📖 Deeper into the Wood by Ruth Pavey

  

I am delighted to be the first blog opening this blog tour today

Duckworth Books
27 May 2021

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book
and to Random Things Tours for the invitation to the blog tour

Over twenty years ago, Ruth Pavey bought four acres of scrub woodland above the Somerset Levels and set out to improve the lush haven for birds, insects and all manner of wildlife. Beneath the shade of the trees she spent two decades planting, she now reflects on the fate of her wood.

As steward, she has witnessed nature’s forces shifting and the abundance of species dwindling rapidly. When the rabbits suddenly vanished, she knew it was time to take a closer look at the undergrowth and what she could do to preserve the legacy of the wood for generations to come.

Deeper Into the Wood recounts a year in the life of an amateur naturalist working with wildlife experts to interpret the language of the land. Ruth’s hand-drawn illustrations accompany her lyrical prose, which demonstrates an appreciation for the local people and their history. This is one woman’s story of inspiration, conservation, and a love of place.

📖 My thoughts..

I love strolling through woodland areas, there's something intensely comforting about the closeness of the trees, the musky scent of the undergrowth, and of watching wildlife and nature in beautiful, natural surroundings, We are so lucky in the UK to have our ancient woodlands but they are places to be cherished and looked after and as Ruth Pavey discovered flora and fauna are under threat like never before.

Twenty years ago Ruth Pavey purchased four acres of rough woodland in Somerset and whilst she has done her best to ensure that the land continues to flourish, she has, over the years, seen different changes to the landscape. It was when she noticed the lack of rabbits that she became worried as this was indicative of problems within the habitat and, of course, the is always the ever present threat of disease.

Deeper into the Woods explores the authors strong affection for the land of which she is just the present custodian and cleverly takes us through the different seasons from New Year, right the way through the year to Winter Solstice. The expertly shared information makes this such an interesting book to read and as we go deeper into the wood, we learn, not just about the history of the land but also about the trees, plants and animals who all make this woodland their home.

There is an intimacy to the book which is highlighted by personal thoughts, reflections, bits of folklore and also by the author's own rather special line drawings of trees, flowers and animals which give the book a rustic charm. I especially loved how two ancient apple trees, which alerted the author to the fact that the woodland had once been an orchard, reminded her of an Arthur Rackham illustration, and so were appropriately named as AR1 and AR2. 

Whilst Deeper into the Woods is a lovely book for anyone who loves nature and who wants to know more about the problems facing natural habitats, it is also a fascinating insight into the love of one person for the land and of her desire, whilst she is the current custodian, to make it prosper and thrive for future generations.

About the Author

Ruth Pavey is the Gardening Correspondent for the Ham & High ( Hampstead and Highgate Express). She attended Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art , and a selection if her illustrated works appear in her books. Pavey has reviewed books and written features for publications including the Observer, Guardian, NewStatestman, and even enjoyed forty plus years of teaching in Inner London, she still live there surrounded by plants, books, friend, a cello and three cats, whilst making frequent trips to the wood in Somerset.

Twitter @Duckbooks #RuthPavey #DeeperIntoTheWood

@RandomTTours

Book Review ~ The Joyful Environmentalist by Isabel Losada ☼

Watkins Publishing
July 2020

My thanks to the author and Midas PR for my copy of this book

 

Finally! A book about saving our planet that is fast, funny and inspiring too. Isabel doesn’t bother with an examination of the problem but gets right on with the solutions. Her aim: to look for every single way that we can take care of the planet; how we live and work, travel, shop, eat, drink, dress, vote, play, volunteer, bank – everything. The feel-good book of the year for anyone who loves nature and knows that one person can make a HUGE difference.


What did I think about it..

I've read several  books about the global threat to our environment which have been filled with facts and figures and dire predictions about what's going to happen to the planet and whilst that is all well and good what I really want to know is how I can make a difference on a personal level. The Joyful Environmentalist sets out a way to save the planet in ways that are entirely doable and which, in order to get its message across, isn't suffused with angst and a sense of impending doom.

There is no doubt that the author is passionate about environmental issues and this comes across in a lively and witty book which seeks to inspire rather than preach. I found much of interest and enjoyed reading through the book, not always sequentially, as this works really well as a dip into and out of type of book. However, the whole thing is clearly set out in specific sections which cover:

Plastic

Earth

Energy

Food

Travel

Stuff

Wine

Climate Change

Insects

The Bigger Picture

Birds

Money

Clothes and Fashion

Nature

Each of the sections give a comprehensive and informative point of view and as I finished each I had a better idea of what the author was so passionate about. Environmental issues are really emotive and people are easily upset, or offended, when accused of not doing enough to save our planet. I am sure that globally we aren't doing enough but each of us can make individual changes which when viewed in the bigger picture can certainly make a difference. As the author so rightly points out " You are the environmentalist. One who wants to be part of the solution. We are many. We are millions."

The Joyful Environmentalist is a useful aide memoire and a fascinating journey through some  interesting environmental solutions, I've really enjoyed reading about them. ☼

About the Author

Isabel Losada is the bestselling author of six previous books including The Battersea Park Road to Enlightenment (over 100,000 copies sold). As an author Isabel uses a unique mixture of storytelling, memoir and humorous non-fiction which has won her a loyal readership. She remains firmly committed to narrative non-fiction and swimming against the tide. Isabel lives in London.

Twitter @IsabelLosada #TheJoyfulEnvironmentalist

@midaspr

@watkinswisdom

Website

Amazon UK

Review ~ Letters to the Earth Introduced by Emma Thompson

William Collins

14 November 2019

Letters to the Earth brings together the voices of children and the public with authors, scientists and playwrights in the first creative project of its kind.

Alongside letters from the public, Letters to the Earth received submissions from artist and peace activist Yoko Ono, actor Mark Rylance, writer and illustrator of The Lost Words Jackie Morris, novelist Anna Hope, environmental writer Jay Griffiths and Green Party MP Caroline Lucas . Together they are an invitation to consider how this existential threat affects the way we live our lives and the action we take.

Lots of books consider the climate and ecological crisis from a political or scientific perspective, but Letters to the Earth is the first book to chronicle how humankind is collectively processing planetary crisis.

What did I think about it..

This is an interesting collection of emotional letters and documents which collectively give a greater awareness of the strength of public feeling on the subject of climate change.  We can continue to hide our heads in the sand but no-one can fail to see the impact of adverse weather conditions on our planet, and regardless of our individual political agenda, climate change is something which is affecting all of us right now. We only need to look at the severe impact of earthquake, devastating forest fires, and closer to home, the destruction caused by frequent flooding in those areas where flood defenses are stretched, quite literally, to breaking point.

The Letters to the Earth are written by people who represent all of us - from parents and children, politicians and poets, actors and activists and songwriters and scientists, all seek to remind us that we are facing a world in climate crisis. The individual writings are all quite different in content, however, the one thing they all have in common is the amount of passion expressed in each and every heartfelt plea for us to stop, look, listen and act now, before it's too late.

Beautifully presented in an easy to read format, Letters to the Earth, has something for everyone to consider, from letters by those people who are instantly recognisable like the activist Yoko Ono, to a letter written by a perfectly articulate 12 year old, but what they all have in common is that each and everyone of them makes you stop  to really consider the impact of climate change.

I've been thoroughly educated by reading Letters to the Earth because it's written in a way which speaks to all of us in a strong and meaningful way. It's one of those books I'll definitely keep on my book shelf and read frequently to remind me that we can all do our bit to save this world in crisis. 

I really don't want us to be the ones who cause so much irreparable damage to this beautiful planet that we bring about its destruction.

Twitter @CultureDeclares #LetterstotheEarth

@WmCollinsBooks