#421: Natural History Reading List #22: 'Homecoming'

'Homecoming' is the latest book by nature writer Melissa Harrison. 

It is a chunky almanac-cum-diary which can be filled in over the course of a year, but started at any time.

After an introduction into the importance of engaging with the natural world, and the benefits to be gained by doing that, the book includes a monthly summary of what can be seen in nature and the weather.

This is followed by a diary type set of page where observations can be recorded, and a set of tick boxes of typical wildlife interactions that you might have in that particular month. There are note pages and other things.

While you should of course support your local bookseller, if you are on a budget, this is currently half price on Amazon.

My copy was published by W and N

It was purchased from Topping Books in Ely. Support your local 

Hardback, 320pp

ISBN: 978-1399618779

#298: 'Homecoming'- out in November '24

One useful practice for those wanting to engage with nature is to keep a journal. I'm not a fan of the verb 'to journal', but 'journalling' as an activity is akin to the scrap books I used to create, or the diaries I used to write capturing what I had for tea and other valuable information to the Mass Observation project.

Melissa Harrison, who has written a number of books which have been mentioned here on this blog has been busy putting together a resource which sounds like it might be of value to explore with young people. 

It is a diary and almanac combined.

🌱 NEWS! 🌱 In November @wnbooks will publish HOMECOMING: A GUIDED JOURNAL TO LEAD YOU BACK TO NATURE. It's for you, your kids, your parents, friends and everyone you love; it's as close as I can get to inviting you on 12 relaxed walks with me. Pre-order: https://t.co/owNdVIPonv pic.twitter.com/3Udh6KZHFQ

— Melissa Harrison (@M_Z_Harrison) April 30, 2024

Description:

A year-long course in noticing designed to plug you back into the rhythm of the seasons.

Begin in any month and continue round to the start.

Follow the stories, small and large, unfolding all around you - whether you live in the heart of a city or deepest countryside.

Connect to nature, boost your wellbeing and find your way in the living world.

Establish your own rituals, high points and habits to carry you through the year.

Homecoming includes a monthly bird-by-ear as well as rewarding and inspiring activities from meteor spotting to marking each equinox, citizen science to caring for your nearby wild.

#246: Ditches

A very nice piece by Melissa Harrison in The Times on the 4th of November 2023 looked at the important role that ditches play in the landscape. This was followed up by a range of tweets on the value of ditches.

There is a tendency to focus on the grand elements of the landscape, but sometimes the smaller overlooked features are just as important for the wildlife that makes them a home: think about the rare ferns and other plants that thrive in the grykes on limestone pavements for example.

Those ditches are bursting with nature! pic.twitter.com/maNLeZiPU8

— Tom Clarke 🇺🇦 🌻 (@Tom_Clarke) April 28, 2023

In the Fens maybe more than anywhere else.

Ditches are our "inverted" hedgerows, and harbour some of the last strongholds for water voles and other critically endangered and red listed species. @FenlandSoil @CLR_Cambridge @NaturalCambs @BrianE_Cambs

— Tom Clarke 🇺🇦 🌻 (@Tom_Clarke) November 4, 2023

 Image: Fenland roads - Alan Parkinson - shared under CC license

#83: Encounter Nature App - coming in 2024

I'm a great fan of Melissa Harrison's writing. I have a number of her books in my library and several of them will also be added to the suggested reading list for the course. Check out her fiction book "All Among the Barley" and her collection of nature pieces called 'The Stubborn Light of Things'. She has also channelled 'BB' with a pair of children's books based on the classic 'The Little Grey Men', who I have blogged about previously. I also have her book called 'Rain', capturing four walks. She has also produced a 4 volume series of seasonal almanacs.

She is now working on a new app which will be launching in Summer 2024.

You can sign up to the newsletter to find out more on the progress as it takes shape. 

It sounds like it will be a very useful app for students to have on their own devices, and perhaps keep a nature diary during the course to track their observations and experiences. I think that would be a really nice idea for engagement with the natural world.

Description: 

Person by person, street by street, we need to repair our connection to nature. Encounter is a guided nature journal from nature writer Melissa Harrison that will open your eyes to the wild world around you, whether you live in the heart of a city or the deepest countryside. Full of seasonal prompts, tips and ideas, it will help you turn photos, notes and audio into a rich, meaningful and lifelong relationship with the natural world.