Written by the renowned TV presenter Chris Packham, this is a readable, practical guide to attracting wildlife to your garden. Many of Britain's plants and animals have come to rely upon gardens as an essential lifeline as their natural habitats come under increasing pressure from human activity and global warming. This comprehensive book explains the best ways to attract wildlife to gardens and encourage it to stay there. Written in a light-hearted yet passionate and authoritative style, the guide challenges popular notions of 'weeds' and 'pests' and invites gardeners to think again about the choices they make. Chris Packham's informative and lively text is complemented by attractive photographs and illustrations that will encourage an interest in the natural world on your doorstep, whether your 'garden' is a rural idyll or an urban window box. Chris argues that we have become so spellbound by 'nature's celebrities' – tigers, pandas and their ilk – that we are in danger of overlooking the most exciting species of all: those that we can touch, smell and observe in our own backyard.

Written by the renowned TV presenter Chris Packham, this book is suitable for anybody with an interest in urban wildlife and conservation. This new edition is suitable for anybody with an interest in urban wildlife and conservation and is written by the renowned TV presenter Chris Packham. It is an educational and striking guide to the full range of wildlife that can be found in all manner of urban habitats in our towns and cities. Increasingly, wildlife is finding a home in our built-up, concrete and noisy cities. Urban sites such as canals, disused railway embankments, reservoirs, rubbish tips and inner-city gardens are becoming popular abodes for a huge number of species. This book is at once a source to the best urban sites in Britain and the different habitats that exist there, and a revealing field guide to the wildlife inhabiting these city locations. Beautiful illustrations, stunning photographs and informed reference material combine with this popular author's entertaining style to bring a novel look at wildlife away from the countryside.

This friendly, practical guide includes everything you need to know to pick up a spade, put in a pond and help wildlife flourish right outside your back door. Ponds are vital oases for nature. They are nursery grounds, feeding stops and bathing spots. They are genetic superhighways and vibrant ecosystems each brimming with life, interactions and potential. And they are for everyone. In The Wildlife Pond Book, Jules Howard offers a fresh perspective on ponds and encourages gardeners to reach for a garden spade and do something positive to benefit our shared neighbourhood nature. As well as offering practical tips and advice on designing, planting up and maintaining your pond, Jules encourages readers to explore the wildlife that colonises it with a torch, a microscope or a good old-fashioned pond-dipping net. With a foreword by award-winning wildlife-gardening author, Kate Bradbury, this helpful new guide includes a section outlining the hundreds of organisms that may turn up in your pond and is packed with creative ideas that have been tried and tested by author Jules Howard, an avid pond-builder, prolific pond-dipper and passionate voice for freshwater conservation for more than fifteen years. So, no matter how big your outdoor space is, The Wildlife Pond Book is the guide you need to create your very own haven for nature.

'The definitive go-to wildlife guide for all 16 million British gardens.' – Mike Dilger Even the smallest garden can be an important haven for wildlife, and this authoritative guide enables everyone to explore this wealth on their back doorstep. It covers all the main animal groups – including pond life – likely to be found in a garden in Great Britain and Ireland. Detailed descriptions and information on life history, behaviour and occurrence are provided for more than 500 species, as well as practical information on creating a pond for wildlife, making nestboxes and feeding birds. Richard Lewington, acknowledged as one of the finest natural history artists in Europe, has teamed up with his brother Ian, one of our most respected bird artists, to provide nearly 1,000 superbly detailed colour artworks to complement the text. Presented in an accessible, easy-to-use format, this fully updated and expanded edition covers everything from blue tits to bumblebees and hedgehogs to hawkmoths.

Gardening and growing has never been so popular, nor has the awareness of why we need to do it been so acute. When Hazel Southam took on an overgrown and neglected strip of ground in a local council allotment, she had nothing more than beginner’s enthusiasm and fond memories of her late father’s passion for growing. In This Blessed Plot she relates with humour, wry observation and poignancy the story of her first year as an allotment holder. With Hazel, we feel the sheer effort of clearing the ground of debris and patiently nourishing the exhausted soil, the camaraderie and unexpected kindness of strangers, the pleasures of mending and making do, the miracle of seeds sprouting, and the problem of what do to with so much lettuce. This Blessed Plot speaks to the zeitgeist that is gardening and mental and emotional health. But it goes further and reflects gently on spiritual health too, on friendship, generosity, wellbeing, and our mutual dependence on creation and each other. Amusing, perceptive and wise, This Blessed Plot is for anyone who has an interest in gardening.

The birds, animals, insects, trees and plants encountered by the majority of the world’s people are those that survive in, adapt to, or are introduced to, urban areas. Some of these organisms give great pleasure; others invade, colonise and occupy neglected and hidden areas such as derelict land and sewers. Urban areas have a high biodiversity and nature within cities provides many ecosystem services including cooling the urban area, reducing urban flood risk, filtering pollutants, supplying food, and providing accessible recreation. Yet, protecting urban nature faces competition from other urban land uses. The Handbook of Urban Ecology analyses this biodiversity and complexity and provides the science to guide policy and management to make cities more attractive, more enjoyable, and better for our own health and that of the planet. This Handbook contains 50 interdisciplinary contributions from leading academics and practitioners from across the world to provide an in-depth coverage of the main elements of practical urban ecology. It is divided into six parts, dealing with the philosophies, concepts and history of urban ecology; followed by consideration of the biophysical character of the urban environment and the diverse habitats found within it. It then examines human relationships with urban nature, the health, economic and environmental benefits of urban ecology before discussing the methods used in urban ecology and ways of putting the science into practice. The Handbook offers a state-of the art guide to the science, practice and value of urban ecology. The engaging contributions provide students and practitioners with the wealth of interdisciplinary information needed to manage the biota and green landscapes in urban areas.

'Rousing, polemical and heartfelt' - Gardens Illustrated 'An invitation to take action' - The Observer One thing has become clear this year - we need nature more than ever. And it needs us too. From our balconies and gardens to our woodlands, national parks and beyond, Back to Nature captures the essence of how we feel about the wildlife outside our windows. Through personal stories, conservation breakthroughs and scientific discoveries, it explores the wonder and the solace of nature, and the ways in which we can connect with it - and protect it.

'A font of information for anyone wanting to live and eat more mindfully and sustainably' Anna Jones, Cook and Author Lindsey Harrad is the former editor of the UK's bestselling and award-winning vegetarian magazine. In Living Plantfully, she gathers together all the wellness wisdom she has acquired over 20 years of journalistic experience, as well as drawing on the advice and experience of trusted experts in food, health, gardening and sustainability to offer ideas, recipes and simple tips that anyone can do to help live a more plant-based, healthy and happy life. Broken into three sections; growing, cooking and living, Living Plantfully, is not only a useful guide but also an inspirational journey, combining accessible evidence-based facts with practical, step-by-step ideas that will empower anyone to make changes in their homes and lives. Weaving in colourful facts and figures with the voices of relevant experts – including chefs and nutritionists, wellness experts, bloggers and sustainability heroes – along with plenty of quick-read box outs, clever tips and little nuggets of plant-based wisdom, this will be an informed but accessible guide that explores both why and how to embrace a more sustainable, plant-centred way of eating and living. Living more plantfully will help you save money, be healthier, live longer, connect with nature, all while being more socially responsible.

Full-colour throughout, The Rough Guide to Bath, Bristol & Somerset is the ultimate guide to this alluring region. With 30 years experience and our trademark 'tell it like it is' writing style, Rough Guides cover all the basics with practical, on-the-ground details, as well as unmissable alternatives to the usual must-see sights. At the top of your list and guaranteed to get you value for money, each guide also reviews the best accommodation and restaurants in all price brackets. We know there are times for saving, and times for splashing out. In The Rough Guide to Bath, Bristol & Somerset : - Over 50 colour-coded maps featuring every listing - Area-by-area chapter highlights - Top 5 boxes - 'Things not to miss' section- Detailed information on Salisbury and Stonehenge Make the most of your trip with The Rough Guide to Bath, Bristol & Somerset.

From the genteel Georgian terraces of Bath to the wilderness expanses of Exmoor, the fully updated The Rough Guide to Bath, Bristol & Somerset provides an all-round account of this richly rewarding region, with comprehensive details of what to see, what to do and where to sleep, eat and drink. Useful context and background information accompany all the practicalities, interspersed with vivid, full-colour photos and some of the clearest maps to be found in any guidebook. Rough Guides' local experts cover high culture and street art, from the architectural glory of Wells Cathedral to Bristol's exuberant murals, as well as all the options for getting active, including cycling on the Somerset Levels and hiking in the Quantock Hills. Alongside information on the best local festivals, there are full reviews of the worthiest restaurants and the most characterful pubs. Beyond the borders of Somerset but within easy reach, The Rough Guide to Bath, Bristol & Somerset also takes in such hotspot destinations as Salisbury and Stonehenge, as well as the full-on family attraction of Longleat. Make the most of your holiday with The Rough Guide to Bath, Bristol & Somerset.