October
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HARNESSING NATURE’S WILD FORCES
Meet the ecosystem engineers who could restore our habitats in this compelling plea for rewilding
BOOK
CORNERSTONES
BY BENEDICT MACDONALD BLOOMSBURY, £17.99 (HB)
Not all species are equal. Some shape the very land or water around them, simply by moving, eating and defecating, in the process helping other plants and animals. In this visionary book, Benedict Macdonald explores the far-reaching impacts of these ecosystem engineers – or, as he calls them, “cornerstones”.
A wildlife filmmaker and passionate advocate of rewilding, Macdonald is on a mission. If we are to repair Britain’s shattered natural habitats, he says, we must harness the restorative power of everything, from beavers and boar to traditional breeds of cattle and horses, birds of prey, lynx, wolves, whales, bees and trees. These wild forces are better at habitat management than any conservationist. Macdonald crams in evidence from a dizzying array of studies, and writes with the urgency of an evangelist. We need more dampness, dung, deadwood, diversity! Sometimes the science is counterintuitive – healthy bird of prey populations act as “protectors of a song-filled world” far richer in smaller birds, for instance, while the bulldozing of boar creates flowery glades teeming with butterflies.
Cornerstones asks us to imagine a more sustainable alternative future, one with properly functioning ecosystems and more space for wildlife. If you forgive the sweeping statements and hyperbole, it’s exciting, convincing stuff. Will it, though, encourage the wider British public to get behind large-scale nature restoration?
Ben Hoare, naturalist and author
BOOK
ILLUMINATED BY WATER: NATURE, MEMORY AND THE DELIGHTS OF A FISHING LIFE
BY MALACHY TALLACK, DOUBLEDAY, £16.99 (HB)
There’s a crucial moment in this beautiful journey into the world of the angler when the author compares fishing for wild brown trout on remote, often semimythic lochs or rivers to pursuing captive-bred rainbow trout in purpose-built lakes. Tallack accepts that the latter offers accessible fly fishing, but he struggles to find any joy or thrill in the artificial experience. While catching fish is the essence of fishing, it’s the how, where and why that Tallack explores so engagingly here.
It’s hard not to envy the author’s childhood spent roaming the wild places of Shetland. This isn’t, however, one person’s nature-writing whimsy but a considered examination of what fishing offers mind and soul. There is mindful immersion in the present; senses sharpened by the hunt; skills to improve (if never master); and the endless quest to discover more about what dwells within each mysterious body of water.
Tallack also directly grasps the animal welfare issues of angling by the horns – or the gills if you like – acknowledging that fish feel pain and exploring the grey areas and inconsistencies of both the pro- and anti-angling arguments.
By the end, you’re left with a satisfying understanding of the mind and landscapes of both angler and his quarry. A perfect read for autumn evenings.
Fergus Collins, editor
BOOK
THE UNIQUE LIFE OF A RANGER
BY AJAY TEGALA THE HISTORY PRESS, £16.99 (PB)
Rangers are nature’s first responders, on the front line of the battle to protect wildlife. If you’ve ever wondered what they do all day, you need to read this book, which transports you to the shifting sands of Norfolk’s Blakeney Point and into the life of one ranger working to preserve this wild, wondrous stretch of coast.
In an affectionate and unpretentious memoir, Ajay Tegala recounts both his volunteer placement at Blakeney and ensuing employment as point ranger, sharing the challenges, spectacles, surprises and tragedies that come with each passing season.
The role is varied: guarding nests, keeping visitors to footpaths, collecting data, rescuing injured birds and shooing away celebrities touching down in helicopters are all part of a day’s work. The conservation focus is on little terns, which have a key breeding ground at Blakeney, and grey seals, whose population has exploded here in recent decades. It’s tireless, often thankless, yet Ajay is undeterred, his passion for what he does shining through with every chick counted and migrant spotted.
Full of delightful nature observations and peppered with endearing details of daily life at ranger HQ, this is an illuminating read of a life in the wild. Keep up the good work, Ajay; nature’s recovery depends upon people like you.
Sarah McPherson, BBC Wildlife
RADIO
MUCKING IN
BBC RADIO 4, SIX-PART SERIES, ON BBC SOUNDS
Set on Dangerfield Farm in Gloucestershire, this fast-moving sitcom with a star-studded cast offers a light-hearted escape to the countryside. Organic farmer Ben (Nigel Planer) and his music teacher wife Cicely (Alison Steadman) are struggling to keep up with the work of running a farm, when daughter Beatrix (Morwenna Banks) flees to her parents after an argument with her husband Archie (Tony Gardner). Drama ensues as Archie turns up to woo Beatrix back, and constantly fails, but somehow manages to find solutions to problems on the farm in the process. The organic inspection is a nightmare, the water pipes freeze as Cicely has forgotten to order oil, the landlady wants to throw a party on Ben’s heritage meadow, and, as usual, Archie manages the fallout.
BOOK
RETURN TO MY TREES
BY MATTHEW YEOMANS, CALON, £18.99 (HB)
Inspired by the Welsh Government’s emerging plans for a National Forest, Yeomans sets out on foot from Cardiff to visit existing Welsh woodlands. In doing so, he creates a potential National Forest Trail – but his mission is bolder than that.
Professionally, Yeomans advises corporations about sustainability, so I appreciate his environmental literacy when explaining issues such as carbon offsetting or global finance. He writes: “We can improve our legal systems, we can put an economic value on nature, we can plant new forests and we can protect old ones. But unless we start to see trees and nature as our equal rather than something we are superior to, then we are still doomed.”
But I’m jumping ahead. Having suffered from anxiety, Yeomans also recognises our need to reconnect with nature, and the healing powers of woodland walking. His championing of the National Forest of Wales then, is as much cultural as it is environmental. His style is more guidebook than literary – you’ll find breezy accounts of historical landmarks interwoven with chat about barbed wire, breakfast and brambles.
As a Welshman, he hopes that the National Forest and ecological restoration will be grasped by his fellow citizens as a symbol of national pride and identity. Here, then, is an important contribution to the climate and biodiversity emergency.
Julie Brominicks, landscape writer
Q&A
THE CONSIDERED CARNIVORE
Want to keep eating meat but do it sustainably and ethically, with nature in mind? We ask Abby Allen (left) and Rachel Lovell (right), authors of the new Pipers Farm cookbook, how to do it
What is ‘nose-to-tail’ eating and why is it important?
In short, it is eating as much of the animal as possible and it’s important for a few reasons. Firstly, not wasting any part of the carcass respects the animal, the farmer and the resources, such as water and land that produced it. It also makes sense in the kitchen – slowly grown meat has more flavour than industrialised, intensively reared animals. Every part has plenty of flavour.
How can we make sure that the meat we buy is sustainable?
Farmers who grow food in harmony with nature nurture biodiversity. Crucially, what we feed our livestock can have a big impact on nature; that’s why 100% pasture-fed livestock is a keystone of our approach. But you will only know farmers are doing these things if you ask them questions. Buying direct is the best way, at the farm gate, at a farmers’ market or through a box scheme. Or through us, of course! Don’t be afraid to ask questions; any farmer worth their salt will happily answer them.
How much meat do you typically eat in a week?
Abby: The amount of meat I eat varies as the seasons change. I often eat more meat in the colder months as I find my body requires extra protein, fat and all those important nutrients you only find in pasture-fed meat. Through late spring and summer, when there is a glut of veg, I will consume less meat and instead use meat as a seasoning rather than the centrepiece of a meal. Rachel: I also follow a seasonal pattern. We believe in a concept we call ‘cooking flow’, where you connect your dishes across the days to minimise meat consumption by eking out every last bit of flavour. Say you cook some sausages – the fat that renders out of them can be used to sauté onions for your veggie tacos the next day, meaning the precious fat isn’t wasted.
Are there any cuts of meat you think should make a kitchen comeback?
Slower cooking cuts have fallen out of favour, in part due to our own pressure on time. We have also lost knowledge of how to prepare this type of ingredient; many people don’t know how to turn a pig’s cheek or oxtail into a nourishing meal, though it is really straightforward. We’d also like to see healthy animal fats, such as dripping and lard, return to the kitchen in place of highly processed oils; they are better for human health and help farmers see more value for the meat they have produced.
What do you think is the future for small-scale farming in the UK?
Finally the tide is turning – policy makers are beginning to recognise how small-scale farmers can be the best custodians of our countryside and homegrown food, because they know what grows well on their land. There are also amazing developments in tech, as agriculture undergoes the digital revolution. It is a hugely exciting time in British agriculture right now, and there is so much to be hopeful for! Just be mindful of who you spend your food money with. Who are you giving power to? A family farmer or a global giant? Every little bit counts.
Pipers Farm: the Sustainable Meat Cookbook by Abby Allen and Rachel Lovell, is published by Kyle Books, £30 (HB). octopusbooks.co.uk