A Lifetime in Galapagos by Tui De Roy

$60.00 NZD

Category: Photography

Tui De Roy was a year old in 1955 when her family left Europe aboard a banana boat, bound for the Pacific to lead a different sort of life on Galapagos, one of self-sufficiency and living close to nature. She grew up on the islands and returned to them often over the next five decades. Discovering photo graphy at a young age, she took her camera with her everywhere, whether she was scaling active volcanoes, diving among hammerhead sharks, or communing with Darwin's finches. A Lifetime in Galapagos is De Roy's intimate portrait of one of the most spectacular places on Earth, presenting the wildlife and natural wonders of Galapagos as you have never seen them before. Featuring hundreds of breathtaking color photos taken over the course of De Roy's life, this stunning book guides you into labyrinthine mangroves to observe nesting herons, to misty cloud forests to glimpse flycatchers and orchids, and into the ocean to swim amid lush groves of seaweed. De Roy's lens provides up-close encounters with orca and sperm whales, colonies of iguanas, and the giant tortoises of Alcedo Volcano. She paints unforgettable portraits of her childhood in Galapagos, the islands at night under the stars of the Milky Way, sea lions at play and on the hunt, the diverse birdlife of Galapagos, and much more. Blending striking images with vivid prose, A Lifetime in Galapagos also discusses the threats that global warming and other environmental challenges pose to the archipelago's unique wildlife and fragile habitats. ...Show more

The Cloudspotter's Guide by Gavin Pretor-Pinney

$30.00 NZD

Category: Natural History

'The clouds are nature's poetry, and the most egalitarian of her displays, since everyone has an equally fantastic view of them. Clouds are for dreamers, and their contemplation benefits the soul. Yet their beauty is so everyday as to be in danger of being overlooked ...' Gavin Pretor Pinney is the chai rman and founder member of the Cloud Appreciation Society. He contends that we are blessed in this country with a uniquely rich and varied cloudscape, which has hitherto been sadly undervalued. His book teaches us to appreciate their different varieties - the cumulus, nimbostratus and Morning Glory to name only a few - and all their beauties and significances, both meteorological and cultural. We learn how Hindus believed the cumulus clouds were the spiritual cousins of elephants, how thermal air currents act on fair weather cumuli, and how to save a fortune in psychiatric bills by using the clouds as Rorschach images that reflect our state of mind as well as nature's moods. Looking up will never be the same again. ...Show more

Tree of Rivers by John Hemming

$58.00 NZD

Category: Natural History

This enthralling book brilliantly describes the passionate struggles that have taken place in order to utilize, protect and understand the wonder that is the Amazon. Hemmings riveting account recalls the adventures and misadventures down the centuries of the explorers, missionaries, indigenous Indians, naturalists, rubber barons, scientists, anthropologists, archaeologists, political extremists, prospectors and many more, who have been in thrall to the Amazon, the largest river in the world, with the greatest expanse of tropical rain forest and most luxuriant biological diversity on earth. ...Show more

A Photographic Guide to Moths & Butterflies of New Zealand by Robert Hoare; Oliver Ball (Photographer)

$30.00 NZD

Category: Natural History

Given that they are found in a huge range of habitats, from the porch light to the forests, pastures and high country, it is easy to stumble across New Zealand's moths and butterflies. That study is still very much a 'work in progress': in addition to about 1720 named species - the great majority of whi ch are moths, many of them day-flying - we have numerous unnamed species: probably well over 200 in all. This book, written and photographed by experts in their fields, introduces important and striking species of both main islands, describing their appearance, behaviour and life cycle. It explains which species are endemic and which have probably 'blown over' at some point from Australia and other neighbours, and gives useful tips on how readers can find, identify and study these beautiful invertebrates for themselves. ...Show more

West Coast Walking: A Naturalist's Guide by KERRY-JAYNE WILSON

$45.00 NZD

Category: NZ - Guidebooks

The West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island arguably boasts the greatest range of the country’s natural attractions. From the warm, temperate nikau palm forests at Karamea to the cool beech forests of Haast, from the alpine heights of Arthur’s Pass to the dramatic Paparoa coast, glaci ers that descend into valleys filled with unique podocarp rainforests, plus pristine lakes and lagoons – the West Coast has it all. New Zealand is a centre of endemicity, with over 80% of our native non-marine birds, reptiles, flowering plants, gymnosperms, land-snails and insects restricted to this country, and hundreds of those species are found on the West Coast. The Coast is an essential destination for any overseas naturalist or bird-watcher, and a place New Zealanders interested in nature should return to time and again. This remote part of the country is New Zealand as tourists and many Kiwis imagine it to be. Remote and wild it may seem, yet most of its natural attractions are accessible from sealed roads and well-formed paths, some even wheelchair accessible. This book presents an introduction to the West Coast’s physical environment, plants and animals, and a guide to the walks, lakes and highways of the region. Short easy paths are described in some detail, along with the plants, animals and natural features to look for along the way. Longer, more demanding trails are described in less detail. The lakes and lagoons are best explored by kayak, and guidance is given for the paddling naturalist. ...Show more

The Royal Meteorological Society Weather Watcher's Three-Year Log Book by Royal Meteorological Society (COR)

$33.00 NZD

Category: Natural History

The Weather Watchers 3-Year Log Book offers the opportunity to record your own daily observations - in as much or as little detail as you wish. You can calculate weekly and monthly averages and then compare changing weather patterns over the three-year period. Is spring really coming earlier each year? Is this year hotter than last? What was the coldest day in your year? This illustrated record book is packed with facts, figures and information, including how to identify different cloud types, plus explanations on how clouds are formed along with other weather phenomena. ...Show more

The Beak of the Finch: Story of Evolution in Our Time by Jonathan Weiner

$27.00 NZD

Category: Natural History

The 50 Best Birdwatching Sites in New Zealand by Liz Light

$40.00 NZD

Category: NZ - Guidebooks

New Zealand has a diverse range of bird species and is especially important for pelagics. Thirteen of the world's 18 penguin species have been recorded in the New Zealand region (including the Ross Dependency). Nine of these species breed here. Of petrels, 37 of the world's 114 species breed in the New Zealand region, some on the mainland or nearby islands so they can be seen flying around, but many stick to the Southern Ocean islands. Eleven of the world's 22 albatross species nest in New Zealand and of those nine do not nest elsewhere. As well as these specific species, the book covers 50 sites on the North and South Islands, Rakiura/Steward Island and Chatham Islands that are best for birdwatching. Detailed descriptions of each site cover the type of terrain, and the tracks and trails where certain species are likely to be encountered. Particular species for each site are highlighted. A fact file for each site lists land or sea access; type of habitat, best time to visit, facilities and accommodation. Key species for each site are also listed. ...Show more

Fathoms: The World in the Whale by Rebecca Giggs

$37.00 NZD

Category: Natural History

A work of bright and careful genius. Equal parts Rebecca Solnit and Annie Dillard, Giggs masterfully combines lush prose with conscientious history and boots-on-the-beach reporting. With Giggs leading us gently by the hand we dive down, and down, and down, into the dark core of the whale, which, she con vincingly reveals, is also the guts of the world.’ Robert Moor, New York Times bestselling author of On Trails: an exploration ‘There is a kind of hauntedness in wild animals today: a spectre related to environmental change … Our fear is that the unseen spirits that move in them are ours. Once more, animals are a moral force.’ When Rebecca Giggs encountered a humpback whale stranded on her local beach in Australia, she began to wonder how the lives of whales might shed light on the condition of our seas. How do whales experience environmental change? Has our connection to these fabled animals been transformed by technology? What future awaits us, and them? And what does it mean to write about nature in the midst of an ecological crisis? In Fathoms: the world in the whale, Giggs blends natural history, philosophy, and science to explore these questions with clarity and hope. In lively, inventive prose, she introduces us to whales so rare they have never been named; she tells us of the astonishing variety found in whale sounds, and of whale ‘pop’ songs that sweep across hemispheres. She takes us into the deeps to discover that one whale’s death can spark a great flourishing of creatures. We travel to Japan to board whaling ships, examine the uncanny charisma of these magnificent mammals, and confront the plastic pollution now pervading their underwater environment. In the spirit of Rachel Carson and John Berger, Fathoms is a work of profound insight and wonder. It marks the arrival of an essential new voice in narrative nonfiction and provides us with a powerful, surprising, and compelling view of some of the most urgent issues of our time. ...Show more

Orchid: A Cultural History by Senior Lecturer Jim Endersby (University of Sussex)

$74.99 NZD

Category: Natural History

At once delicate, exotic, and elegant, orchids are beloved for their singular, instantly recognizable beauty. Found in nearly every climate, the many species of orchids have carried symbolic weight in countless cultures over time. The ancient Greeks associated them with fertility and thought that a pare nt who ingested the orchid root could determine the gender of a child. During the Victorian era, orchids became deeply associated with romance and seduction. And in twentieth century hard-boiled detective stories, they transformed into symbols of decadence, secrecy, and cunning. What is it about the orchid that has enthralled the imagination for so many centuries? And why do they still provoke so much wonder? To answer, Jim Endersby offers a unique cultural history of this captivating family of plants. Following the stories of orchids throughout history, Endersby divides our attraction to them into four key themes: science, empire, sex, and death. He explore how these have shaped orchids and how orchids, in return, have shaped our own investigations and associations. When it comes to empire, for instance, orchids are a prime example of the exotic riches sought by Europeans as they shaped their plans for colonization. Endersby also reveals how Charles Darwin s theory of evolution became intimately entangled with the story of the orchid as he investigated their methods of cross-pollination. As Endersby shows, orchids perhaps because of their extraordinarily diverse colors, shapes, and sizes have also bloomed repeatedly in films, novels, plays, and poems, from Shakespeare to science fiction, from hard-boiled thrillers to elaborate modernist novels. Featuring many gorgeous illustrations from the collection of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, "Orchid: A Cultural History "tells, for the first time, the extraordinary story of orchids and our prolific interest in them. It is a tale sure to enchant not only gardeners and plant collectors, but anyone curious about the flower s obsessive hold on the imagination in history, cinema, literature, and more. " ...Show more

Victoria & Abdul by Lee Hall

$25.00 NZD

Category: Natural History

Victoria & Abdul tells the extraordinary true story of Queen Victoria's relationship with Abdul Karim, her Muslim manservant, who travelled from India to present a ceremonial medal as part of the Queen's Golden Jubilee but within months became her personal teacher of Urdu and dedicated spiritual advisor . The unprecedented and unlikely friendship caused meltdown within the royal household, the ensuing battle royale pitting the Queen against the court and her entire family. Through the prism of a highly unusual love story, Lee Hall's Victoria & Abdul, based on the book by Shrabani Basu, explores race, religion, power and the farce of empire through the prism of a highly unusual love story. ...Show more

Last Wild Trout by Greg French

$35.00 NZD

Category: Natural History

Trout are found in some of the most wild, romantic and scenically diverse habitats on Earth, and fly fishers the world over share a unique camaraderie, something universally profound and sincere. In The Last Wild Trout, Greg French explores the last truly great and most coveted trout fisheries left on t he planet. Roaming the final frontiers of trout fishing, Greg visits twenty locations including Tasmania, New Zealand, Iceland, the British Isles, Mongolia, Slovenia, British Columbia, Wyoming, California, Nevada and Hokkaido. Each chapter deals with a unique species or subspecies of wild trout, and tells a compelling human narrative set against a backdrop of conservation. Photo sections and taxonomy notes complete the picture in this fascinating book. Reflecting on the complexity of humanity's interactions with pristine natural environments and threatened fisheries, The Last Wild Trout is a reminder from one of the world's best fishing writers of the beauty and importance of nature in all of our lives. ...Show more