Eco recommends admin November 13, 2024 0 Comments

Connections With Nature: 50 moments of meeting the wild – new book launched today

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It’s finally here, 4th October is World Animal Day — and today is the day that ‘Connections With Nature: 50 moments of meeting the wild’, our Wildlife Blogger Crowd book is officially available to buy.

I’m excited to share that from today, the first £100 from book sales will be donated to World Land Trust, to purchase an acre of rainforest, to be protected in the name of the Wildlife Blogger Crowd.

I’m also partnering with Talek Primary School Narok South, Kenya, through a member of our Wildlife Blogger Crowd community, Jack Lekishon, to use our books to help support education at a time when rural communities around the Maasai Mara have been affected by Covid-19 outbreaks and a subsequent food crisis due to loss of income through tourism. On my shop page, there’s an option to purchase a book to donate to this Primary School in Kenya.

About the Connections With Nature anthology

“This book is proof that it can take only a few words to lead us to, and be touched by, nature’s magic.” Virginia McKenna OBE, Born Free Co-Founder and Trustee

In this brand new anthology; Connections With Nature: 50 moments of meeting the wild, join the collective of nature-loving storytellers, known as ‘The Wildlife Blogger Crowd’, on a journey to meet the wild.

Through 50 tales of memorable moments with nature, this anthology serves to remind us of the wonders of the natural world, the benefits of making connections with wildlife and wild spaces, and highlights how our lives are often a lot more entwined with ‘the wild’ than we might immediately realise.

The book’s foreword is written by presenter, photographer and filmmaker Jonathan Scott ‘The Big Cat Man’, and the epilogue contributed by Virginia McKenna OBE, Founder of the Born Free Foundation.

Other notable contributors to Connections With Nature: 50 Moments of Meeting the Wild include: Kate Stephenson (book creator and editor), Will Travers OBE, Bella Lack, Tiffany Francis-Baker, Hannah Rudd, Joe Harkness (Bird Therapy), and many more.

Barry Madden reminds us how we can all enhance our lives with minimal cost and effort, once we step away from the screen; Tiffany Francis-Baker marvels at the Moon; seven-year-old Benjamin Fallow studies the details of a Barn Owl feather; and Alicia Hayden evokes the spectacle of the ‘moorland fairground’ at dusk, with cover illustrations by artist Chloé Valerie Harmsworth.

Connections in times of Covid

The Wildlife Blogger Crowd was established in 2020, from a desire to create a wildlife and nature blog community dedicated to supporting one another, sharing articles, organising collaborations, asking questions, and seeking new like-minded friends, career opportunities and mentors.

Kate Stephenson says; “The course of everyone’s life changed in 2020. I made a decision during that time, that if I could not get out and explore the world; enjoy its wild offerings and write about it myself, then I would like to bring the world to me and share in other people’s natureful experiences by creating a global network of wildlife storytellers.”

“After 10 years of blogging, and constantly reaffirming the power of storytelling, my vision for The Wildlife Blogger Crowd came from a desire to create a safe space for wildlife and nature bloggers to share posts, join discussions and support other content creators in our combined cause.”

*Members of the Wildlife Blogger Crowd with their pre-release copies*

“As the Wildlife Blogger Community grew and connections between members became stronger, plans for a printed book began to formulate. A chance to give every member the opportunity to earn a byline as a published writer, and reach new audiences with their message.” View a full list of contributors here.

“By encouraging people of all ages to share their love of the natural world with her own unique brand of energy and enthusiasm, ingenuity and creativity, Kate is playing a valuable part in reconnecting people to the wonder and joy that all of us can find in Nature. We just have to open our eyes and begin the adventure.” Jonathan Scott, zoologist, wildlife photographer and television presenter, known for his work on Big Cat Diaries and Big Cat Tales.

“In this fascinating and very personal book, many of the writers have given us a glimpse of their inner beliefs; their views on those who exploit and disrespect animals; their joy as they watch insects busily exploring the verges of roads or seabirds swooping over the ocean. Maybe, what struck me most of all, was the realisation of the gratitude so many of the authors felt towards wild creatures and wild places. Is this the other side of the Covid coin?” Virginia McKenna OBE, Born Free Co-Founder and Trustee

Available to buy from: www.thewildlifebloggercrowd.com

Join us for The ‘Connections With Nature’ Online Book Launch

You’re invited to join us for a special, virtual evening of poetry, live music and reflections on the wonders of nature from some of our community of wildlife storytellers.

The event was first aired as a free live stream via the Wildlife Blogger Crowd on Monday 4th of October 2021, World Animal Day to celebrate our Connections With Nature!

About the editor

Kate Stephenson is a journalist, blogger and wildlife campaigner. She is the creator of the award-winning nature and wildlife blog Kate on Conservation. Kate has worked as Education Editor for National Geographic Kids magazine and Sub Editor for Discovery Education. She has written and edited for national and international media organisations, such as Discovery Communications, BBC and Channel 4. She is a trustee of international wildlife charity, Born Free Foundation, an ambassador for Ocean Conservation Trust and International Aid for the Protection and Welfare of Animals (IAPWA).