Tony MartinFrom the book jacket: get close to belugas in their natural environment in this engaging introduction. Anthony Martin - who has been studying belugas for more than seventeen years - will acquaint you with the beluga's physical characteristics and behavior, along with conservation issues, and the practical and moral issues raised by keeping belugas in captivity. In addition, you can enjoy more than fifty spectacular pictures of this photogenic whale known for its wide range of facial expressions. Discover the world's animals in the WorldLife Library by Voyageur Press. This highly acclaimed series brings you the latest research from leading naturalists, along with stunning color photographs of your favorite animals.
Ben's Snow Song: A Winter Picnic
by Hazel Hutchins"Wax time--I can help! Wil and Leanna have short skis Dad and Mom have long skis The sled is for me--climb in Ski! Shhsskree, shhsskree, shhsskree, shhsskree Sound of skis Zee-zee-zee Zee-zee-zee Sound of chickadees ..."
Beneath the Blue Planet: A Diver's Guide to the Ocean and Its Conservation (Reef Smart Education)
by Alex BrylskeTake a Deep Dive into the Secrets of Our Blue Planet"The author is one of the most experienced in the world. A fascinating and engaging toom. Well worth the read. A valued forever reference." —Amazon review#1 New Release in Scuba Travel GuidesVenture into the thrilling realm of underwater exploration with Beneath the Blue Planet by the founders of the popular Reef Smart Guides series for snorkelers and scuba divers. A perfect travel gift for nature lovers and a rich source of shark facts, this book unearths the secrets of the ocean, from coral reefs to the world of deep diving.Dive into the ocean's untold stories. Discover the captivating universe that exists beneath the waves. From the diverse inhabitants of the coral reefs to the deepest, most mysterious corners of the ocean, Beneath the Blue Planet unveils everything you've ever wanted to know about our underwater world.Experience the thrill of ocean exploration. This immersive guide provides fascinating shark facts, explores the incredibly beautiful world of coral reefs, and encourages sustainable tourism for divers. Designed for anyone who loves the ocean, this book is a treasure trove of knowledge, making it an excellent travel gift for adventure seekers.Immerse yourself in Beneath the Blue Planet and:Unearth the hidden world of ocean reefs, and understand their essential role in marine ecosystemsGain invaluable insights into snorkeling and deep diving, enhancing your ocean exploration adventuresExplore intriguing shark facts, providing a closer look at these fascinating marine creaturesDiscover practical ways to contribute to ocean conservation, turning your love for the seas into meaningful actionIf you've read Oceanology, National Geographic A Diver's Guide to the World, or100 Dives of a Lifetime, and are a fan of the Reef Smart Guides dive and snorkel travel series, you’ll love Beneath the Blue Planet.
Beneath the Sun
by Melissa StewartThis lyrical tour of a variety of habitats offers young readers vivid glimpses of animals as they live out the hot season under the blazing sun.When the sun is shining brightly, people put on sunscreen or scurry inside to cool off. But how do wild animals react to the sizzling heat? Journey from your neighborhood to a field where an earthworm loops its long body into a ball underground, to a desert where a jackrabbit loses heat through its oversized ears, to a wetland where a siren salamander burrows into the mud to stay cool, and to a seashore where a sea star hides in the shade of a seaweed mat. Constance R. Bergum's glowing watercolors perfectly capture the wonder of a hot, sunny environment.
Beneath the Surface: Killer Whales, Seaworld, and the Truth Beyond "Blackfish"
by John Hargrove*Now a New York Times bestseller* Over the course of two decades, John Hargrove worked with 20 different whales on two continents and at two of SeaWorld's U. S. facilities. For Hargrove, becoming an orca trainer fulfilled a childhood dream. However, as his experience with the whales deepened, Hargrove came to doubt that their needs could ever be met in captivity. When two fellow trainers were killed by orcas in marine parks, Hargrove decided that SeaWorld's wildly popular programs were both detrimental to the whales and ultimately unsafe for trainers. After leaving SeaWorld, Hargrove became one of the stars of the controversial documentary Blackfish. The outcry over the treatment of SeaWorld's orca has now expanded beyond the outlines sketched by the award-winning documentary, with Hargrove contributing his expertise to an advocacy movement that is convincing both federal and state governments to act. In Beneath the Surface, Hargrove paints a compelling portrait of these highly intelligent and social creatures, including his favorite whales Takara and her mother Kasatka, two of the most dominant orcas in SeaWorld. And he includes vibrant descriptions of the lives of orcas in the wild, contrasting their freedom in the ocean with their lives in SeaWorld. Hargrove's journey is one that humanity has just begun to take-toward the realization that the relationship between the human and animal worlds must be radically rethought.