The Forgotten Forest

by Robert Vennell

A guide to the spectacular oddities of the New Zealand forest, by the bestselling author of The Meaning of Trees and Secrets of the SeaDeep in the forest, in places you would never think to look, are some of the most remarkable creatures. Overlooked and unsung, this is the forgotten a world of glow-in-the-dark mushrooms and giant mosses, where slime moulds travel the forest in search of prey and ancient lichens live for thousands of years. Join bestselling author Robert Vennell on a walk through this fantastical forest, wandering through tales from history, science, and spirituality in search of these weird and wonderful species. Filled with beautiful historical artworks and illustrations, The Forgotten Forest is a celebration of the little things that pass us by and will forever transform a simple walk in the bush.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Nature

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2023

Reviews

[Teo · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a charming little book that's written in a 'POV: You're walking through a forest in Aotearoa' format. This was conversational while still being informative, which made learning about typically forgotten parts of the forest a pleasure to read and extremely accessible. I have a newfound appreciation for lichen and am very much fascinated by the world of slime moulds. The inclusion of Māori history/connections to the native species was very much appreciated as well.
I only wish this was longer and maybe included real-life photos alongside the illustrations, as I spent as much time researching pictures of everything as I did reading this. I also would've preferred if more of the illustrations were integrated within the actual text rather than in a whole separate section at the end (which I only realized existed once I finished).

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love fungi so much they are so cool and interesting and this was so fun to listen to on audiobook

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple easy read. An interesting topic that was let down for me by the writing style and layout of the book. The best parts were the beautiful historical illustrations. It would have been handy having these page referenced during the book as I found myself flipping through the illustration sections at the front and back trying to find pictures of what had been discovered on the forest walk.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating

[Ellen Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 - The best way I can describe this book is: a hot cup of tea for the soul. Oh, the imagery. The passion. The fascinating science! I fell in love.
I knew I’d love this because I loved the author’s book on the ocean but wow. I need to buy this book immediately.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

So well done, this was a very quick read, but it was entertaining from start to finish. I feel like I tend to stay away from nonfiction because it can be kind of dry but this was beautifully written and I really enjoyed the way all the bits of the book weee weaved together using a tramp through the bush. I feel like I learned quite a bit as well. Would recommend

[Sarah-Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun and informative read! I loved the imagery and the rich descriptions. I’m actually excited to get out into our bush and see if I can spy some of his amazing finds! A charming, well written little book that I absolutely would recommend. Who knew there was so many incredible lichens, mosses, moulds and fungi?! I sure didn’t!

[Johnathan Gell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy book to pick up and get lost in another world, the twist? We live in that world. Inspiring to get out in nature and look deep into the corners of the forest you might have previously looked past.

[Courtney Johnston]

Canters along merrily and delivers a great deal information although the “we’re on a bush walk” narrative style gets a bit tiresome

[Marcin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short glimpse at some truly fascinating botanical curiosities. A pity it only scratches the surface. I could read a whole book about slime moulds alone.

[Soph · Rating 5 out of 5]

a beautiful book with such an interesting way to frame learning about the new zealand fungal and floral world

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable and easy adventure through the forest. I was lichen it a lot, there wasn’t mushroom for improvement and the author seems like a fun guy.

[George Pollard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't enjoy the framing of this much compared to the earlier works

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

everyone interested in New Zealand, or mosses and lichens should read this book. such wonderful imagery! I learnt so many interesting tidbits.

[Rebecca Inch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely walk through a forest of Aotearoa with the explanations of mushrooms and other native vegetation.

[Kay Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet book travelling through a forest with elements of reality although they may not all be in the same part of Aotearoa. It's like a movie or David Attenborough TV series told through words and delightful pencil sketches.

No location details though and I want to go see things like the 5m long yellow slime mold!