The Moth Snowstorm, Michael McCarthy
Nature has many gifts for us, but perhaps the greatest of them all is joy; the intense delight we can take in the natural world, in its beauty, in the wonder it can offer us, in the peace it can provide - feelings stemming ultimately from our own unbreakable links to nature, which mean that we cannot be fully human if we are separate from it.
In The Moth Snowstorm Michael McCarthy, one of Britain's leading writers on the environment, proposes this joy as a defence of a natural world which is ever more threatened, and which, he argues, is inadequately served by the two defences put forward hitherto: sustainable development and the recognition of ecosystem services.
A review by Calyx at Suffolk Libraries
"Nature is not an extra, a luxury, but on the contrary is indispensable, part of our essence. And now that knowledge needs to be brought to nature's defence.
This stunning memoir to nature by Michael McCarthy, one of Britain’s leading writers on the environment and the natural world, tells the tale of how his love of the wild world emerged and how nature has changed.
From the loss of London’s sparrows to the former abundance of our native invertebrates, this book is a poignant examination of how our humanity is rooted in the natural world, what we’ve lost, and the joys we can find in embracing the wilderness around us, in our homes, cities, and countryside."
About the author
Michael McCarthy is a naturalist, newspaper journalist and former environmental editor and columnist for The Independent. He has won many awards for his work, including Environment Journalist of the Year (1991, 2003, 2006), the Medal of the RSPB for ‘Outstanding Services to Conservation’ (2007); the Silver Medal of the Zoological Society of London (2010), and the Dilys Breeze Medal of the British Trust for Ornithology (2011)
The Moth Snowstorm: Nature and Joy was published in May 2015, was shortlisted for the 2016 Wainwright Prize.
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Wild Reads is a partnership project between Suffolk Libraries and Suffolk Wildlife Trust to promote our connection between the natural world and the written word.
Wild Reads aims to give everyone the opportunity to enjoy the very best nature writing. The aim is to help inspire and ignite a love of nature in readers through the lenses of a wide variety of writers.
Visit Suffolk Libraries website here for the full Wild Reads booklist.
A window to wildlife - discover local landscapes with Suffolk Wildlife Trust
Are you feeling inspired by The Moth Snowstorm? Well, why not take a look at these fabulous resources to help you attract butterflies in your garden. Or, you can discover some of the best natural landscapes Suffolk has to offer!
