Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Stockholm : Volante, 2015
Description
One of the U.K.'s most respected conservationists and the founder of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, the author has always been obsessed with wildlife, from his childhood menagerie of exotic pets and dabbling in experimental taxidermy to his groundbreaking research into the mysterious ways of the bumblebee and his mission to protect our rarest bees. Once commonly found in the marshes of Kent, the short-haired bumblebee now only exists in the wilds of New Zealand, the descendants of a few queen bees shipped over in the nineteenth century. Dave Goulson's passionate drive to reintroduce it to its native land is one of the highlights of a book that includes exclusive research into these curious creatures, history's relationship with the bumblebee and advice on how to protect it for all time. Here the author combines tales of a child's growing passion for nature with a deep insight into the crucial importance of the bumblebee. He details the minutiae of life in their nests, sharing fascinating research into the effects intensive farming has had on our bee populations and on the potential dangers if we are to continue down this path.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
This is a marvellous book - informative yet also immensely entertaining. Dave Gouslon, professor of Biology at the universities of Southampton and then Stirling, has had a lifelong fascination with most forms of wildlife, but bumblebees in particular.
I found the early chapters especially engaging,
However, as far as I am aware (and at least as far as is discernible from the book) Goulson steered clear of such a career, opting instead for life as an academic specialising in entomology. The amount of information that he provides about insect life in general, and bumblebees in particular, is amazing, though the reader is never left struggling to absorb a soulless procession of facts. His prose is clear, accessible and amusing, and his subject matter is a treasure trove of fascination.
There is little about the bumblebee which is not extraordinary. The bumblebee's parthenogenetic reproductive cycle, its ability to navigate and home in on its nest, often from considerable distances away, its insistence upon flying in downright denial of the laws of aerodynamics and gravity, and its intricate communication system by which it notifies colleagues of the location of rich sources of pollen and nectar, are all redolent of something out of a science fiction novel. But in fact these attributes are all part and parcel of the bee which extends to some 25,000 different species. All of this comes, almost literally to fruition in an insect which is a masterful fertiliser of fruit, flowers, vegetables and grain on a global scale.
Blessed are the pollinators, and blessed is this book!
I found the early chapters especially engaging,
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filled as they were with Goulson's recollections of his childhood. This was certainly unusual, with hours and hours spent dissecting the numerous examples of roadkill that he found on the nearby lanes, using scalpel and other tools from a kit that he had persuaded hi grandparents to give him … for his ninth birthday. By the time he was a couple of years older he had moved on to trying to stuff them, again using items from a kit that he had bought from a catalogue. I did occasionally find myself wondering whether I was reading the recollected episodes from the learning curve of a serial killer!However, as far as I am aware (and at least as far as is discernible from the book) Goulson steered clear of such a career, opting instead for life as an academic specialising in entomology. The amount of information that he provides about insect life in general, and bumblebees in particular, is amazing, though the reader is never left struggling to absorb a soulless procession of facts. His prose is clear, accessible and amusing, and his subject matter is a treasure trove of fascination.
There is little about the bumblebee which is not extraordinary. The bumblebee's parthenogenetic reproductive cycle, its ability to navigate and home in on its nest, often from considerable distances away, its insistence upon flying in downright denial of the laws of aerodynamics and gravity, and its intricate communication system by which it notifies colleagues of the location of rich sources of pollen and nectar, are all redolent of something out of a science fiction novel. But in fact these attributes are all part and parcel of the bee which extends to some 25,000 different species. All of this comes, almost literally to fruition in an insect which is a masterful fertiliser of fruit, flowers, vegetables and grain on a global scale.
Blessed are the pollinators, and blessed is this book!
Show Less
LibraryThing member JDpirate5
Didn't finish. The personal anecdotes were entertaining, as well as the ecological lessons, but some of the research was a bit too tedious.
LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
This is a marvellous book - informative yet also immensely entertaining. Dave Gouslon, professor of Biology at the universities of Southampton and then Stirling, has had a lifelong fascination with most forms of wildlife, but bumblebees in particular.
I found the early chapters especially engaging,
However, as far as I am aware (and at least as far as is discernible from the book) Goulson steered clear of such a career, opting instead for life as an academic specialising in entomology. The amount of information that he provides about insect life in general, and bumblebees in particular, is amazing, though the reader is never left struggling to absorb a soulless procession of facts. His prose is clear, accessible and amusing, and his subject matter is a treasure trove of fascination.
There is little about the bumblebee which is not extraordinary. The bumblebee's parthenogenetic reproductive cycle, its ability to navigate and home in on its nest, often from considerable distances away, its insistence upon flying in downright denial of the laws of aerodynamics and gravity, and its intricate communication system by which it notifies colleagues of the location of rich sources of pollen and nectar, are all redolent of something out of a science fiction novel. But in fact these attributes are all part and parcel of the bee which extends to some 25,000 different species. All of this comes, almost literally to fruition in an insect which is a masterful fertiliser of fruit, flowers, vegetables and grain on a global scale.
Blessed are the pollinators, and blessed is this book!
I found the early chapters especially engaging,
Show More
filled as they were with Goulson's recollections of his childhood. This was certainly unusual, with hours and hours spent dissecting the numerous examples of roadkill that he found on the nearby lanes, using scalpel and other tools from a kit that he had persuaded hi grandparents to give him … for his ninth birthday. By the time he was a couple of years older he had moved on to trying to stuff them, again using items from a kit that he had bought from a catalogue. I did occasionally find myself wondering whether I was reading the recollected episodes from the learning curve of a serial killer!However, as far as I am aware (and at least as far as is discernible from the book) Goulson steered clear of such a career, opting instead for life as an academic specialising in entomology. The amount of information that he provides about insect life in general, and bumblebees in particular, is amazing, though the reader is never left struggling to absorb a soulless procession of facts. His prose is clear, accessible and amusing, and his subject matter is a treasure trove of fascination.
There is little about the bumblebee which is not extraordinary. The bumblebee's parthenogenetic reproductive cycle, its ability to navigate and home in on its nest, often from considerable distances away, its insistence upon flying in downright denial of the laws of aerodynamics and gravity, and its intricate communication system by which it notifies colleagues of the location of rich sources of pollen and nectar, are all redolent of something out of a science fiction novel. But in fact these attributes are all part and parcel of the bee which extends to some 25,000 different species. All of this comes, almost literally to fruition in an insect which is a masterful fertiliser of fruit, flowers, vegetables and grain on a global scale.
Blessed are the pollinators, and blessed is this book!
Show Less
LibraryThing member adzebill
Charming account of conserving the UK's bumblebees, with a strong appearance by New Zealand as a refuge for some species endangered or vanished in their home country. Goulson is very effective at getting you to care as much about rare bees as you do about rare birds or mammals. Fascinating biology
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of bumblebee nest piracy and parasitism. Unfortunately although he spent weeks in New Zealand he never seemed to notice we don't call them North Island and South Island. Show Less
LibraryThing member wildrequiem
Having known very little about bees going into this book, I found this to be an extremely engaging and informative nonfiction read. You learn so much about these creatures and why they're important, and you're bound to leave with the desire to save the bees.
I'm definitely going to be planting some
I'm definitely going to be planting some
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bee-friendly flowers on my patio. Show Less
LibraryThing member Ma_Washigeri
Part cheerful memoir but with a solid core about bees and the wider ecology. I learnt a lot about bumblebees and by the end the cheerfulness was shadowed by the panic that is the collapse of the environment as we used to know it. I volunteered this summer and was trained to do the Bumblebee
Show More
Conservation Trust Bee Walks (via the local Wildlife Trust) - and I can recommend them as really enjoyable as well as hopefully important if enough of us do them. The author set up the Trust and is someone who has actually made quite a difference in the bumblebee world. Show Less
LibraryThing member reading_fox
Engaging look at the UKs
LibraryThing member tronella
I don't have any particularly strong feelings about bees, but this was very interesting and readable.
I wonder how the attempts to reintroduce short-haired bees to the UK are panning out now! I'll have to look it up.
I wonder how the attempts to reintroduce short-haired bees to the UK are panning out now! I'll have to look it up.
LibraryThing member PDCRead
This is delightful little book about the bumblebee, written by Goulson, one of the few people who are experts on this amazing insect.
In the book he explains about the different species that we have in this country, and outlines some of the research projects that he has been doing on the populations
The books is written with the authority that you get from someone who is a renowned expert in his field. But more than that, Goulson has rare wit and endless infectious enthusiasm for his little subjects, and this is what makes this such a good book.
In the book he explains about the different species that we have in this country, and outlines some of the research projects that he has been doing on the populations
Show More
of these bees, re-introduction programmes and other projects that his students have undertaken. He writes about a property that he bought in France, that he is turning the brass back into a wildlife meadow, to disbelief from the locals. He founded the BBCT, and it has grown to have 11 staff and hundreds of members.The books is written with the authority that you get from someone who is a renowned expert in his field. But more than that, Goulson has rare wit and endless infectious enthusiasm for his little subjects, and this is what makes this such a good book.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Ma_Washigeri
Part cheerful memoir but with a solid core about bees and the wider ecology. I learnt a lot about bumblebees and by the end the cheerfulness was shadowed by the panic that is the collapse of the environment as we used to know it. I volunteered this summer and was trained to do the Bumblebee
Show More
Conservation Trust Bee Walks (via the local Wildlife Trust) - and I can recommend them as really enjoyable as well as hopefully important if enough of us do them. The author set up the Trust and is someone who has actually made quite a difference in the bumblebee world. Show Less
LibraryThing member quondame
An engaging discussion of bumblebees both ubiquitous and elusive, and the authors involvement with them concentrating on the short haired bumblebee and attempts to restore populations to England. On the way various habits and requirements of bumblebees and the important rolls they play - and the
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differences between them and honey bees - are visited. As of 2019 and 10 years of effort, some rare bumblebees are less so in the UK, but Bombus subterraneus hadn't been observed repopulating Kent, 7 years after this book was published. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction (Shortlist — 2013)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2013
Physical description
271 p.; 22 cm
ISBN
9789187419584
Other editions
Galen i humlor by Dave Goulson (Paper Book)