A Sting in the Tale - Hardcover

Goulson, Dave

4.3

3,197 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0224096893 ISBN 13: 9780224096898

Publisher: Jonathan Cape, 2013

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Following in the footsteps of great nature-writers such as Robert Macfarlane and Roger Deakin, this fascinating book will alter the way we think about the bumblebee.
     Dave Goulson became obsessed with wildlife as a small boy growing up in rural Shropshire, starting with an increasingly exotic menagerie of pets. When his interest turned to the anatomical there were even some ill-fated experiments with taxidermy. But bees are where Goulson's true passion lies -- the humble bumblebee in particular.

     Once commonly found in the marshes of Kent, the short-haired bumblebee now only exists in the wilds of New Zealand, the descendants of a few pairs shipped over in the nineteenth century. Dave Goulson's passionate quest to reintroduce it to its native land is one of the highlights of a book that includes exclusive research into these mysterious creatures, history's relationship with the bumblebee and advice on how to protect the bumblebee for future generations.

     One of the UK's most respected conservationists and the founder of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Goulson combines light-hearted Gerald Durrell-esque tales of a child's growing passion for nature with a deep insight into the crucial importance of the bumblebee. He details the minutiae of life in the nest, sharing fascinating research into the effects intensive farming has had on our bee population and the potential dangers if we are to continue down this path.

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About the Author:

DAVE GOULSON studied biology at Oxford University and is now Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Stirling. He founded the Bumblebee Conservation Trust in 2006, whose groundbreaking conservation work saw him win the Heritage Lottery Award for best Environmental Project and 'Social Innovator of the Year' from the Biology and Biotechnology Research Council in 2010.

From Booklist:

Although the disturbing recent spread of bee colony collapse disorder has prompted media outlets to take a closer look at these humble, honey-gathering insects, for Goulson, the study of bees has been a lifelong passion. As he recounts in this absorbing and informative hybrid between guidebook and memoir, Goulson fell in love with the buzzing creatures as a young nature buff growing up in rural Shropshire, England. However, one variety of bee, the short-haired bumblebee, which Goulson observed as a boy, is now gone, a fact that spurred him to found the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and lead efforts to bring this particular species back to the UK from New Zealand. In between describing the ordeal that ensued when Goulson and a fellow entomologist traveled to New Zealand to solve the puzzle of shipping bumblebee queens back to England, the author gives readers a solid grounding in bee gestation, anatomy, culture, and the many environmental threats bees are currently facing. An outstanding piece of nature writing that also celebrates one of humankind’s most cherished insects. --Carl Hays

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