The Brief Life of Flowers - Fiona Stafford

The beauty of flowers is well known, inspiring creative minds from Botticelli to Beatrix Potter. But they've also played a key part in forming the past, and may shape our future. At once enchanting and intriguing, The Brief Life of Flowers reveals how even the most ordinary of flowers have extraordinary stories to tell.

'With the authors childhood recollections intermingled with folklore, historic events, that left me waiting in anticipation for the blooms, that had been discovered, admired and appreciated for centuries.' 

Thoughts and recommendation by Karen Williams - SHE Advisor

By Ash, Oak & Thorn - Melissa Harrison   

A breathtaking tale of the rich, wild world and all its wonder from acclaimed nature writer and Costa Award-shortlisted novelist, Melissa Harrison - the perfect read for children for spring and summer!

'Think 'The Borrowers' meets 'The Magic Faraway Tree'. A heartwarming tale that imparts the importance of embracing and protecting the natural world before it's too late'  

Thoughts and recommendation by Kate Ellis - Nature Friendly Schools Assistant Project Officer

Reflections - Mark Avery 

In this informed, incisive and passionate commentary on the state of nature and conservation, Mark Avery reflects on our relationship with the wildlife around us. From the cats that pass through his garden to the chronic decline of farmland wildlife, from the Pasqueflowers he visits every spring to the proportion of national income devoted to saving nature – everything is connected, and everything is considered.

Recommended by David Dunlop - Senior Conservation Officer.

Finding Hildasay - Christian Lewis 

The incredible, deeply inspirational account of how Christian Lewis left his old life behind to walk the entire coastline of the United Kingdom, Finding Hildasay is a resounding testament to healing power of nature and the British landscape.

'Great read about Christian who walked the UK coastline for a good cause. It's about his experience on the walk, battling the wilderness and overcoming his mental health/ life struggles. Would definitely recommend!'

Thoughts and recommendation by Aimee Moore - Nature Based Solutions

Where the World turns Wild - Nicola Penfold

A gripping adventure with a subtly delivered ecological message, Penfold’s beautifully judged novel pits a pair of resourceful siblings against ruthless human forces and the awesome dangers of an unknowable wilderness.

'This is an imaginative and thought-provoking dystopian novel about our relationship with nature, authority and the quest for truth. Aimed at teenagers and young adults, this is a reading treat for all ages and stages of life, and an excellent one to read on your holiday or anywhere out in nature. Immersing myself in a world where growing food is heavily licensed, plants are illegal, and children have never seen a wild animal made me all the more grateful to live in the world that we do. We live in a utopia, and we must protect it.' 

Thoughts and recommendation by Amy Shakeshaft - Communications & Campaigns Assistant

Islands of Abandonment - Cal Flyn

This book explores the extraordinary places where humans no longer live - or survive in tiny, precarious numbers - to give us a possible glimpse of what happens when mankind's impact on nature is forced to stop. From Tanzanian mountains to the volcanic Caribbean, the forbidden areas of France to the mining regions of Scotland, Flyn brings together some of the most desolate, eerie, ravaged and polluted areas in the world - and shows how, against all odds, they offer our best opportunities for environmental recovery.

Recommended by Alex Hubberstey - Lancashire Peat Partnership Coordinator

Braiding Sweetgrass -Robin Wall Kimmerer

As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these two ways of knowledge together.

'Science, facts and a statistical approach interwoven with ancient knowledge of indigenous people. A considered reflection of the natural world that is poetic as it is insightful'

Thoughts and recommendation by Megan Kelsall - Partnerships Officer 

The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame

A classic for a reason, we cannot think of 'Spring Cleaning' without thinking of The Wind in the Willows.

Recommended by Tom Burditt - CEO of The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester & North Merseyside

Here today, up and off to somewhere else tomorrow! Toad has always been a silly sort of fellow. But when his latest obsession with motor cars - the faster the better - threatens to lead him to disaster, it is up to Toad's good friends Mole, Ratty and Badger to get him under control. Can they save Toad from prison, and his home Toad Hall from the wicked Weasels and Stoats?

The Self-Sufficiency Garden -  Huw Richards and Sam Cooper 

In honour of World Planting Day we are featuring The Self-Sufficiency Garden: Feed Your Family and Save Money. From a month-to-month growing plan to delicious recipes, The Self-Sufficiency Garden is an invaluable guide filled with information and inspiration for anyone wanting to grow their own food. Whether you are looking for cost-effective ways to put food on the table and feed your family, a fan of Huw’s YouTube videos and would like to try out the recipes for yourself or a gardener who would like some guidance on how to grow your own food, this book will be great for you.