Anja Murray: Count down to spring with nature-themed books
One of the best things about long winter evenings is the excuse to spend hours on end absorbed in reading good books: get stuck into these seven environment and nature-related reads
It’s January. While the winter solstice has passed and we know that the days are gradually growing longer, there is still a while to wait for the energy of spring and the longer evenings that entice us to the outdoors more.
But there is always a silver lining, and for me, one of the best things about long winter evenings is the excuse to spend hours on end absorbed in reading good books. So here I’m sharing seven of my favourite environment and nature-related reads of the past few months, five Irish books and three international titles.
Colm O’ Regan has managed an unlikely combination of comedy and climate action with (Harper Collins Ireland 2022).
His narrative is engrossing, warm and humorous. In the opening pages Colm declares himself as a regular person without notions or expertise, neither a ‘spokesperson’ nor even a ‘Good Enough Person’ with any right to judge anyone else about their climate credentials, or lack of.
This book is entirely free of blame or guilt — a masterpiece of colourful writing that is a delight to read. He talks about the familiar domestic landscape of rural Ireland, evenings out searching for cows that escaped the fence over into Mary’s bog, painting gates, picking stones and cutting thistles.
Reading this book I found myself laughing out loud about silage and dung beetles. And yes. It is actually a book about ‘the whole planet being on fire thing’.
For a visual feast... photographer Tina Claffey recently published (Currach Books 2022).
Ireland’s peat bogs are extraordinary in so many ways: for the strange things adapted to live in such challenging conditions and the incredible capacity of living bog to preserve things over time. These are the same qualities that make peat bogs such enormous stores of carbon.
In this photographic account, wondrous details of the anatomy of plants and animals living in peat bogs are exposed in all their glory. Using macro lenses, small details are enlarged to reveal patterns of enchanting beauty.
We can look up close at the glistening tentacles of insect-eating sundew plants; geometric patterns of sphagnum moss; stunning design and colour combinations on shield bugs. This book will be sure to deepen your perspective on the curiosities of Ireland’s peat bogs.
I’ve written here before about Eoghan Daltun’s recent publication: (Hachette UK, 2022) which tells an absorbing personal story about the author’s restoration of a native woodland on the Beara peninsula in West Cork.
Combining personal journey with a perfectly told history of Irish woodlands, the plants and animals who inhabit them, and the challenges of restoring these incredible habitats, this book is immersive, hugely informative and just the kind of inspiring read that will help set you up for spring and summer of nature related adventures.
by Dara McAnulty (Little Toller Books, 2020) is a joy to read, brimming with insightful descriptions of insects, plants and birds and the adventures of immersion in nature.
Writing this book when he was just 15 years old, the author charts nature through the seasons with sensitivity and expertise. From woodland critters in Fermanagh to Rathlin Island seals and Scottish ospreys, the author charts both the familiar and more charismatic elements of Irish wildlife.
He shares the joy that this engagement brings him and his family and how time in nature helps navigate some of the complexities of living with autism. This is a spirited and inspiring read by an impressive young man.
For those interested in augmenting their understanding of Ireland’s birdlife, by David Cabot (HarperCollins, 2021) is a great place to begin. Birds are grouped together according to where they are most likely to be seen: in gardens, parks and buildings; farmland and hedgerows; woodland and scrubland; moorland and uplands; and freshwater or coastal areas, with background information given about each of these habitats.
Fungi are an endless source of fascination — so many species with mind-boggling array of approaches to life. Prepare to have your perceptions overhauled when you read by Merlin Sheldrake (Bodley Head 2020). This is one of the most startlingly insightful science & nature books to come out in a decade, in my opinion.
Filled with excellent storytelling and adventures that include research trips in the rainforests of central America and truffle-hunting in Italy, this book is full of colourful characters and awesome revelations about the wondrous ways in which fungi shape the world.
by Robin Wall Kimmerer (Penguin Books 2013) is a book with the power to change how we perceive the natural world.
Wall Kimmerer is a plant scientist, a professor of environmental biology, and a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. In this brilliant work, she draws on native American mythology to embrace the idea that plants and animals are our oldest teachers, weaving together modern scientific approaches, philosophy and personal narrative to bring the reader on a journey of incredible wisdom.
Each of these books can be taken out from your local library — and for titles that are not readily available, most libraries will be happy to source them upon request. Libraries are havens for book lovers, joining is easy, and now with online access to catalogues, you can be specific about which books you are seeking to borrow. This is an essential service that we must use if we are to retain. One of my new year’s resolutions is to visit my local library more often. Happy reading!
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