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Dancing with Bees: A Journey Back to Nature
A naturalist's passionate dive into the world of bees of all stripes--what she has learned about them, and what we can learn from them
Brigit Strawbridge Howard was shocked the day she realised she knew more about the French Revolution than she did about her native trees. And birds. And wildflowers. And bees. The thought stopped her--quite literally--in her tracks. But that day was also the start of a journey, one filled with silver birches and hairy-footed flower bees, skylarks, and rosebay willow herb, and the joy that comes with deepening one's relationship with place. Dancing with Bees is Strawbridge Howard's charming and eloquent account of a return to noticing, to rediscovering a perspective on the world that had somehow been lost to her for decades and to reconnecting with the natural world. With special care and attention to the plight of pollinators, including honeybees, bumblebees, and solitary bees, and what we can do to help them, Strawbridge Howard shares fascinating details of the lives of flora and fauna that have filled her days with ever-increasing wonder and delight.
Brigit Strawbridge Howard was shocked the day she realised she knew more about the French Revolution than she did about her native trees. And birds. And wildflowers. And bees. The thought stopped her--quite literally--in her tracks. But that day was also the start of a journey, one filled with silver birches and hairy-footed flower bees, skylarks, and rosebay willow herb, and the joy that comes with deepening one's relationship with place. Dancing with Bees is Strawbridge Howard's charming and eloquent account of a return to noticing, to rediscovering a perspective on the world that had somehow been lost to her for decades and to reconnecting with the natural world. With special care and attention to the plight of pollinators, including honeybees, bumblebees, and solitary bees, and what we can do to help them, Strawbridge Howard shares fascinating details of the lives of flora and fauna that have filled her days with ever-increasing wonder and delight.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 13, 2019
57 people are currently reading
912 people want to read
About the author
Brigit Strawbridge Howard
8 books14 followersBrigit Strawbridge Howard is a bee advocate, wildlife gardener and naturalist. She writes, speaks, and campaigns to raise awareness of the importance of native wild bees and other pollinating insects. She lives in North Dorset with her husband, Rob.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
December 28, 2019
I ordered a signed copy of this lovely book directly from the author via Twitter. She writes about bees as a gateway into a general appreciation of nature, something she lost for a time in midlife because of the rat race and family complications. Allotment gardening gives her opportunities to observe bee behavior and marvel at their various lookalikes (like hoverflies), identify plants, work on herbal remedies, and photograph all her finds. Although she mostly stays close to home – the Malvern Hills, where she’s from, and Shaftesbury, Dorset, where she now lives – she also journeys as far as the Outer Hebrides in search of the Great Yellow Bumblebee. My favorite chapter, though, was about the simple joy her ailing mother took in birdwatching from her nursing home window.
Many nature books are written by experts (such as scientists or professors), but this is very much an amateur’s chronicle of a hobby that became an obsession. It’s a book characterized by curiosity and warmth. Howard clearly delights in discovery and is devoted to lifelong learning. She believes that “somewhere deep inside us all, there lives a little spark of ‘wild’ just waiting to be ignited, or re-ignited.” This is an amiable story of how she retrieved that spark, and with any luck will inspire others to get (back) into nature. I particularly loved the illustrations by John Walters, especially the endpapers.
Favorite lines:
“As my interest in bees has grown, so has my awareness of everything that surrounds them or connects them to the web of life they exist within. I feel as though I have embarked on a never-ending journey, a journey that spirals continuously outwards, gathering momentum and taking on a life of its own as it sweeps up all the wondrous, wild things that fly, swim, walk, or crawl in its wake.”
“Once you open your eyes, heart, and mind to your surroundings, you cannot help but notice what has always been here, living under your very nose, just waiting to reveal itself to you.”
Many nature books are written by experts (such as scientists or professors), but this is very much an amateur’s chronicle of a hobby that became an obsession. It’s a book characterized by curiosity and warmth. Howard clearly delights in discovery and is devoted to lifelong learning. She believes that “somewhere deep inside us all, there lives a little spark of ‘wild’ just waiting to be ignited, or re-ignited.” This is an amiable story of how she retrieved that spark, and with any luck will inspire others to get (back) into nature. I particularly loved the illustrations by John Walters, especially the endpapers.
Favorite lines:
“As my interest in bees has grown, so has my awareness of everything that surrounds them or connects them to the web of life they exist within. I feel as though I have embarked on a never-ending journey, a journey that spirals continuously outwards, gathering momentum and taking on a life of its own as it sweeps up all the wondrous, wild things that fly, swim, walk, or crawl in its wake.”
“Once you open your eyes, heart, and mind to your surroundings, you cannot help but notice what has always been here, living under your very nose, just waiting to reveal itself to you.”
May 26, 2020
This book is essentially a detailed travelogue of a journey back to a realistic perception of the natural world that sustains our being, with bees playing a guiding role in the journey.
When I say 'detailed' I mean the book goes into considerable detail in describing species (especially bee species), their behavior, and ecological aspects. As the journey progresses, the author's perspective broadens to assimilate other eukaryote (plants and animals) life forms.
As a naturalist I found the material interesting — certainly with its human touch more engaging than the dry scientific papers I try to keep up with. My fear though, is that the level of detail will be a limiting factor in attracting readership. Sales may be enough for the publisher, but I don't see that many delving into the contents.
If one thinks of eco-lit as a means to try to broaden the perspectives of the many that are mostly enveloped in the human bubble, then this book may not be a good starting point to breaking out. Many fascinated with their electronic gadgets and games may tire of this book quickly and miss the significant points within. On the other hand, this is an excellent book for those that have begun this journey and are desirous of more understanding.
Thus, though I applaud the authors effort, I felt I couldn't rate it more than four stars, and would not recommend it as a starting point for those that need coaxing. Our little blue canoe needs a critical mass of understanding if our youth are to have much of a future.
When I say 'detailed' I mean the book goes into considerable detail in describing species (especially bee species), their behavior, and ecological aspects. As the journey progresses, the author's perspective broadens to assimilate other eukaryote (plants and animals) life forms.
As a naturalist I found the material interesting — certainly with its human touch more engaging than the dry scientific papers I try to keep up with. My fear though, is that the level of detail will be a limiting factor in attracting readership. Sales may be enough for the publisher, but I don't see that many delving into the contents.
If one thinks of eco-lit as a means to try to broaden the perspectives of the many that are mostly enveloped in the human bubble, then this book may not be a good starting point to breaking out. Many fascinated with their electronic gadgets and games may tire of this book quickly and miss the significant points within. On the other hand, this is an excellent book for those that have begun this journey and are desirous of more understanding.
Thus, though I applaud the authors effort, I felt I couldn't rate it more than four stars, and would not recommend it as a starting point for those that need coaxing. Our little blue canoe needs a critical mass of understanding if our youth are to have much of a future.
October 16, 2020
Reading this wonderful book, I’m left with one very large regret: that Brigit Strawbridge Howard lives and writes about nature in Britain rather than in North America. That is, the vast majority of the insects and plants whose stories she tells so compellingly do not exist anywhere near where I live. This was first brought home most starkly by her account of a queen bumblebee on the wing in February! In my part of the world, one is unlikely to spot a flying bumblebee before May. It was frustrating to find myself unable to be present on her treks around the Hebrides, Devon, Malvern and other spots, watching the mating dance of bees and butterflies, potter wasps building their elegant nests, walking past hedgerows, hosts of wildflowers, dozens of bee species unknown hereabouts; and then, the flight song of skylarks, for heaven’s sake!
She shares with us both her own discoveries and lore that she gathers through her extensive research into what others have written. Some of the most fascinating revelations have to do with the ways in which plants and insects interrelate:
Recent research, based on the observation of evening primroses, shows that these plants themselves respond to the sound of bees buzzing. Within just minutes of sensing the sound of a nearby bee, the concentration of sugar in the nectar produced by the plants increases by an average of 20 percent. Incredibly, the flowers even seem to be able to filter out irrelevant noises, such as the wind.
The remarkable impact that seemingly passive or insignificant living things have upon the world around us:
Whilst they are in good condition, peatlands outperform any other ecosystem as carbon sinks. Of the entire world’s surface, only 3 percent is peatland, but this meager 3 percent stores at least twice as much carbon stored by all the forests standing on the planet.
How nature, through necessity often operates far more efficiently than arrangements engineered by mankind:
A solitary Red Mason bee, working all alone, can pollinate as many flowers in an apple orchard as over one hundred honeybees. (Those honeybees being an imported, ‘managed’ species not originally native to the location).
Ms. Howard is perhaps most effective because she practices ‘citizen science’ as an ‘amateur’ in the true meaning of that word. She is not in pursuit of a Nobel Prize or becoming a tenured professor. That is not to say that she is inexact, haphazard or unscientific in her observations or identifications. Rather, she is simply not in a hurry to reach some arbitrary goal, nor is she bent on pounding home a thesis. She pays close attention to what she sees, smells, hears and senses emotionally and intellectually. She is prepared to stare at something as ordinary as a dandelion with no particular purpose in mind other than to gain understanding, until “I begin to feel something more, something I can only describe as a kind of ‘knowing’ or ‘awakening’. We do not, as a rule, spend time communicating with plants, so lack the vocabulary to describe such communications or encounters, but I am sure some of our ancestors would recognise the sense of ‘oneness’ I am experiencing.”
All in all, delightful and thoroughly absorbing.
She shares with us both her own discoveries and lore that she gathers through her extensive research into what others have written. Some of the most fascinating revelations have to do with the ways in which plants and insects interrelate:
Recent research, based on the observation of evening primroses, shows that these plants themselves respond to the sound of bees buzzing. Within just minutes of sensing the sound of a nearby bee, the concentration of sugar in the nectar produced by the plants increases by an average of 20 percent. Incredibly, the flowers even seem to be able to filter out irrelevant noises, such as the wind.
The remarkable impact that seemingly passive or insignificant living things have upon the world around us:
Whilst they are in good condition, peatlands outperform any other ecosystem as carbon sinks. Of the entire world’s surface, only 3 percent is peatland, but this meager 3 percent stores at least twice as much carbon stored by all the forests standing on the planet.
How nature, through necessity often operates far more efficiently than arrangements engineered by mankind:
A solitary Red Mason bee, working all alone, can pollinate as many flowers in an apple orchard as over one hundred honeybees. (Those honeybees being an imported, ‘managed’ species not originally native to the location).
Ms. Howard is perhaps most effective because she practices ‘citizen science’ as an ‘amateur’ in the true meaning of that word. She is not in pursuit of a Nobel Prize or becoming a tenured professor. That is not to say that she is inexact, haphazard or unscientific in her observations or identifications. Rather, she is simply not in a hurry to reach some arbitrary goal, nor is she bent on pounding home a thesis. She pays close attention to what she sees, smells, hears and senses emotionally and intellectually. She is prepared to stare at something as ordinary as a dandelion with no particular purpose in mind other than to gain understanding, until “I begin to feel something more, something I can only describe as a kind of ‘knowing’ or ‘awakening’. We do not, as a rule, spend time communicating with plants, so lack the vocabulary to describe such communications or encounters, but I am sure some of our ancestors would recognise the sense of ‘oneness’ I am experiencing.”
All in all, delightful and thoroughly absorbing.
January 7, 2022
Dancing With Bees: A Journey Back To Nature is an extremely readable natural history non-fiction book.
Written by Brigit Strawbridge Howard, this is her wildlife journey with British bees. I was very surprised to learn that there are ‘at least twenty thousand different species of bee’ on this planet. Of those only 9 are honey bees and 250 are bumblebees, the rest belong roughly to two other groups, sting-less bees and solitary bees, but all are important pollinators.
Brigit briefly talks about the large scale commercial beekeeping in North America and questions the wisdom of transporting bees thousands of miles, for various reasons. It certainly opened my eyes and I was intrigued by the alternatives of wild beekeeping.
The largest part of Brigit’s book is taken up with her study of bumblebees and solitary bees with a few interesting characters thrown into the mix. From her allotment and her walks mainly around the Shaftsbury area of Dorset, she talks about the habitats and flowers which each species like, followed by wonderful descriptions about the bees that she spots. There’s also information about their mating and breeding habits.
Everything that I read made me very excited about spring. I want to be more aware of the bees that visit my garden. Some of their names were fun; who wouldn’t want to see a hairy-footed flower bee? Or the handsome ‘moustachioed’ male of this species. I also enjoyed travelling with Brigit to the Outer Hebrides in search of the great yellow bumblebee, a rare species whose habitat is declining. The islands are now on my bucket list of places to visit, particularly to see the wild flora known as the machair.
Brigit also talks about cuckoo bees; as the cuckoo bird lays its egg in the nest of another unsuspecting bird, so does the cuckoo bee. Each variety is associated with a specific variety of host bee which it often tries to imitate. I had never heard of cuckoo bees.
Finally I must mention the clever heath potter wasp which creates a small clay pot and attaches it to the stem of Heather. The female fills it with food for her future young and lays a single egg inside before sealing the jar and then moves on to make another; it was just amazing to read about.
I discovered this book while browsing the internet; the title and book cover appealed but I could never guess at the wonderful detail inside. I am now an even bigger bee lover after reading this, I can’t recommend it enough, especially to nature enthusiasts.
Written by Brigit Strawbridge Howard, this is her wildlife journey with British bees. I was very surprised to learn that there are ‘at least twenty thousand different species of bee’ on this planet. Of those only 9 are honey bees and 250 are bumblebees, the rest belong roughly to two other groups, sting-less bees and solitary bees, but all are important pollinators.
Brigit briefly talks about the large scale commercial beekeeping in North America and questions the wisdom of transporting bees thousands of miles, for various reasons. It certainly opened my eyes and I was intrigued by the alternatives of wild beekeeping.
The largest part of Brigit’s book is taken up with her study of bumblebees and solitary bees with a few interesting characters thrown into the mix. From her allotment and her walks mainly around the Shaftsbury area of Dorset, she talks about the habitats and flowers which each species like, followed by wonderful descriptions about the bees that she spots. There’s also information about their mating and breeding habits.
Everything that I read made me very excited about spring. I want to be more aware of the bees that visit my garden. Some of their names were fun; who wouldn’t want to see a hairy-footed flower bee? Or the handsome ‘moustachioed’ male of this species. I also enjoyed travelling with Brigit to the Outer Hebrides in search of the great yellow bumblebee, a rare species whose habitat is declining. The islands are now on my bucket list of places to visit, particularly to see the wild flora known as the machair.
Brigit also talks about cuckoo bees; as the cuckoo bird lays its egg in the nest of another unsuspecting bird, so does the cuckoo bee. Each variety is associated with a specific variety of host bee which it often tries to imitate. I had never heard of cuckoo bees.
Finally I must mention the clever heath potter wasp which creates a small clay pot and attaches it to the stem of Heather. The female fills it with food for her future young and lays a single egg inside before sealing the jar and then moves on to make another; it was just amazing to read about.
I discovered this book while browsing the internet; the title and book cover appealed but I could never guess at the wonderful detail inside. I am now an even bigger bee lover after reading this, I can’t recommend it enough, especially to nature enthusiasts.
April 26, 2021
Als wäre nicht schon allein das knallgrüne Cover fünf Sternchen wert!
Als ich den Titel das erste mal gelesen habe, war ich zuerst der Meinung, es geht in diesem Buch um eine etwas esoterisch angehauchte und ökoliebende Tierliebhaberin, die plötzlich den Großstadtstaub abschütteln und sozusagen ein "back to the roots" Leben leben möchte, weil das heutzutage ja so en vogue ist.
Ich hätte nicht falscher liegen können!
Brigit Strawbridge Howard stellt eines Tages fest, dass sie über die Französische Revolution mehr weiß, als über einheimische Bäume, Vögel und Insekten. Sie erschrickt darüber sosehr, dass sie sich vornimmt, sich der Erforschung der Natur zu widmen, vor allem der Bienen. Sie beginnt, auf ihren täglichen Wegen, auf Wanderungen und in Gärten nach Insekten Ausschauh zu halten, macht Fotos, Notizen, sucht im Internet und in der Literatur nach Gleichgesinnten und Fachleuten, die ihr mit der Bestimmtung und Einordnung helfen. So entstand nicht nur ein sehr umfangreiches Buch über Bienen, Hummeln und vereinzelt auch Wespen, sondern auch eine Beschreibung der Natur an sich, mit der (nicht nur diese, aber vor allem) die Bienen in einem sehr genau getakteten Gleichgewicht leben, und schon ein paar kleine Verschiebungen, die dem Menschen überhaupt nicht auffallen, können für Bienenvölker verheerende Folgen haben.
So war mir zum Beispiel nicht klar, wie schädlich es ist, Bienenvölker durch das Land zu fahren, um sie Pflanzen bestäuben zu lassen - wie es in den USA mit den abertausenden Mandelbäumen gemacht wird, und Bienenvolkbesitzer nur davon leben, ihre Bienen "auszuleihen". Hier bekommt der Begriff "Arbeitsbiene" eine ganz neue Bedeutung, denn diese "Arbeit" ist für diese Insekten alles andere als gut. Nicht nur, dass Monokulturen kultiviert und "ortsansässige" Bienenvölker von den Arbeitsbienen verdrängt werden, auch die Arbeit an sich ist extrem anstrengend und auslaugend. Es hat einen Grund, warum immer wieder ganze Bienengenerationen in ihren Stöcken sterben, denn sie reagieren sehr sensibel auf Stress.
Aber auch die fortschreitende Umweltzerstörung, vor allem durch Bebauung, und die unsäglichen "Steingärten" machen es Bienen schwer zu überleben. Nicht nur, weil sie für Nahrung für sich und das Volk immer weiter fliegen müssen und immer weniger abbekommen, auch der Nestbau an sich wird dadurch erschwert. Ob es die riesige Bienenwabe ist, die niemand im Dach oder der Garage haben will, oder es die nicht vorhandenen Wiesen sind, in denen keine kleinen Bienennester an Grasstängeln hängen, die aus Tonschlamm gebastelt werden - denn schlammige Pfützen möchte man ja auch nicht haben. Und wo es keine passenden Böden mehr gibt, können Hummeln auch keine Erdnester mehr graben. Durch die Klimaerwärmung wachen zudem viele Hummeln und Bienen verfrüht aus ihrem Winterschlaf auf, finden zu wenig Nahrung und verhungern, oder gehen zu Grunde, weil dann eben doch nochmal ein paar kalte Tage kommen.
Ab und an schweift die Autorin ein bisschen sehr weg von den Bienen hin zur Natur, und der einen oder den anderen wird das stören - ich empfand es aber eher als Bereicherung, wenn sie von Nutz- und Blühpflanzen schreibt, vom Leben der Bäume, von Kräutern und Unkraut, oder aber von anderen Tierchen wie Motten oder Spinnen. Zum Schluss schließt sich der Kreis wieder hin zu den Bienen, und nicht ohne eines großen Bündels an Vorschlägen und Ideen, wie man seine Umgebung mit den entsprechenden Pflanzen oder anderen Maßnahmen (z. B. Patenschaften) bienenfreundlicher machen kann.
Und noch ein Pluspunkt: die wunderschönen Zeichnungen im Buch. Die geben dem Ganzen noch das I-Tüpfelchen.
Als ich den Titel das erste mal gelesen habe, war ich zuerst der Meinung, es geht in diesem Buch um eine etwas esoterisch angehauchte und ökoliebende Tierliebhaberin, die plötzlich den Großstadtstaub abschütteln und sozusagen ein "back to the roots" Leben leben möchte, weil das heutzutage ja so en vogue ist.
Ich hätte nicht falscher liegen können!
Brigit Strawbridge Howard stellt eines Tages fest, dass sie über die Französische Revolution mehr weiß, als über einheimische Bäume, Vögel und Insekten. Sie erschrickt darüber sosehr, dass sie sich vornimmt, sich der Erforschung der Natur zu widmen, vor allem der Bienen. Sie beginnt, auf ihren täglichen Wegen, auf Wanderungen und in Gärten nach Insekten Ausschauh zu halten, macht Fotos, Notizen, sucht im Internet und in der Literatur nach Gleichgesinnten und Fachleuten, die ihr mit der Bestimmtung und Einordnung helfen. So entstand nicht nur ein sehr umfangreiches Buch über Bienen, Hummeln und vereinzelt auch Wespen, sondern auch eine Beschreibung der Natur an sich, mit der (nicht nur diese, aber vor allem) die Bienen in einem sehr genau getakteten Gleichgewicht leben, und schon ein paar kleine Verschiebungen, die dem Menschen überhaupt nicht auffallen, können für Bienenvölker verheerende Folgen haben.
So war mir zum Beispiel nicht klar, wie schädlich es ist, Bienenvölker durch das Land zu fahren, um sie Pflanzen bestäuben zu lassen - wie es in den USA mit den abertausenden Mandelbäumen gemacht wird, und Bienenvolkbesitzer nur davon leben, ihre Bienen "auszuleihen". Hier bekommt der Begriff "Arbeitsbiene" eine ganz neue Bedeutung, denn diese "Arbeit" ist für diese Insekten alles andere als gut. Nicht nur, dass Monokulturen kultiviert und "ortsansässige" Bienenvölker von den Arbeitsbienen verdrängt werden, auch die Arbeit an sich ist extrem anstrengend und auslaugend. Es hat einen Grund, warum immer wieder ganze Bienengenerationen in ihren Stöcken sterben, denn sie reagieren sehr sensibel auf Stress.
Aber auch die fortschreitende Umweltzerstörung, vor allem durch Bebauung, und die unsäglichen "Steingärten" machen es Bienen schwer zu überleben. Nicht nur, weil sie für Nahrung für sich und das Volk immer weiter fliegen müssen und immer weniger abbekommen, auch der Nestbau an sich wird dadurch erschwert. Ob es die riesige Bienenwabe ist, die niemand im Dach oder der Garage haben will, oder es die nicht vorhandenen Wiesen sind, in denen keine kleinen Bienennester an Grasstängeln hängen, die aus Tonschlamm gebastelt werden - denn schlammige Pfützen möchte man ja auch nicht haben. Und wo es keine passenden Böden mehr gibt, können Hummeln auch keine Erdnester mehr graben. Durch die Klimaerwärmung wachen zudem viele Hummeln und Bienen verfrüht aus ihrem Winterschlaf auf, finden zu wenig Nahrung und verhungern, oder gehen zu Grunde, weil dann eben doch nochmal ein paar kalte Tage kommen.
Ab und an schweift die Autorin ein bisschen sehr weg von den Bienen hin zur Natur, und der einen oder den anderen wird das stören - ich empfand es aber eher als Bereicherung, wenn sie von Nutz- und Blühpflanzen schreibt, vom Leben der Bäume, von Kräutern und Unkraut, oder aber von anderen Tierchen wie Motten oder Spinnen. Zum Schluss schließt sich der Kreis wieder hin zu den Bienen, und nicht ohne eines großen Bündels an Vorschlägen und Ideen, wie man seine Umgebung mit den entsprechenden Pflanzen oder anderen Maßnahmen (z. B. Patenschaften) bienenfreundlicher machen kann.
Und noch ein Pluspunkt: die wunderschönen Zeichnungen im Buch. Die geben dem Ganzen noch das I-Tüpfelchen.
August 10, 2021
Loved this book! It definitely made me appreciate bees even more and the information about the life of different species of bees was fascinating. Also brought up some important issues around wildlife protection and climate change that gave me information on how to help different types of bee populations fo survive.
Not a 5 star because it wasn’t like I couldn’t put it down. Also got a bit spiritual- tree strangeness at the end, but loved it all the same.
Not a 5 star because it wasn’t like I couldn’t put it down. Also got a bit spiritual- tree strangeness at the end, but loved it all the same.
June 14, 2019
Dancing with Bees is naturalist Brigit Strawbridge Howard's adventure into becoming reacquainted with the outdoors, inspired by the realization that she barely knew anything about bees she'd see on a day to day basis. She attempts to inspire beyond the "we need to save the bees" aphorisms by learning more about them and their importance in our world.
The book starts strongly, reading as part memoir, part nature documentary as Howard describes her major life events coupled with descriptions and facts about the various bee species she encounters in her native England. I enjoyed these early chapters, as I was engrossed in learning of bees what I, like the author, knew very little about previously. Howard takes a strong conservationist stance, preaching education and a reintroduction to nature as the main ways to stop the species and planetary rot. It's a timely message, and one that she isn't afraid to repeat throughout the book.
My interest began to flag around the 60% mark in the book, where the chapters for me began to read a bit more as journal entries. The author takes a trip to Scotland's Outer Hebrides, which occupies multiple chapters of sightseeing and general descriptions of the flora/fauna, before returning and spending the final few chapters describing native plant and tree life, and circling back to bees. I found these chapters a bit less educational, more informal, and a bit repetitive. In spite of this, I would still recommend this book as a good resource to learn more about the importance of our bee friends.
**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Chelsea Green Publishing.**
The book starts strongly, reading as part memoir, part nature documentary as Howard describes her major life events coupled with descriptions and facts about the various bee species she encounters in her native England. I enjoyed these early chapters, as I was engrossed in learning of bees what I, like the author, knew very little about previously. Howard takes a strong conservationist stance, preaching education and a reintroduction to nature as the main ways to stop the species and planetary rot. It's a timely message, and one that she isn't afraid to repeat throughout the book.
My interest began to flag around the 60% mark in the book, where the chapters for me began to read a bit more as journal entries. The author takes a trip to Scotland's Outer Hebrides, which occupies multiple chapters of sightseeing and general descriptions of the flora/fauna, before returning and spending the final few chapters describing native plant and tree life, and circling back to bees. I found these chapters a bit less educational, more informal, and a bit repetitive. In spite of this, I would still recommend this book as a good resource to learn more about the importance of our bee friends.
**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Chelsea Green Publishing.**
April 8, 2021
Book review ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 🐝 - Dancing with Bees/Brigit Strawbridge Howard 🍯
‘Once you open your eyes, heart and mind to your surroundings, you cannot help but notice what has always been here, living under your very nose, just waiting to reveal itself to you’
As addictive as honey, this book is an exquisite, detailed journey of a woman who finds herself intoxicated with the history and development of bees.
As a beginner of somebody interested in the history and development of bee keeping, I found this slightly heavy... however, it opened my eyes as to just how critical bees are, not only for our survival but also that of the ecosystem in general.
Eventually (when I have a garden)I look forward to doing my bit to helping preserve and enhance the bee population 🐝
‘Once you open your eyes, heart and mind to your surroundings, you cannot help but notice what has always been here, living under your very nose, just waiting to reveal itself to you’
As addictive as honey, this book is an exquisite, detailed journey of a woman who finds herself intoxicated with the history and development of bees.
As a beginner of somebody interested in the history and development of bee keeping, I found this slightly heavy... however, it opened my eyes as to just how critical bees are, not only for our survival but also that of the ecosystem in general.
Eventually (when I have a garden)I look forward to doing my bit to helping preserve and enhance the bee population 🐝
April 16, 2022
Classified as a memoir, “Dancing with Bees: a journey back to nature” reads more like non-fiction with little pockets of stories about the author’s life. The audiobook, read by the author in her perfectly posh British accent, could double as a mediation soundtrack. I was soothed and calmed by her details of flora and fauna. Though she focuses primarily on bees, there are whole chapters on birds, trees, and other natural beauty. Howard is awestruck by how nature perpetuates itself when left alone or helped along by humans. It was a lovely read but too long. Her garden of words could have used a little pruning.
September 6, 2020
It wasn’t quite a eureka moment, but there came a day when Brigit Strawbridge Howard realised she knew more about the French Revolution than she did about her native trees. And birds. And wildflowers. And bees. Rather than ignore it, she made a decision to find out as much as she could about these plants, animals and invertebrates that were all around her North Dorset home.
This reconnection with the natural world moved quickly from an interest to a passion as she discovered just how fortunate she was to live where she could see all manner of things around her. One creature though became a borderline obsession, the bee. Her husband is a beekeeper, so she is used to having honey bees around, but she fell in completely in love with the solitary and bumblebee species. Her enthusiasm for the bees in her garden knows no bounds and she set about planting and growing as many plants that were suitable for these pollinators.
As she discovers more about these creatures, she starts to be able to identify more and more species around her garden and in the lanes near her home, such as the buff-tailed bees, cuckoo bees and even has a trip up to the Outer Hebrides to find the Great Yellow Bumblebee on the island of Balranald. There is more to this book than just the bees though, Howard is fascinated about all shapes and sizes of wildlife and the book is as wide-ranging as it is detailed. She is rightly concerned about the effect we are having on wildlife with our blanket use of pesticides and soon realises that each species is interdependent on lots of others in the ecosystem.
It is only when we realise that we are a part of nature, rather than apart from it, and behave accordingly that real change is likely to happen.
I really liked this book, she writes with warmth and boundless enthusiasm for all of the subjects and creatures that she chooses to write about in the book. Howard goes to prove that amateur naturalism is alive and well, we just need more people to be like her, start to care about their local patch, populate their garden with plants that pollinators adore. I love the little illustration at the beginning of each chapter and scattered throughout the book, and the endpapers are gorgeous. Highly recommended.
This reconnection with the natural world moved quickly from an interest to a passion as she discovered just how fortunate she was to live where she could see all manner of things around her. One creature though became a borderline obsession, the bee. Her husband is a beekeeper, so she is used to having honey bees around, but she fell in completely in love with the solitary and bumblebee species. Her enthusiasm for the bees in her garden knows no bounds and she set about planting and growing as many plants that were suitable for these pollinators.
As she discovers more about these creatures, she starts to be able to identify more and more species around her garden and in the lanes near her home, such as the buff-tailed bees, cuckoo bees and even has a trip up to the Outer Hebrides to find the Great Yellow Bumblebee on the island of Balranald. There is more to this book than just the bees though, Howard is fascinated about all shapes and sizes of wildlife and the book is as wide-ranging as it is detailed. She is rightly concerned about the effect we are having on wildlife with our blanket use of pesticides and soon realises that each species is interdependent on lots of others in the ecosystem.
It is only when we realise that we are a part of nature, rather than apart from it, and behave accordingly that real change is likely to happen.
I really liked this book, she writes with warmth and boundless enthusiasm for all of the subjects and creatures that she chooses to write about in the book. Howard goes to prove that amateur naturalism is alive and well, we just need more people to be like her, start to care about their local patch, populate their garden with plants that pollinators adore. I love the little illustration at the beginning of each chapter and scattered throughout the book, and the endpapers are gorgeous. Highly recommended.
August 20, 2021
Subtitled 'a journey back to nature' this is an inspiring account of the author's relationship with nature, specifically bees.
Howard starts from the point of acknowledging that she had stopped noticing nature. From there she documents how she relearned a love of nature, focussing specifically on bees, and building on that love to develop her knowledge.
The book discusses issues facing bees, including colony collapse, climate change and invasive species (which can in fact include honey bees, which compete with native bumblebees and other pollinators). Changing land use is another issue that can negatively impact bee populations (writing below of potential changes to agricultural land around Sedgehill in the English county of Wiltshire):
"If farm buildings are replaced with residential buildings, some of the lingering marshy land in Sedgehill might be drained and paved over, resulting in reduced habitat for the Yellow Loosestrife bee"
Howard is passionate about valuing nature for itself:
"...it angers me, also, when people talk of 'biodiversity offsetting' as though somehow promising to plant an equal number of trees somewhere else makes it acceptable to destroy old woodlands and the ecosystems that have grown up around and within them."
The book also outlines how to help bees, including recommending some specific plants that bees love, including ivy and comfrey (which is also a great soil enricher, particularly in the form of 'comfrey tea, the making of which is described here.)
The most fascinating and inspiring element of the book though is the author's obvious love of nature and how she uses her curiosity to find out more about what she sees around her. Her close observations of a wool carder bee collecting hairs from the leaves of a lambs' ear plant are beautiful. On another occasion, she shares some of her thoughts when watching a bee: 'why does it stick its legs out like that?' This kind of curiosity is both a great way of engaging with nature, but also a real route into citizen science, which helps map which species are present where and feeds this information into conservation.
Overall, this is an inspiring book, which will make the reader look more closely at bees and consider more deeply the relationship we need to develop with nature if we are all to thrive.
Howard starts from the point of acknowledging that she had stopped noticing nature. From there she documents how she relearned a love of nature, focussing specifically on bees, and building on that love to develop her knowledge.
The book discusses issues facing bees, including colony collapse, climate change and invasive species (which can in fact include honey bees, which compete with native bumblebees and other pollinators). Changing land use is another issue that can negatively impact bee populations (writing below of potential changes to agricultural land around Sedgehill in the English county of Wiltshire):
"If farm buildings are replaced with residential buildings, some of the lingering marshy land in Sedgehill might be drained and paved over, resulting in reduced habitat for the Yellow Loosestrife bee"
Howard is passionate about valuing nature for itself:
"...it angers me, also, when people talk of 'biodiversity offsetting' as though somehow promising to plant an equal number of trees somewhere else makes it acceptable to destroy old woodlands and the ecosystems that have grown up around and within them."
The book also outlines how to help bees, including recommending some specific plants that bees love, including ivy and comfrey (which is also a great soil enricher, particularly in the form of 'comfrey tea, the making of which is described here.)
The most fascinating and inspiring element of the book though is the author's obvious love of nature and how she uses her curiosity to find out more about what she sees around her. Her close observations of a wool carder bee collecting hairs from the leaves of a lambs' ear plant are beautiful. On another occasion, she shares some of her thoughts when watching a bee: 'why does it stick its legs out like that?' This kind of curiosity is both a great way of engaging with nature, but also a real route into citizen science, which helps map which species are present where and feeds this information into conservation.
Overall, this is an inspiring book, which will make the reader look more closely at bees and consider more deeply the relationship we need to develop with nature if we are all to thrive.
April 2, 2022
Dancing with Bees is partially a memoir and partially a book with lots of wonderful knowledge about primarily bees, but also flowers, herbs, trees, birds, and other insects. Howard did a fantastic narration of her own book, and it was an absolute pleasure listening to her detailing her explorations and learning over the years. It is very obvious from her narration that she truly has a passion for bees and nature, and that made the book so much more enjoyable to listen to. I absolutely love bees and have been working on a pollinator garden in my backyard for some time now. I love to see the different bee, butterfly, and moth pollinators that come to visit my flowers. Thanks to Howard, I have learned so much about many different aspects of pollinators! I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in bees or pollinators!
June 8, 2023
I identify with the author, who reawakened to an appreciation for nature rather later in her life and has now become somewhat obsessed with a particular corner of it (bees for her, trees for me). This is not an academic bee book. Rather, it is a literary appreciation of bees as expressed by an enthusiast, filled with descriptions that are (presumably) accurate but also more artistic than most entomologists would allow themselves. There are tales of travels across the England and Scotland to see bees and birds and landscapes. It is a quite cozy discussion. I only wish it were about the bees of eastern North America, rather than the UK.
April 28, 2020
This gentle, lovely book made me feel nostalgic for my childhood, when ‘Nature Study’ was a constant joy; resonated with me through Brigit’s deep interest in wild flowers and the natural world in general, which we can so easily become detached from in our busy lives, and ignited a new obsession with the bees she is so passionate about. Each chapter can be savoured separately as a taste of her travels and everyday life, lived in appreciation of the wildlife we share our places with, and the whole is a seductive invitation to dance alongside her with her beloved bees. It’s a book that fed my soul.
October 14, 2019
Brigit launches us head first into the world of bumblebees, mason bees, mining bees and her favourite hairy footed flower bee with a mix of personal memoir and facts gleaned from experts. Few books convey the excitement of discovery and curiosity so well. Let's celebrate and investigate solitary bees, hoverflies ....... and wasps.
April 6, 2020
Beautifully written; I felt as if I was there, exploring and learning with the author. She asked herself, why, when I loved being outdoors, exploring nature, as a child, why did I completely forget about that enchantment as an adult? How did I become oblivious to the natural world?
Her gateway back into nature was bees. Not just honey bees, but the little wild bees, too. My gateway was birds, but bumblebees have always been special to me, too. Whatever wonderful beings lead you back into the forest (meadow, river, etc.) it's fun to have an enthusiastic guide helping you understand what you see.
Her gateway back into nature was bees. Not just honey bees, but the little wild bees, too. My gateway was birds, but bumblebees have always been special to me, too. Whatever wonderful beings lead you back into the forest (meadow, river, etc.) it's fun to have an enthusiastic guide helping you understand what you see.
November 23, 2022
Yazar arılara çok sonradan ilgisinin olduğunu farkeden biri.Bu konuda eğitim almamış.İlgisi onu bu konuda yavaş yavaş uzmanlığa doğru yönlendirmiş. Doğa keşfi yapıp bitkileri ve canlıları inceliyor.Kitapta arı türleri,yuva yapıları ,davranış biçimleri ve daha bir çok ayrıntıyı okuyabiliyoruz. Sadece arılarla da sınırlı kalmamış.Kuşlar,bitkiler, böcekler ve bazı hayvanlar hakkında bilgiler okuyoruz. Doğa günlüğü tadında olduğu için okurken hiç sıkılmadım. Bu muhteşem tüylü böcekler hakkında bir şeyler öğrenmek çok güzeldi. İlgililere tavsiye ederim.
January 21, 2020
I connected pretty well with the first half of this book while the focus was more on different species of bees the author encountered around her home in Great Britain and how she came to be interested in them and learn about them. Later on it starts to read more like a travelogue while she and her husband take a few months to travel, hike, birdwatch, be in nature. Meditative and somewhat informative, but lost interest about 150 pages in.
August 29, 2019
A beautiful and educational about the importance of our favorite pollinators. The author’s journey into the world of bees is inspiring and seriously relatable.
April 10, 2022
Listened to the audiobook and what a great narrator. While it was a lovely nature book, it maybe wasn't as good in audio form. Would have been nice to see pictures of the different bees.
April 23, 2021
Kaum hat man Birgit Strawbridge Howards Buch „Dancing with Bees. Meine Reise zurück zur Natur“ auf der letzten Seite zugeklappt, möchte man direkt losrennen, sich auf einer Wiese auf den Bauch legen und stundenlang die Blumen und Tiere, die dort leben, betrachten. Oder auch für ganze Stunden unter einem blühenden Baum verharren und dort das Kommen und Gehen der bestäubenden Insekten beobachten. Früher hätte ich „das Kommen und Gehen der Bienen“ geschrieben, jetzt weiß ich aber, dass auf der Erde mindestens zwanzigtausend verschiedene Bienenarten beheimatet sind und dass nicht nur Bienen und Hummeln für die Bestäubung verantwortlich sind. Dank Brigit Strawbridge Howard habe ich viele faszinierende bestäubende Insekten kennengelernt, wie die Kleine Wiesenhummel, die Frühlingspelzbiene, die Deichhummel, die Töpferwespe, die Gartenwollbiene und die absolute Lieblingsbiene der Autorin: die Zweifarbige Schneckenhaus-Mauerbiene. Auch Kuckucksbienen und Schwebfliegen, die sich als Bienen tarnen, lernte ich in „Dancing with Bees“ kennen. „Öffnet man nur Augen, Herz und Verstand für das, was einen umgibt, bemerkt man unvermeidlich, was schon immer da war, direkt vor der eigenen Nase, und darauf wartete, sich zu offenbaren.“
Als Kind hat Birgit Howard die Natur geliebt. Es gab Bäume, zu denen sie eine enge Verbindung hatte, sie legte stundenlang draußen Mandalas aus Naturschätzen und sie hatte ihre eigene Kräuterküche, in der sie stets gewerkelt hat. Sie träumte davon, im Mumintal aufzuwachen und mit den Kindern aus „Unsere kleine Farm“ in den Wäldern von Wisconsin zu leben. Auch hätte sie ihren ganzen Jahresvorrat an Brausepulver und „Black Jack“ dafür geopfert, um „nur einen Tag in die Fußstapfen des jungen Naturforschers Gerald Durrell treten zu können“. Doch im Alter von ungefähr dreizehn Jahren verlor sie ihren Anschluss an die Natur, als sie Anfing zu einer Gruppe von Mädchen zu gehören. „Ich habe mich so verzweifelt danach gesehnt, dazuzugehören, dass ich, als es endlich passierte und ich unvermittelt und wie durch ein Wunder dazugehörte, womöglich nicht anders zu reagieren wusste, als der Natur die Tür zu verschließen, ein bisschen so wie jemand, der einem ergebenen alten Freund die Tür versperrt, wenn jemand Neues und Aufregendes im Anmarsch ist.“ Birgit hörte auf, die Natur bewusst wahrzunehmen, und das dauerte so lange bis vor etwa zehn Jahren ihre über zwanzig Jahre währende erste Ehe in die Brüche ging. Zur Ruhe und zu innerem Frieden vermochte sie in dieser schweren Zeit nur mithilfe der Spaziergänge, die sie in der freien Natur unternahm, zu gelangen. Auf diese Weise begann Birgits Rückkehr zur Natur und ihr Herz sollte wieder so stark wie nie zuvor für die Umwelt schlagen. Nicht zuletzt stellte ihr das Schicksal auch schließlich einen Mann zur Seite, der als Gärtner und Imker dieselbe Leidenschaft und Liebe für die Natur empfindet. Mit ihrem zweiten Ehemann, Rob, sollte sie kleine und große Naturabenteuer erleben, von denen wir einige in ihrem Buch nachlesen können. „Je größer mein Interesse an den Bienen wurde, desto bewusster habe ich auch all jene Dinge, die in ihrem Umfeld stattfinden oder sie mit dem Netz des Lebens verbinden, wahrgenommen. Es kommt mir vor, als sei ich auf eine Reise aufgebrochen, eine Reise, die fortwährend größere Kreise zieht, an Fahrt gewinnt und […] ein Eigenleben annimmt.“
Immer wieder plädiert die Autorin für einen umweltbewussten Umgang mit der Natur und gibt uns auch die entsprechenden Tipps. Sie erklärt, wo und welche Pflanzen wir am besten anbauen sollten und welche Auswirkungen diese jeweils auf die bestehenden Bienenpopulationen haben können. Sie räumt auch mit dem großen Missverständnis auf, es wäre die Honigbiene, die wir retten müssten. Es sind die vielen Wildbienenarten, die bedroht sind. Wenn sich jemand in gutem Glauben Honigbienen zulegt, dann trägt er damit vielmehr dazu bei, die Artenvielfalt weiter zu dezimieren. Birgit Strawbridge Howards Buch „Dancing with Bees“ ist somit nicht nur ein sehr informatives Buch über die verschiedenen Bienenarten, die in Europa vorkommen, und auch nicht nur ein berührendes Bekenntnis über die individuelle Rückkehr der Autorin zur Natur, sondern vor allem auch ein wichtiger Ratgeber für so viele von uns, die durch die zunehmende Verstädterung nicht mehr viel Naturwissen haben. Deshalb zögert nicht lange, sondern kauft euch dieses wundervolle Buch und verschenkt es am besten auch weiter. „Und wenn ihr das nächste Mal eine Biene seht, vergesst nicht, ihr zu danken.“
Als Kind hat Birgit Howard die Natur geliebt. Es gab Bäume, zu denen sie eine enge Verbindung hatte, sie legte stundenlang draußen Mandalas aus Naturschätzen und sie hatte ihre eigene Kräuterküche, in der sie stets gewerkelt hat. Sie träumte davon, im Mumintal aufzuwachen und mit den Kindern aus „Unsere kleine Farm“ in den Wäldern von Wisconsin zu leben. Auch hätte sie ihren ganzen Jahresvorrat an Brausepulver und „Black Jack“ dafür geopfert, um „nur einen Tag in die Fußstapfen des jungen Naturforschers Gerald Durrell treten zu können“. Doch im Alter von ungefähr dreizehn Jahren verlor sie ihren Anschluss an die Natur, als sie Anfing zu einer Gruppe von Mädchen zu gehören. „Ich habe mich so verzweifelt danach gesehnt, dazuzugehören, dass ich, als es endlich passierte und ich unvermittelt und wie durch ein Wunder dazugehörte, womöglich nicht anders zu reagieren wusste, als der Natur die Tür zu verschließen, ein bisschen so wie jemand, der einem ergebenen alten Freund die Tür versperrt, wenn jemand Neues und Aufregendes im Anmarsch ist.“ Birgit hörte auf, die Natur bewusst wahrzunehmen, und das dauerte so lange bis vor etwa zehn Jahren ihre über zwanzig Jahre währende erste Ehe in die Brüche ging. Zur Ruhe und zu innerem Frieden vermochte sie in dieser schweren Zeit nur mithilfe der Spaziergänge, die sie in der freien Natur unternahm, zu gelangen. Auf diese Weise begann Birgits Rückkehr zur Natur und ihr Herz sollte wieder so stark wie nie zuvor für die Umwelt schlagen. Nicht zuletzt stellte ihr das Schicksal auch schließlich einen Mann zur Seite, der als Gärtner und Imker dieselbe Leidenschaft und Liebe für die Natur empfindet. Mit ihrem zweiten Ehemann, Rob, sollte sie kleine und große Naturabenteuer erleben, von denen wir einige in ihrem Buch nachlesen können. „Je größer mein Interesse an den Bienen wurde, desto bewusster habe ich auch all jene Dinge, die in ihrem Umfeld stattfinden oder sie mit dem Netz des Lebens verbinden, wahrgenommen. Es kommt mir vor, als sei ich auf eine Reise aufgebrochen, eine Reise, die fortwährend größere Kreise zieht, an Fahrt gewinnt und […] ein Eigenleben annimmt.“
Immer wieder plädiert die Autorin für einen umweltbewussten Umgang mit der Natur und gibt uns auch die entsprechenden Tipps. Sie erklärt, wo und welche Pflanzen wir am besten anbauen sollten und welche Auswirkungen diese jeweils auf die bestehenden Bienenpopulationen haben können. Sie räumt auch mit dem großen Missverständnis auf, es wäre die Honigbiene, die wir retten müssten. Es sind die vielen Wildbienenarten, die bedroht sind. Wenn sich jemand in gutem Glauben Honigbienen zulegt, dann trägt er damit vielmehr dazu bei, die Artenvielfalt weiter zu dezimieren. Birgit Strawbridge Howards Buch „Dancing with Bees“ ist somit nicht nur ein sehr informatives Buch über die verschiedenen Bienenarten, die in Europa vorkommen, und auch nicht nur ein berührendes Bekenntnis über die individuelle Rückkehr der Autorin zur Natur, sondern vor allem auch ein wichtiger Ratgeber für so viele von uns, die durch die zunehmende Verstädterung nicht mehr viel Naturwissen haben. Deshalb zögert nicht lange, sondern kauft euch dieses wundervolle Buch und verschenkt es am besten auch weiter. „Und wenn ihr das nächste Mal eine Biene seht, vergesst nicht, ihr zu danken.“
April 4, 2022
Dancing with Bees written by naturalist and wild life gardener, Brigit Strawbridge Howard, is a beautiful book with enchanting watercolour illustrations throughout by John Walters.
This is a book about awakening to the miracles of the natural world around us; learning about wildlife from wildlife itself; and becoming familiar with the native bees that visit our gardens and local landscapes. It is also about raising awareness to the plight of our pollinators currently under threat from the ravages of pesticides, herbicides and insecticides resulting from widespread use by industrial farming, councils and gardeners across the country. Whilst applauding projects that support nature such as rewilding the land, protecting forests and saving endangered species, Brigit brings to light issues that we may not be aware of (or turn a blind eye to) as a means to help us understand and appreciate the delicate balance between nature, our well being and the food we eat.
These important facts and observations do not in any way overshadow the love story that unfolds between Brigit and the bees she so carefully studies with such tenderness and affection, having rediscovered her connection with nature and having made a commitment to nurture this new awakening and help it to grow. It started with an awareness of bees and the discovery that there are at least twenty five thousand different species of bee. This staggering amount was a surprise to me as well, and even more surprisingly, within this figure, there are only 9 types of honey bee, around 250 bumblebees, 500 or so sting-less bees and a greater number of solitary bees.
Embarking on her studies, Brigit found that in some cases, it could take a whole day to identify one single bee and so a deep dive into biological taxonomy followed. Here we learn much about the way species are categorised, providing a fascinating insight into the meaning of names given to different species and how they are broken down and organised. Drilling down to the minutiae of every single bee, however, proved to be a somewhat laborious task and another more immediate and satisfying solution for bee identification came to the fore.
This was the discovery of Twitter and creating an account @B_Strawbridge where Brigit started to connect with other bee enthusiasts who were in the practice of sharing images and information, particularly when a new unidentified bee species cropped up. It led to learning about new ways to recognise different species with clues such as time of year, habitat and flowering plants in the vicinity which made it much easier to narrow down the search. It also added another dimension of enjoyment to the learning process, and certainly, with twenty five thousand different species to discover, you can never stop learning about bees.
And so we can learn much about bees as bee lovers when we read this book as well as a wealth of information about other pollinators, wildlife and wild plants which all contribute to the world of bees and demonstrate the incredible connectedness in nature and how different species support and compliment each other. There are many wonderful observations and stories which you can glean from the enchanting chapter headings such as Bees Behaving Badly, The Cabin by the Stream, To Bee or not to Bee, In Praise of Trees, Time for Tea and Cotton Weavers.
I had never heard of Cotton Weaver bees before (there are so many discoveries to be made on every page) and found myself falling in love - and who wouldn't when you read these words: 'A beautiful Wool Carder female beings to 'card' the silken hairs of her chosen leaf ... harvesting the fine, soft-downy hairs with which they line their nests ... I watch, entranced, relishing every single last second until she gathers her little ball of fluff and flies home, her prize safely secured in her jaws.'
Magical, enchanting, factual and fascinating, this labour of love is a wonderful introduction to the smallest wild creatures and how you can bring them into your world.
This is a book about awakening to the miracles of the natural world around us; learning about wildlife from wildlife itself; and becoming familiar with the native bees that visit our gardens and local landscapes. It is also about raising awareness to the plight of our pollinators currently under threat from the ravages of pesticides, herbicides and insecticides resulting from widespread use by industrial farming, councils and gardeners across the country. Whilst applauding projects that support nature such as rewilding the land, protecting forests and saving endangered species, Brigit brings to light issues that we may not be aware of (or turn a blind eye to) as a means to help us understand and appreciate the delicate balance between nature, our well being and the food we eat.
These important facts and observations do not in any way overshadow the love story that unfolds between Brigit and the bees she so carefully studies with such tenderness and affection, having rediscovered her connection with nature and having made a commitment to nurture this new awakening and help it to grow. It started with an awareness of bees and the discovery that there are at least twenty five thousand different species of bee. This staggering amount was a surprise to me as well, and even more surprisingly, within this figure, there are only 9 types of honey bee, around 250 bumblebees, 500 or so sting-less bees and a greater number of solitary bees.
Embarking on her studies, Brigit found that in some cases, it could take a whole day to identify one single bee and so a deep dive into biological taxonomy followed. Here we learn much about the way species are categorised, providing a fascinating insight into the meaning of names given to different species and how they are broken down and organised. Drilling down to the minutiae of every single bee, however, proved to be a somewhat laborious task and another more immediate and satisfying solution for bee identification came to the fore.
This was the discovery of Twitter and creating an account @B_Strawbridge where Brigit started to connect with other bee enthusiasts who were in the practice of sharing images and information, particularly when a new unidentified bee species cropped up. It led to learning about new ways to recognise different species with clues such as time of year, habitat and flowering plants in the vicinity which made it much easier to narrow down the search. It also added another dimension of enjoyment to the learning process, and certainly, with twenty five thousand different species to discover, you can never stop learning about bees.
And so we can learn much about bees as bee lovers when we read this book as well as a wealth of information about other pollinators, wildlife and wild plants which all contribute to the world of bees and demonstrate the incredible connectedness in nature and how different species support and compliment each other. There are many wonderful observations and stories which you can glean from the enchanting chapter headings such as Bees Behaving Badly, The Cabin by the Stream, To Bee or not to Bee, In Praise of Trees, Time for Tea and Cotton Weavers.
I had never heard of Cotton Weaver bees before (there are so many discoveries to be made on every page) and found myself falling in love - and who wouldn't when you read these words: 'A beautiful Wool Carder female beings to 'card' the silken hairs of her chosen leaf ... harvesting the fine, soft-downy hairs with which they line their nests ... I watch, entranced, relishing every single last second until she gathers her little ball of fluff and flies home, her prize safely secured in her jaws.'
Magical, enchanting, factual and fascinating, this labour of love is a wonderful introduction to the smallest wild creatures and how you can bring them into your world.
June 3, 2020
(I bought this book direct from the author)
Review by Robin Walter (May 2020)
This book is a delightful insight into a hidden world. We are all familiar with bees buzzing around and may know something of their elegant social organisation, but I was amazed by Brigit’s lucid descriptions of the extraordinary diversity of bees, just in this country, of the very different lives they lead, and of the challenges they all face.
“How had I fallen so out of touch with the natural world...?” she asks in the preface. This is a key question for all of us. As an arborist and forester, I have had a rather technical and practical relationship with the natural world, grappling with trees and woods, albeit with good intentions. In this book we are led on ‘A Journey Back To Nature’, back to quiet observation with no ulterior motives. It is at once relaxing and exciting to be in nature as witness and explorer.
One theme throughout the book is Brigit’s constant quest for knowledge. The book begins with her realisation that she had stopped noticing the natural world around her, followed by a resolution to find her way back to an understanding of nature. So with each bee encounter there is careful recording, looking up in reference books, and appeals to the wonderful online bee community (never knew there was such a thing!), who fed back identifications and explanations. So I too now find myself stopping to examine little buzzers flitting around our flowerbeds, noting their markings, their feeding habits, their characters.
Another strong theme of the book is just how much influence these modest insects have on the natural world and, by extension, our own lives. It is only by watching bees and other insects visiting flower after flower, hour after hour, day after day, that you realise the mind-boggling enormity of the task of pollinating the flowers, trees and crops around us. Of course I ‘knew’ they did this, but somehow reading a detailed account of exactly how they did this revealed another stratum of nature which I too had ignored.
I had been to one of Brigit’s excellent bee talks in Shaftesbury Town Hall, so I already had a glimpse of some of the species she introduces in more detail in the book. Indeed, seeing the different bees described in close-up slides was a real treat, something you cannot get from a guide book or website.
The only reason I am giving the book 4 stars instead of 5 is because I sorely missed having more pictures. Brigit singles out a distinguishing feature for each bee – a moustache or a marking – and gives each one character. It would have been useful to have this reflected in a colour guide to the bees mentioned. I did refer to my Collins handbook of insects, but was soon overwhelmed.
Still, at least I was inspired to look more closely by this unique book.
Review by Robin Walter (May 2020)
This book is a delightful insight into a hidden world. We are all familiar with bees buzzing around and may know something of their elegant social organisation, but I was amazed by Brigit’s lucid descriptions of the extraordinary diversity of bees, just in this country, of the very different lives they lead, and of the challenges they all face.
“How had I fallen so out of touch with the natural world...?” she asks in the preface. This is a key question for all of us. As an arborist and forester, I have had a rather technical and practical relationship with the natural world, grappling with trees and woods, albeit with good intentions. In this book we are led on ‘A Journey Back To Nature’, back to quiet observation with no ulterior motives. It is at once relaxing and exciting to be in nature as witness and explorer.
One theme throughout the book is Brigit’s constant quest for knowledge. The book begins with her realisation that she had stopped noticing the natural world around her, followed by a resolution to find her way back to an understanding of nature. So with each bee encounter there is careful recording, looking up in reference books, and appeals to the wonderful online bee community (never knew there was such a thing!), who fed back identifications and explanations. So I too now find myself stopping to examine little buzzers flitting around our flowerbeds, noting their markings, their feeding habits, their characters.
Another strong theme of the book is just how much influence these modest insects have on the natural world and, by extension, our own lives. It is only by watching bees and other insects visiting flower after flower, hour after hour, day after day, that you realise the mind-boggling enormity of the task of pollinating the flowers, trees and crops around us. Of course I ‘knew’ they did this, but somehow reading a detailed account of exactly how they did this revealed another stratum of nature which I too had ignored.
I had been to one of Brigit’s excellent bee talks in Shaftesbury Town Hall, so I already had a glimpse of some of the species she introduces in more detail in the book. Indeed, seeing the different bees described in close-up slides was a real treat, something you cannot get from a guide book or website.
The only reason I am giving the book 4 stars instead of 5 is because I sorely missed having more pictures. Brigit singles out a distinguishing feature for each bee – a moustache or a marking – and gives each one character. It would have been useful to have this reflected in a colour guide to the bees mentioned. I did refer to my Collins handbook of insects, but was soon overwhelmed.
Still, at least I was inspired to look more closely by this unique book.
May 3, 2021
Begeisternde Einblicke in die Welt der Bienen - phasenweise etwas länglich
Brigit Strawbridge Howard ist eine begeisterte Bienenliebhaberin. Mit einem sehr authentischen Stil nimmt sie die Leser dieses Buches mit in ihren Alltag als Laienforscherin. Ähnlich einem Tagebuch beschreibt sie ihre Beobachtungen über die faszinierende Welt der Bienen, die verschiedenen Arten, ihr Aussehen, ihr Verhalten und auf welchen Pflanzen sie sich am liebsten aufhalten. Dies tut sie in ihrem ganz eigenen Stil fast kindlicher Begeisterung. Häufig werden Tiere und Pflanzen dabei auch etwas vermenschlicht.
Meine Bewertung dieses Buches fällt etwas zwiespältig aus. Vieles von dem, was ich darin über Bienen lesen konnte, war sehr interessant und meistenteils auch sehr neu für mich. Beispielsweise, wie Bienen, Wespen, Hummeln und Schwebfliegen zusammengehören oder wie viele verschiedene Lebensweisen es bei den Bienen gibt. Auch die Begeisterung der Autorin, die das Buch durchzieht, hat dazu geführt, dass ich diese Insekten um mich herum nun viel bewusster und interessierter wahrnehme. Dazu kommt, dass das Buch sehr schön aufgemacht ist, mit schönem Papier, schöner Schrift und sehr schönen Zeichnungen. Diese positiven Aspekte hatten aber auch eine Kehrseite, die dazu führte, dass ich das Buch ab etwa der Hälfte immer weniger begeistert gelesen habe. Als etwas nervig empfand ich nach einiger Zeit die doch sehr kindlich-naive Begeisterung der Autorin, durch die sie Tiere (und teilweise sogar Pflanzen) sehr vermenschlicht darstellt. Und obwohl sehr viele, für mich neue Informationen über die Bienen in dem Buch stehen, waren diese doch zum Teil sehr versteckt in eher längeren, tagebuchartigen Beschreibungen von Landschaften, Pflanzen und der Suche nach bestimmten Bienenarten. Diese Passagen hätten nach meinem Empfinden deutlich gekürzt werden können. Trotz der sehr schön gemalten Zeichnungen, hätte ich mich gewünscht, dass das Buch mit Fotos ausgestattet gewesen wäre. Ich habe es mir mit der Zeit zur Gewohnheit gemacht, die Fotos von beschriebenen Pflanzen und Bienenarten im Internet zu recherchieren, um mir ein besseres Bild machen zu können. Denn Namen wie Sandwespe, Hasenglöckchen oder Sternmiere haben mir doch überwiegend nichts gesagt, so dass allein durch das Lesen bei mir häufig kein Bild von den Beschreibungen der Flora und Fauna entstand.
Mein Fazit daher: Ich bin froh, dass ich das Buch lesen durfte, weil es mir viele neue interessante Informationen über Bienen und einen neuen Blick auf diese Insekten vermittelt hat. Das Wie hätte aus meiner Sicht etwas anders ausfallen können. Es ist aber die authentische Art der Autorin, die hier nicht immer vollständig zu meiner eher faktenorientierten naturwissenschaftlichen Art gepasst hat. Andere mögen das anders empfinden.
Brigit Strawbridge Howard ist eine begeisterte Bienenliebhaberin. Mit einem sehr authentischen Stil nimmt sie die Leser dieses Buches mit in ihren Alltag als Laienforscherin. Ähnlich einem Tagebuch beschreibt sie ihre Beobachtungen über die faszinierende Welt der Bienen, die verschiedenen Arten, ihr Aussehen, ihr Verhalten und auf welchen Pflanzen sie sich am liebsten aufhalten. Dies tut sie in ihrem ganz eigenen Stil fast kindlicher Begeisterung. Häufig werden Tiere und Pflanzen dabei auch etwas vermenschlicht.
Meine Bewertung dieses Buches fällt etwas zwiespältig aus. Vieles von dem, was ich darin über Bienen lesen konnte, war sehr interessant und meistenteils auch sehr neu für mich. Beispielsweise, wie Bienen, Wespen, Hummeln und Schwebfliegen zusammengehören oder wie viele verschiedene Lebensweisen es bei den Bienen gibt. Auch die Begeisterung der Autorin, die das Buch durchzieht, hat dazu geführt, dass ich diese Insekten um mich herum nun viel bewusster und interessierter wahrnehme. Dazu kommt, dass das Buch sehr schön aufgemacht ist, mit schönem Papier, schöner Schrift und sehr schönen Zeichnungen. Diese positiven Aspekte hatten aber auch eine Kehrseite, die dazu führte, dass ich das Buch ab etwa der Hälfte immer weniger begeistert gelesen habe. Als etwas nervig empfand ich nach einiger Zeit die doch sehr kindlich-naive Begeisterung der Autorin, durch die sie Tiere (und teilweise sogar Pflanzen) sehr vermenschlicht darstellt. Und obwohl sehr viele, für mich neue Informationen über die Bienen in dem Buch stehen, waren diese doch zum Teil sehr versteckt in eher längeren, tagebuchartigen Beschreibungen von Landschaften, Pflanzen und der Suche nach bestimmten Bienenarten. Diese Passagen hätten nach meinem Empfinden deutlich gekürzt werden können. Trotz der sehr schön gemalten Zeichnungen, hätte ich mich gewünscht, dass das Buch mit Fotos ausgestattet gewesen wäre. Ich habe es mir mit der Zeit zur Gewohnheit gemacht, die Fotos von beschriebenen Pflanzen und Bienenarten im Internet zu recherchieren, um mir ein besseres Bild machen zu können. Denn Namen wie Sandwespe, Hasenglöckchen oder Sternmiere haben mir doch überwiegend nichts gesagt, so dass allein durch das Lesen bei mir häufig kein Bild von den Beschreibungen der Flora und Fauna entstand.
Mein Fazit daher: Ich bin froh, dass ich das Buch lesen durfte, weil es mir viele neue interessante Informationen über Bienen und einen neuen Blick auf diese Insekten vermittelt hat. Das Wie hätte aus meiner Sicht etwas anders ausfallen können. Es ist aber die authentische Art der Autorin, die hier nicht immer vollständig zu meiner eher faktenorientierten naturwissenschaftlichen Art gepasst hat. Andere mögen das anders empfinden.
May 17, 2021
Brigit Strawbridge Howard liebt Bienen und Hummeln. Da sie ihr am Herzen liegen, hat sie ein Sachbuch geschrieben, um Lesern für die Situation der Bienen und Insekten allgemein zu sensibilisieren. Dabei schärft sie allgemein den Blick für die Natur. Sie schreibt leidenschaftlich, jedoch nie belehrend.
Mein Verhältnis zu Bienen war in meiner Kindheit noch sehr durchwachsen. Ich hatte gewisse Sorgen gestochen zu werden und wie genau Bienen kommunizieren/tänzeln, hatte meinen Lehrer brennend interessiert, mich leider so gar nicht. Aber seitdem hat sich einiges geändert. Insektenhotels und Wildblumen gibt es auf unserem Grundstück zuhauf und ich bin nun wirklich interessiert. Daher musste ich das Buch lesen und ich habe es auch nicht bereut. Die Autorin beschreibt sehr leidenschaftlich alles was sie entdeckt hat, wie sie sich entwickelt und weitergebildet hat und vermittelt immer wieder Dinge, die man auch selbst nachmachen und umsetzen kann. Das erfolgt ohne erhobenen Zeigefinger, sondern vielmehr als Anregung was möglich ist. Oft weckt die Autorin beim Leser einfach nur Interesse und will man ebenfalls gewisse Bienen und Hummeln versuchen zu beobachten, so muss man vielleicht dieses oder jenes noch nachholen. Mit ihren Erzählungen, die sich allgemein mit der Natur beschäftigen hat mich die Autorin erreicht und gleichzeitig noch Wissen vermittelt – nur eben nicht so trocken, wie ich das teils aus der Schule kannte.
Zwischendurch gab es die eine oder andere Länge, gerade die Landschaftsbeschreibungen wurden mit irgendwann einfach ein bisschen zu viel, auch wenn sie an sich gelungen waren. Auch so hatte ich gegen Ende das Gefühl das sich das eine oder andere wiederholt hat. Die Autorin, die auch Einblicke in ihre Persönlichkeit gibt, erstellt Zusammenhänge und macht diese verständlich.
Auch schön: Selbst wenn man, wie die Autorin, irgendwann einmal den Bezug der Natur etwas verloren hat, so kann man sich jederzeit wieder dafür interessieren und etwas bewirken. Die Autorin selbst ist das beste Beispiel.
Die enthaltenen Zeichnungen sind sehr schön und auf jeden Fall ein Pluspunkt, jedoch hätte ich es besser gefunden, wenn es auch das eine oder andere Foto gegeben hätte. Nicht nur von den verschiedenen Bienenarten, sondern auch von den beschriebenen Landschaften.
Besonders passend bei diesem Buch ist, dass es klimapositiv hergestellt und ohne Plastik ausgeliefert wird. Wer ein gewisses Interesse für das Thema mitbringt, ist mit diesem Buch sehr gut beraten.
Mein Verhältnis zu Bienen war in meiner Kindheit noch sehr durchwachsen. Ich hatte gewisse Sorgen gestochen zu werden und wie genau Bienen kommunizieren/tänzeln, hatte meinen Lehrer brennend interessiert, mich leider so gar nicht. Aber seitdem hat sich einiges geändert. Insektenhotels und Wildblumen gibt es auf unserem Grundstück zuhauf und ich bin nun wirklich interessiert. Daher musste ich das Buch lesen und ich habe es auch nicht bereut. Die Autorin beschreibt sehr leidenschaftlich alles was sie entdeckt hat, wie sie sich entwickelt und weitergebildet hat und vermittelt immer wieder Dinge, die man auch selbst nachmachen und umsetzen kann. Das erfolgt ohne erhobenen Zeigefinger, sondern vielmehr als Anregung was möglich ist. Oft weckt die Autorin beim Leser einfach nur Interesse und will man ebenfalls gewisse Bienen und Hummeln versuchen zu beobachten, so muss man vielleicht dieses oder jenes noch nachholen. Mit ihren Erzählungen, die sich allgemein mit der Natur beschäftigen hat mich die Autorin erreicht und gleichzeitig noch Wissen vermittelt – nur eben nicht so trocken, wie ich das teils aus der Schule kannte.
Zwischendurch gab es die eine oder andere Länge, gerade die Landschaftsbeschreibungen wurden mit irgendwann einfach ein bisschen zu viel, auch wenn sie an sich gelungen waren. Auch so hatte ich gegen Ende das Gefühl das sich das eine oder andere wiederholt hat. Die Autorin, die auch Einblicke in ihre Persönlichkeit gibt, erstellt Zusammenhänge und macht diese verständlich.
Auch schön: Selbst wenn man, wie die Autorin, irgendwann einmal den Bezug der Natur etwas verloren hat, so kann man sich jederzeit wieder dafür interessieren und etwas bewirken. Die Autorin selbst ist das beste Beispiel.
Die enthaltenen Zeichnungen sind sehr schön und auf jeden Fall ein Pluspunkt, jedoch hätte ich es besser gefunden, wenn es auch das eine oder andere Foto gegeben hätte. Nicht nur von den verschiedenen Bienenarten, sondern auch von den beschriebenen Landschaften.
Besonders passend bei diesem Buch ist, dass es klimapositiv hergestellt und ohne Plastik ausgeliefert wird. Wer ein gewisses Interesse für das Thema mitbringt, ist mit diesem Buch sehr gut beraten.
May 4, 2021
Die Natur wahrnehmen und die Umwelt retten - Dancing with Bees
DANCING WITH BEES, MEINE REISE ZURÜCK ZUR NATUR - VON BIRGIT STRAWBRIDGE HOWARD
Ich fand das Buch ansprechend gestaltet. Vor allem das Cover hat mich angelächelt und auch die Illustrationen im Buch waren sehr schön. Ich war anfangs sehr begeistert, da ich viel Neues gelernt habe und das Buch auf jeden Fall zum Nachdenken anregt. Jedoch hat es sich für mich mit der Zeit sehr eintönig angefühlt und dadurch leider langweilig.
Worum geht es?
Birgit Howard nimmt einen mit auf eine Reise durch die Natur. Vor allem auf eine Reise durch die Bienenwelt. Sie zeigt bzw. erklärt einem unterschiedliche Arten von Bienen, Hummeln, etc. und geht darauf ein, wie man die kleinen Helferlein schützen und unterstützen kann. Außerdem spricht sie darüber, wie man die Welt um sich herum wieder bewusster wahrnehmen kann, da vielen dieses Gefühl irgendwo auf ihrem Weg verloren geht.
Wie hat mir der Inhalt gefallen?
Ich fand die Erklärungen, die Howard hier gebracht hat wirklich interessant. Ich habe viel dazugelernt und war erstaunt, wie viele kleine Helferlein es gibt. Jedoch zieht sich das über mehr als 300 Seiten. Und das war mir dann einfach zu lang. Irgendwann haben sich die Erklärungen geähnelt und ich hatte das Gefühl, dass sich die Autorin oft wiederholt. Und das war dann etwas schade, da es mir mit ca. 150 aber dem gleichen Inhalt richtig gut gefallen hätte.
Aber so habe ich mich leider immer wieder gefragt wie viele Seiten sind es denn jetzt noch?
Empfehlung
Ich kann das Buch wirklich empfehlen wenn man Lust auf eine Ausführliche Beschreibung zur Natur und zu Bienen haben will. Und das nicht ganz trocken, sondern gespickt mit weisen Überlegungen und interessanten Aussagen. Ich empfehle das Buch vor allem, wenn man gerne länger an einem Ratgeber liest und diesen nicht innerhalb kurzer Zeit lesen will.
Daher gebe ich leider nur 2/5 Sternen.
[unbezahlte Werbung - Rezensionsexemplar]
DANCING WITH BEES, MEINE REISE ZURÜCK ZUR NATUR - VON BIRGIT STRAWBRIDGE HOWARD
Ich fand das Buch ansprechend gestaltet. Vor allem das Cover hat mich angelächelt und auch die Illustrationen im Buch waren sehr schön. Ich war anfangs sehr begeistert, da ich viel Neues gelernt habe und das Buch auf jeden Fall zum Nachdenken anregt. Jedoch hat es sich für mich mit der Zeit sehr eintönig angefühlt und dadurch leider langweilig.
Worum geht es?
Birgit Howard nimmt einen mit auf eine Reise durch die Natur. Vor allem auf eine Reise durch die Bienenwelt. Sie zeigt bzw. erklärt einem unterschiedliche Arten von Bienen, Hummeln, etc. und geht darauf ein, wie man die kleinen Helferlein schützen und unterstützen kann. Außerdem spricht sie darüber, wie man die Welt um sich herum wieder bewusster wahrnehmen kann, da vielen dieses Gefühl irgendwo auf ihrem Weg verloren geht.
Wie hat mir der Inhalt gefallen?
Ich fand die Erklärungen, die Howard hier gebracht hat wirklich interessant. Ich habe viel dazugelernt und war erstaunt, wie viele kleine Helferlein es gibt. Jedoch zieht sich das über mehr als 300 Seiten. Und das war mir dann einfach zu lang. Irgendwann haben sich die Erklärungen geähnelt und ich hatte das Gefühl, dass sich die Autorin oft wiederholt. Und das war dann etwas schade, da es mir mit ca. 150 aber dem gleichen Inhalt richtig gut gefallen hätte.
Aber so habe ich mich leider immer wieder gefragt wie viele Seiten sind es denn jetzt noch?
Empfehlung
Ich kann das Buch wirklich empfehlen wenn man Lust auf eine Ausführliche Beschreibung zur Natur und zu Bienen haben will. Und das nicht ganz trocken, sondern gespickt mit weisen Überlegungen und interessanten Aussagen. Ich empfehle das Buch vor allem, wenn man gerne länger an einem Ratgeber liest und diesen nicht innerhalb kurzer Zeit lesen will.
Daher gebe ich leider nur 2/5 Sternen.
[unbezahlte Werbung - Rezensionsexemplar]
March 16, 2020
It’s taken me ages to read this book, not because It’s an arduous read or I’m a slow reader, but because I’ve been poring over the words and descriptions, re-reading sections, immersing myself.
I met Brigit at a Triodos conference in Bristol over a decade ago when this book was first brewing, and I have followed her journey with interest ever since.
If you let the words in, take time to ponder, you can have your own ‘journey back to nature’. All you need is the willingness to take the first step outside and the time to look, and listen. To really look, to really listen, to be absorbed in the natural world which we are all a part of.
Whether Brigit is writing about birds and bees in the Western Isles, on her allotment, or in the Malvern hills, her writing is suffused with her joy and delight in the natural world. You can’t help but be captivated. You will learn a lot, no doubt, but this is not a dry scientific paper, this book is the lived reality of re-discovering nature.
“Since rediscovering the awe and wonder I felt for the natural world as a child, I have been blessed with the ability to see miracles in everything around me, every single day, no matter what horribleness is happening in my world or the wider world, I feel blessed in the knowledge that I can find solace, refuge strength and joy in an instant, just by stepping outside.”
I hope you re-discover your wild too. This book is a gem and along with the delightful drawings by John Walters makes as fantastic treasure as you can find.
I met Brigit at a Triodos conference in Bristol over a decade ago when this book was first brewing, and I have followed her journey with interest ever since.
If you let the words in, take time to ponder, you can have your own ‘journey back to nature’. All you need is the willingness to take the first step outside and the time to look, and listen. To really look, to really listen, to be absorbed in the natural world which we are all a part of.
Whether Brigit is writing about birds and bees in the Western Isles, on her allotment, or in the Malvern hills, her writing is suffused with her joy and delight in the natural world. You can’t help but be captivated. You will learn a lot, no doubt, but this is not a dry scientific paper, this book is the lived reality of re-discovering nature.
“Since rediscovering the awe and wonder I felt for the natural world as a child, I have been blessed with the ability to see miracles in everything around me, every single day, no matter what horribleness is happening in my world or the wider world, I feel blessed in the knowledge that I can find solace, refuge strength and joy in an instant, just by stepping outside.”
I hope you re-discover your wild too. This book is a gem and along with the delightful drawings by John Walters makes as fantastic treasure as you can find.
March 28, 2022
An interesting book on Bees and the things that impact them. Howard starts from the point of acknowledging that she had stopped noticing nature. From there she documents how she relearned a love of nature, focusing specifically on bees, and building on that love to develop her knowledge. The book discusses issues facing bees, including colony collapse, climate change and invasive species (which can in fact include honey bees, which compete with native bumblebees and other pollinators). Changing land use is another issue that can negatively impact bee populations (writing below of potential changes to agricultural land around Sedgehill in the English county of Wiltshire). Referencing what happens in the US with bee pollinating in California of the Almond crops with trucks moving the bees around for pollination. The book also outlines how to help bees, including recommending some specific plants that bees love. The most fascinating and inspiring element of the book though is the author's obvious love of nature and how she uses her curiosity to find out more about what she sees around her. Her close observations of a wool carder bee collecting hairs from the leaves of a lambs' ear plant are beautiful. The kind of curiosity the author reflects is both a great way of engaging with nature, but also a real route into citizen science, which helps map which species are present where and feeds this information into conservation.
Thank you to the author, Netgalley and the publisher.
Thank you to the author, Netgalley and the publisher.
April 6, 2022
A quaint and charming memoir on how the author reconnected with nature using bees as her tour guide.
Dancing With Bees explores the charming way one woman fell back into a committed relationship (her words) with nature after realising she knew nothing about her local flora and fauna.
This audiobook was beautifully narrated by the author and the joy and excitement about the subject manner is plain to hear.
While I loved learning about bees, especially solitary bees, it was the reason I picked this book up.
I wasn't really a fan of the authors day to day life, it felt less like a memoir and more like some quick antidotes you'd tell a friend. "Oh the seed packets I ordered in the mail arrived on the 9th. I'm unsure if I'll have space on my allotment for all of them,"
It also was extremely UK centred and I understand I'm probably not her target audience and UK residents probably are, the tips for looking after native bees were unusable for me and the climate my native bees live in.
Ultimately I think I went into this book expecting more bee facts and more introspection on our relationship with nature. I think this is overall a relaxing and quaint book that fills a niche.
Thank you Chelsea Green Audio and NetGalley for an Audio ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Dancing With Bees explores the charming way one woman fell back into a committed relationship (her words) with nature after realising she knew nothing about her local flora and fauna.
This audiobook was beautifully narrated by the author and the joy and excitement about the subject manner is plain to hear.
While I loved learning about bees, especially solitary bees, it was the reason I picked this book up.
I wasn't really a fan of the authors day to day life, it felt less like a memoir and more like some quick antidotes you'd tell a friend. "Oh the seed packets I ordered in the mail arrived on the 9th. I'm unsure if I'll have space on my allotment for all of them,"
It also was extremely UK centred and I understand I'm probably not her target audience and UK residents probably are, the tips for looking after native bees were unusable for me and the climate my native bees live in.
Ultimately I think I went into this book expecting more bee facts and more introspection on our relationship with nature. I think this is overall a relaxing and quaint book that fills a niche.
Thank you Chelsea Green Audio and NetGalley for an Audio ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
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