Dancing with Bees: A Journey Back to Nature THE SUNDAY TIMES BEST NATURE WRITING BOOKS 2020

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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. 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. The remarkable impact that seemingly passive or insignificant living things have upon the world around us:

Dancing with Bees is one of the most important and accessible and entertaining books I've ever read. Brigit has poured meticulous detail and research into her book, which has left me with even more respect for our precious bees than I ever thought possible. What's more, it's a touching, sensitive account of what makes us human and how we connect to the natural world. Everyone should read it."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" 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. 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.

Dr. George McGavin, president, Dorset Wildlife Trust; honorary research associate, Oxford University Museum of Natural History 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.” Howard has a wonderful way of truly conveying the charm and magic of the natural word. As an enthusiast, and not an expert, Howard's love and passion for bees and nature comes pouring through. I frequently found myself sharing in her wonder.

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A beautiful book and one that hums with good life. Brigit Strawbridge Howard came late to bees but began noticing them at a time when their going was being widely announced. Her attention has been clear-sighted but also loving. By looking closely at the hummers and the buzzers, she has begun to take in the whole of what Charles Darwin called the ‘tangled bank’ of life, where there are bees (and Brigit’s winning descriptions will help you know them) and there are plants, and there are other pollinators and nectar-seekers, including Homo sapiens. No other insect—surely no other animal—has had such a long and life-giving relationship with humans. Bees may well have shaped our evolution; our continued well-being is certainly dependent on them. Bees have long been part of our consciousness and art, buzzing in parables and fables and ancient and modern poems made out of their industry and their organisation and their marvellous sweet products. All that is in this book: It is ambrosia.” —Tim Dee, author of Landfill 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. This audiobook was beautifully narrated by the author and the joy and excitement about the subject manner is plain to hear.