Goulson, Dave A STING IN THE TAIL MY ADVENTURES WITH BUMBLE BEES Picador Publishing 2013 New York, NY 256 pages
Goulson, Dave A BUZZ IN THE MEADOW, THE NATURAL HISTORY OF A FRENCH FARM Picador Publishing 2014 New York, NY 266 pages
With all the buzz about bees and pollinators, I have over the last few years attempted to increase my understanding and knowledge of these creatures that are so fundamental to the workings and structure of our natural world. The more we examine and understand the pollinators among us, the more we realize how dependent life is on these hardworking, one minded life forms to the plant and animal world.
It is paramount that we understand the part pollinators play in the tapestry life is on this Earth. Author, Dave Goulson, takes on the task of communicating this to us through these two books I only just recently found. He distills a lifetime of exploration and observation, creative research and activism on pollinators, especially his beloved bumble bees, into these two books for us. As we observe comfortably from our armchairs, Goulson carries on a layered conversation with us. It is a very readable blend of scientific data, observational scenes and personal experiences that relate the story over time of our developing understanding of bumble bees, and other bees and insects. In the first book, A STING IN THE TAIL, Goulson. founder of the Bumble Bee Conservation Trust, puts the bumble bee at center stage. The story begins in his childhood. He shares the fascination he had from a very early age of the natural world. As a professor of biological sciences, trained in Oxford, he was able to pursue those childhood interests as an adult in the many places in the world bumble bees and other bees existed. Goulson's second book, A BUZZ IN THE MEADOW, invites us into his realization of a lifelong dream to create a haven for bumble bees, plants and nature for him to participate and observe intimately.
Both books are not limited to waxing poetic on bumble bees. Discussions of other insects, environments, personalities and histories are woven into the greater story of a vibrant, fragile environment on our planet. Life cycles, behaviors, adaptations and revelations are shared for our greater understanding of the complexities that are the lives of insects and plants. It is an easy read, well written and entertaining that brings us through both books satisfied with our time spent.
Ultimately, Goulson seduces us into a state of mind we cannot easily reject. Knowledge, conservation, preservation, and respect for the breath and beauty of nature is our only path to survival for us and our natural world. These books are a wonderful means to that end.
