Dancing with Bees is an antidote to the reality of modern life that's spent nose down in our smartphones while the wondrous stuff – nature – goes on all around us. Brigit Strawbridge Howard chronicles her own journey of reconnecting with the natural world with heartfelt eloquence. Her descriptions of the creatures, plants, and landscapes that populate her journey are made with the unabashed joy of someone for whom a veil has been lifted, revealing a world to be cherished but also in great need of our protection." This book is a delightful insight into a hidden world. We are all familiar with bees buzzing around and may know something of their elegant social organisation, but I was amazed by Brigit’s lucid descriptions of the extraordinary diversity of bees, just in this country, of the very different lives they lead, and of the challenges they all face. Embarking on her studies, Brigit found that in some cases, it could take a whole day to identify one single bee and so a deep dive into biological taxonomy followed. Here we learn much about the way species are categorised, providing a fascinating insight into the meaning of names given to different species and how they are broken down and organised. Drilling down to the minutiae of every single bee, however, proved to be a somewhat laborious task and another more immediate and satisfying solution for bee identification came to the fore.

Brigit Strawbridge Howard leads us on a wistful pilgrimage of awakening into the world of bees who are among the most fascinating, charismatic, and important of insects. Written in an easy, accessible style without shying away from solid facts and beguiling detail, and beautifully illustrated by renowned Devon naturalist John Walters, Strawbridge Howard's book is the result of hundreds of hours of watching, listening, and learning in her garden and the wider countryside, wondering what the future might bring and how human excesses may be curbed." The book starts strongly, reading as part memoir, part nature documentary as Howard describes her major life events coupled with descriptions and facts about the various bee species she encounters in her native England. I enjoyed these early chapters, as I was engrossed in learning of bees what I, like the author, knew very little about previously. Howard takes a strong conservationist stance, preaching education and a reintroduction to nature as the main ways to stop the species and planetary rot. It's a timely message, and one that she isn't afraid to repeat throughout the book. Brigit Strawbridge Howard is an excellent pollinator of information. Dancing with Bees is a book teeming with love: for bees but also for the natural world as a whole and, by extension, for life itself. Everyone who cares about the future of our planet should read it.” —Tom Cox, author of 21st-Century Yokel Written by Brigit Strawbridge Howard, this is her wildlife journey with British bees. I was very surprised to learn that there are ‘at least twenty thousand different species of bee’ on this planet. Of those only 9 are honey bees and 250 are bumblebees, the rest belong roughly to two other groups, sting-less bees and solitary bees, but all are important pollinators. It also was extremely UK centred and I understand I'm probably not her target audience and UK residents probably are, the tips for looking after native bees were unusable for me and the climate my native bees live in.This audiobook was beautifully narrated by the author and the joy and excitement about the subject manner is plain to hear. Brigit Strawbridge Howard ist eine begeisterte Bienenliebhaberin. Mit einem sehr authentischen Stil nimmt sie die Leser dieses Buches mit in ihren Alltag als Laienforscherin. Ähnlich einem Tagebuch beschreibt sie ihre Beobachtungen über die faszinierende Welt der Bienen, die verschiedenen Arten, ihr Aussehen, ihr Verhalten und auf welchen Pflanzen sie sich am liebsten aufhalten. Dies tut sie in ihrem ganz eigenen Stil fast kindlicher Begeisterung. Häufig werden Tiere und Pflanzen dabei auch etwas vermenschlicht. A naturalist's passionate dive into the world of bees of all stripes – what she has learned about them, and what we can learn from them. As a naturalist I found the material interesting — certainly with its human touch more engaging than the dry scientific papers I try to keep up with. My fear though, is that the level of detail will be a limiting factor in attracting readership. Sales may be enough for the publisher, but I don't see that many delving into the contents. I personally appreciate that Howard talks about her own rented home and how she has made pollinator friendly improvements to it. As a renter, so much of the advice for pollinator friendly gardens is outside my scope and I often feel demotivated instead of motivated by the time I finish the book. So I was very pleased and excited to hear how Howard has turned her small rented spaces into a pollinators paradise and I have now started to research how to turn our own little rented yard into a pollinator friendly environment.

Since rediscovering the awe and wonder I felt for the natural world as a child, I have been blessed with the ability to see miracles in everything around me, every single day, no matter what horribleness is happening in my world or the wider world, I feel blessed in the knowledge that I can find solace, refuge strength and joy in an instant, just by stepping outside.”

Also available in…

Finally I must mention the clever heath potter wasp which creates a small clay pot and attaches it to the stem of Heather. The female fills it with food for her future young and lays a single egg inside before sealing the jar and then moves on to make another; it was just amazing to read about. The remarkable impact that seemingly passive or insignificant living things have upon the world around us: As my interest in bees has grown, so has my awareness of everything that surrounds them or connects them to the web of life they exist within. I feel as though I have embarked on a never-ending journey, a journey that spirals continuously outwards, gathering momentum and taking on a life of its own as it sweeps up all the wondrous, wild things that fly, swim, walk, or crawl in its wake.”

The only reason I am giving the book 4 stars instead of 5 is because I sorely missed having more pictures. Brigit singles out a distinguishing feature for each bee – a moustache or a marking – and gives each one character. It would have been useful to have this reflected in a colour guide to the bees mentioned. I did refer to my Collins handbook of insects, but was soon overwhelmed. Dancing with Bees is a passionate hymn to nature, a joyful celebration not just of bees, but of the power of paying attention. Strawbridge Howard's rediscovery of the natural world is infused with a sense of wonder both irresistible and infectious. And the promise of this beautiful book is that if we take the trouble to notice our natural surroundings, we too can find a way to reconnect not just to nature, but to a deeper sense of ourselves." A naturalist's passionate dive into the world of bees of all stripes--what she has learned about them, and what we can learn from them.

You may also like…

Howard has a wonderful way of truly conveying the charm and magic of the natural word. As an enthusiast, and not an expert, Howard's love and passion for bees and nature comes pouring through. I frequently found myself sharing in her wonder. Brigit briefly talks about the large scale commercial beekeeping in North America and questions the wisdom of transporting bees thousands of miles, for various reasons. It certainly opened my eyes and I was intrigued by the alternatives of wild beekeeping. Another strong theme of the book is just how much influence these modest insects have on the natural world and, by extension, our own lives. It is only by watching bees and other insects visiting flower after flower, hour after hour, day after day, that you realise the mind-boggling enormity of the task of pollinating the flowers, trees and crops around us. Of course I ‘knew’ they did this, but somehow reading a detailed account of exactly how they did this revealed another stratum of nature which I too had ignored. We are handed a lens – light, bright, beautiful things come into focus. Brigit's flare for observation and description, passion for knowledge, and ease with communication involve us in adventuring through the looking glass to explore with her the intimate life of wild bees. Gently, this timely book reminds us that nature is in trouble and that we must all join the dance." A] fascinating and wide-ranging exploration of nature. . .This satisfying memoir of a woman’s reawakening to the importance of nature in her life will appeal to fans of natural history memoirs, bees, the natural world, or ecology."

It is only when we realise that we are a part of nature, rather than apart from it, and behave accordingly that real change is likely to happen. She shares with us both her own discoveries and lore that she gathers through her extensive research into what others have written. Some of the most fascinating revelations have to do with the ways in which plants and insects interrelate: A] fascinating and wide-ranging exploration of nature [...] This satisfying memoir of a woman's reawakening to the importance of nature in her life will appeal to fans of natural history memoirs, bees, the natural world, or ecology." We are handed a lens—light, bright, beautiful things come into focus. Brigit’s flare for observation and description, passion for knowledge, and ease with communication involve us in adventuring through the looking glass to explore with her the intimate life of wild bees. Gently, this timely book reminds us that nature is in trouble and that we must all join the dance.” —Sue Clifford and Angela King, founding directors, Common Ground This is a book about awakening to the miracles of the natural world around us; learning about wildlife from wildlife itself; and becoming familiar with the native bees that visit our gardens and local landscapes. It is also about raising awareness to the plight of our pollinators currently under threat from the ravages of pesticides, herbicides and insecticides resulting from widespread use by industrial farming, councils and gardeners across the country. Whilst applauding projects that support nature such as rewilding the land, protecting forests and saving endangered species, Brigit brings to light issues that we may not be aware of (or turn a blind eye to) as a means to help us understand and appreciate the delicate balance between nature, our well being and the food we eat.Dancing with Bees is one of the most important and accessible and entertaining books I’ve ever read. Brigit has poured meticulous detail and research into her book, which has left me with even more respect for our precious bees than I ever thought possible. What’s more, it’s a touching, sensitive account of what makes us human and how we connect to the natural world. Everyone should read it.” —Kate Bradbury, author of Wildlife Gardening and The Bumblebee Flies Anyway Aber auch die fortschreitende Umweltzerstörung, vor allem durch Bebauung, und die unsäglichen "Steingärten" machen es Bienen schwer zu überleben. Nicht nur, weil sie für Nahrung für sich und das Volk immer weiter fliegen müssen und immer weniger abbekommen, auch der Nestbau an sich wird dadurch erschwert. Ob es die riesige Bienenwabe ist, die niemand im Dach oder der Garage haben will, oder es die nicht vorhandenen Wiesen sind, in denen keine kleinen Bienennester an Grasstängeln hängen, die aus Tonschlamm gebastelt werden - denn schlammige Pfützen möchte man ja auch nicht haben. Und wo es keine passenden Böden mehr gibt, können Hummeln auch keine Erdnester mehr graben. Durch die Klimaerwärmung wachen zudem viele Hummeln und Bienen verfrüht aus ihrem Winterschlaf auf, finden zu wenig Nahrung und verhungern, oder gehen zu Grunde, weil dann eben doch nochmal ein paar kalte Tage kommen. A beautiful book and one that hums with good life. Brigit Strawbridge Howard came late to bees but began noticing them at a time when their going was being widely announced. Her attention has been clear-sighted but also loving. By looking closely at the hummers and the buzzers, she has begun to take in the whole of what Charles Darwin called the 'tangled bank' of life, where there are bees (and Brigit's winning descriptions will help you know them) and there are plants, and there are other pollinators and nectar-seekers, including Homo sapiens. No other insect – surely no other animal – has had such a long and life-giving relationship with humans. Bees may well have shaped our evolution; our continued well-being is certainly dependent on them. Bees have long been part of our consciousness and art, buzzing in parables and fables and ancient and modern poems made out of their industry and their organisation and their marvellous sweet products. All that is in this book: It is ambrosia." Dancing with Bees written by naturalist and wild life gardener, Brigit Strawbridge Howard, is a beautiful book with enchanting watercolour illustrations throughout by John Walters. Ultimately I think I went into this book expecting more bee facts and more introspection on our relationship with nature. I think this is overall a relaxing and quaint book that fills a niche.