Bag a book this Christmas
To give you a helping hand with your Christmas shopping we asked some of our friends and colleagues to tell us about their favourite wetland themed books.
To give you a helping hand with your Christmas shopping we asked some of our friends and colleagues to tell us about their favourite wetland themed books. Read on for a tried and tested list of fact, fiction and kid’s books, guaranteed to have the nature lover in your life enthralled from the first page.
Curlew Moon by Mary Colwell
I got given Curlew Moon one Christmas. It was amazing. I was shocked to hear the extent of the curlew's problems. Reading this book was a moment when I woke up to the fact that OK, I need to help as this is a bird that potentially we're going to lose from our landscape. It's more than the birds you see, when you hear its call it's so visceral, so otherworldly, it connects you to something old. It's iconic and powerful and magic that we can't afford to lose. This book spurred me into action, and the call of the curlew inspired me to write a song.
David Gray, singer-songwriter
Rebirding by Benedict Macdonald
Winner of the Wainwright Prize for writing on global conservation.
This book managed to pull my emotions for the natural world into the depths of despair and build them all the way up again to extreme optimism. It’s a true eye-opener to how here in the UK, over hundreds of years, humans have wiped out wildlife and in particular, birds. Halfway through, the outlook is pretty bleak. Benedict then begins to lay out how we can begin to bring these species back and transform our landscapes, biodiversity, livelihoods and economy in doing so; it left me feeling very hopeful for the future.
Sam Walker, WWT Content Producer
Birdgirl by Mya Rose Craig
In this great book one of Britain’s best-known nature activists shares her incredible birding journey. Mya-Rose Craig shares a lifelong love of ornithology with her parents. In fact Mya-Rose’s relationship with her family, and the healing power of nature in the face of mental health struggles, makes up the backbone of this immersive book. Mya-Rose’s passion for birding and drive to make birdwatching more accessible is infectious. As you’d expect from the youngest person to have seen more than half of the world’s known birds, there is plenty of detail about the species that Craig travels to see – from snowy owls to harpy eagles. But what makes this book so special are the insights into mental health challenges, diversity (or lack of) within the birdwatching community and how climate change threatens nature.
Birdgirl is must-read for all budding birders and young environmentalists!
Katie Witcombe, Social Media Manager, WWT
Still Water, The Deep Life of the Pond by John Lewis-Stempel
From one of the greatest nature writers of his generation, this book about ponds, absolutely overflows with fascinating snippets, curious cruelties, carefully observed observations and historical insights. Lewis-Stempel's lyrical writing instils a sense of wonder and this book reads not just as a 'love letter' to the humble pond, but also serves as an alarm call, on behalf of this precious but so often overlooked wetland. One to curl up with and dip into on a cold winter’s night.
Kate Conway, Copywriter, WWT
Peter Scott and the birth of modern conservation by Chris Moore
Peter Scott was a remarkable man who led an extraordinary life. Writer, artist, broadcaster, conservationist, sportsman; in any one of his chosen fields he would have been remembered as someone who made a difference. That he excelled in all of these is perhaps the main reason why his life remains an inspiration to others more than thirty years after his death. This new biography charts his life, from the young boy who grew up in the shadow of the tragic death of his famous father to co-founder of the World Wildlife Fund, founder of WWT and a major international figure in wildlife conservation.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
This beautifully written book quickly draws you into Kya’s world. Known as the ‘Marsh Girl’, the meandering creeks and wild coastline of South Carolina are her home. It feels like you’re drifting along in her boat, discovering all the birdlife and wetland wonders with her. Abandoned by her family, her story is utterly heart breaking but equally inspiring and compelling, as she gets caught up with the locals and accused of murder. I couldn’t put it down!
Lindsay Bull, Digital Communications Manager, WWT
A year of Birdsong by Dominic Couzens
A book of fascinating stories about birdsong – one for every week of the year - with a QR code for every entry so you can listen as you read. Dominic Couzens, a leading bird expert and writer, takes you on a journey to enjoy an authentic year of birdsong around the world. This book covers topics including bird nature and behaviour, stories and literary masterpieces inspired by birdsongs, the musicality of the notes, and what different songs communicate.
Swamp Song by Tom Blass
From remote, Finnish swamps to the tiger-infested mangroves of the Sundarbans; from the Great Dismal Swamp of the American South to Kipling’s ‘windy levels’ of Romney Marsh, Tom Blass’s book has much to commend it. Dive into the squelching ouse and join a vivid cast of characters - Louisianan Cajuns, Danube fishermen, Cypriot salt workers, Icelandic sheep farmers - who live amongst the world’s unique wetlands, and the incredible array of wildlife - be it pelican, alligator, catfish or flamingo – that they support. Highly recommended.
Tom Fewins, Head of Policy and Advocacy, WWT
A book of nature poems edited by Jane McMorland Hunter
Now more than ever we're all in need of a daily fix of the natural world, to comfort and distract us from the cares of everyday life. Keep this beautiful book by your bedside and enjoy a dreamy stroll through nature every evening, just before you go to sleep. All the great, time-honoured poets are here - William Wordsworth, John Keats, Emily Dickinson, Robert Bridges - along with some newer and less-well known poetic voices.
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
If you are looking for a Christmas read, then you can't go wrong with Dickens. But instead of that well-thumbed copy of a Christmas Carol, turn toward Great Expectations.
Along with the wonderfully colourful Miss Havisham, the protagonist Pip, the kind-hearted Joe and the menacing Magwitch, it's the richly atmospheric landscapes that I l really love. And no more so than the misty Kent Marshes. 'Ours was the marsh country, down by the river, within, as the river wound, twenty miles of the sea.’ So grab a blanket and a cuppa, turn the lights down low and immerses yourself in this literary classic.
Chris Harris, Marketing Manager, WWT
And for the little ones
Listen to Winter
The second book in our new series of board books called Seasons & Sounds. With sound buttons to press on every page and engaging, bright illustrations, toddlers will adore listening to the sounds of winter in this lovely book. Celebrating the ability of children to find joy in all seasons and weather, this stunning series encourages everyone to appreciate and respect the world around us.
The little book of wetland bird sounds
Waterbirds make some of the most unusual and haunting of all bird sounds - from the wistful cry of the curlew to the trumpet-like call of the crane. This book is the perfect first guide to the fascinating world of the wetlands and the wonderful birds that live there. With the 12 simple sound buttons you can listen to the amazing varied songs and haunting calls of lots of different wetland birds.
