Wild Women (females helping to save nature)
Wild Woman is an engaging blend of conservation stories and personal humorous anecdotes by TV presenter Philippa Forrester who has chosen to live and work in the wild (wildlife fans will know her from programmes filming otters with her husband Charlie Hamilton-Jones).
In this book, she studies and celebrates women who have chosen to live and work in wild and challenging landscapes.
Relating some of her own experiences (she has a degree in ecology & conservation) from 30 years of travelling to some of the wildest places on earth, she looks how at how women benefit from a life spent in the wilderness, and considers what the natural world gains from them.
And as she explores our relationship with the wild, Philippa contemplates what we expect and need from nature, and ponders why we still feel a pull towards it.
For six years, Philippa lived in Wyoming, encountering wolves, grizzly bears, moose and the odd cowboy. But after returning to live here in summer 2020, she is rediscovering her own patch of wilderness and the joys of the English countryside (especially her favourite wild animal – otters!)
When I see a fox run by, my immediate thought is ‘What’s he up to? Where’s he going?’ Journeys are so much of life.
Philippa Forrester is a TV and radio presenter, producer and writer. She has a degree in ecology and conservation, and works with several wildlife organisations, to promote their work.
Lara Jackson (using photography to help rhinos)
Where Did All the Rhinos Go? is a children’s book to inspire youngsters to look after this critically endangered species. In her debut book, conservation biologist Lara explores the impact that humans have on the world around us.
The book encourages us to stop and think about how we can help, and how we might make more room for nature in our everyday lives. And offers a child-centric overview of issues like poaching to deforestation, addressing how to help in a compassionate way.
Through the eyes of an orphaned black rhino, we learn how deeply interconnected our world is. It is a powerful reminder to reimagine our relationship to nature and to each other. Ami Vitale (National Geographic photographer)
Lara Jackson is a conservationist who uses award-winning wildlife photography to highlight the causes of endangered species worldwide. She is particularly active in campaigns to save critically endangered rhinos, at risk from habitat loss, palm oil and poaching.
Even as a child, Lara would wrap up an injured hedgehog and take it to the local wildlife rescue. And this passion never left her. She studied wildlife conservation at Southampton University and now is at the forefront of helping creatures all over the planet.
Also read about:
- Emily Williamson (the founder of RSPB)
- Kate on Conservation (a fabulous website!)
Christine Figgener (the biologist who helped ban straws)
Straw waste accounts for 10% of all ocean plastic (their shape and size miss sewage filters – one clean-up on US shorelines found 7.5 million plastic straws). Then marine creatures are injured by sharp edges.
My Life with Sea Turtles is the autobiography of the marine biologist who was behind the famed viral video, when she and others removed a foreign object from a turtle (they initially thought it was a tube worm).
It’s quite shocking to watch, but the turtle was okay and released back to the sea. Hopefully never to come across a straw again, which it turned out what the object was).
The video was viewed millions of times, and led to the plastic straw ban in many countries, including the UK. Perhaps someone should show President Trump, though doubt he would care.
We are not going to fix the world, by phasing out plastic straws. We never aimed so small. It was like a stone that fell into the water, and created little ripples that became waves. This really horrible thing inspired many people, and sparked something good. Christine Figgener
