Title: A buzz in the meadow : the natural history of a French farm /
Authors: Goulson, Dave,
Year: 2015
Subjects: Goulson, Dave Homes and haunts France Charente.; Insects Popular works.; Insect rearing France.; Bee culture France.; Natural history France Charente.; Meadow ecology France Charente.
Abstract: This book is a conservationist's deeply personal and fascinating reflection on owning and revitalizing a farm in rural France. A Sting in the Tale, Dave Goulson's account of a lifetime studying bees, was a powerful call to arms for nature lovers everywhere. Brilliantly reviewed, it was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize for the best nonfiction book of the year, and debuted the already renowned conservationist's ability to charm and educate, and tell an absorbing story. In A Buzz in the Meadow, Goulson returns to tell the tale of how he bought a derelict farm in the heart of rural France. Over the course of a decade, on thirty-three acres of meadow, he created a place for his beloved bumblebees to thrive. But other creatures live there too, myriad insects of every kind, many of which Goulson had studied before in his career as a biologist. You'll learn how a deathwatch beetle finds its mate, why butterflies have spots on their wings, and see how a real scientist actually conducts his experiments. But this book is also a wake-up call, urging us to cherish and protect life in all its forms. Goulson has that rare ability to persuade you to go out into your garden or local park and observe the natural world. The undiscovered glory that is life in all its forms is there to be discovered. And if we learn to value what we have, perhaps we will find a way to keep it. - Publisher.
Contents: A stroll in the meadow -- The insect empire -- Chez les newts -- Mating wheels and sexual cannibalism -- Filthy flies -- The secret life of the meadow brown -- Paper wasps and drifting bees -- The mating habits of the death-watch beetle -- The true bugs -- Hothouse flowers -- Robbing rattle -- Smutty campions -- The disappearing bees -- The inbred isles -- Easter Island.