We invited Mike Collins from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) to tell us more about a scheme to uncover the nation's favourite wildlife book. Mike loves watching swifts and is a massive butterfly fan.
Over the centuries words have a played a special part in shaping and defining our relationship with the natural world. They have given us the tools to carefully craft and capture the magic of those moments of wonder when we watch a bird of prey hovering as it hunts for prey or taking a walk through a colour-rich haymeadow.
As someone whose love of nature was rekindled through my work and having children, the written word played a vital role in helping me to navigate my way through the huge challenges facing the natural world and coming to terms with what it means to me and my family. Reading rediscovered classics by Richard Jefferies, wonderful new fiction by Melissa Harrison and the evergreen Lorax by Dr Seuss with my kids, has fired my imagination and created a deeper connection with the wild places where I live.
The Arts and Humanities Research Council is launching a bid to find the UK's favourite book about nature, working with a team of researchers at the universities of Leeds, St Andrews and Sussex, as they start a new two-year research project that will focus on the literary, social and cultural impact of writings about the natural world.
The choice of potential nominees is limitless: it could be a novel, piece of non-fiction or a field guide.
Crisp, clear and rich writing has that special ability to draw the reader in to the subject matter and bring to life a simple wildlife encounter or help us navigate the huge environmental change that has been happening in our lifetime.
You can get nominating via www.ahrc.ac.uk/favouritenaturebooks and share your favourite book on Twitter using the hashtag #favnaturebook. A Panel of experts will then shortlist ten books that will be put to a public vote in January.
