Woodlanders
Subtitle NEW LIFE IN BRITAIN'S FORESTS
By Ian Edwards
Published by
Saraband
ISBN 9781887354691
Category Home/Garden
Winter 2010
Synopsis
Woodlanders tells the story of people whose lives have been enriched by their engagement with wood and woodlands in whatever form they have chosen: through satisfying and valuable work in community projects; by working with wood to make useful, durable and beautiful objects, or for shelter; perhaps gathering woodland materials for craft or fuel uses or foraging for wild food from the woods; or promoting sustainable, low-energy lifestyles and preserving biodiversity. Some have created opportunities for outdoor play in magical settings or simply encouraged kids to enjoy climbing trees and running around, while others have developed creative activities like drama, art or craft projects. Woodlanders celebrates an emerging woodland culture.
Author's Biography
Ian Edwards is an ecologist with over 25 years of experience in working in education. He has published and broadcast on radio and TV on ecology, ethnobotany and environmental interpretation.
Reviews
Woodlanders is a wonderful reminder of where we come from, and of why we owe so much to the wood and the trees and the plants that sustain us. The UK's precious remaining woodlands need our interest and protection, and I hope the ideas and wonderful pictures in this book will encourage more people to get involved.' Hilary Benn, MP
'Fascinating. With every page comes yet another revelation of how woodlands work and how society depends on trees. A timely combination of inspiration and study for anyone intrigued by the mutually dependent links between society and woodlands.' Nick Gibbs, Living Woods Magazine
'In recent years more and more people have become aware of the wealth that woodlands bring into our lives. Woodlanders is a beautiful book that is also deeply informative about many aspects of our relationship with woodlands and with wood. I can't recommend it strongly enough. John-Paul Flintoff, author of Sew Your Own
"Considering they're a source of food, fuel, building materials, artistic inspiration and stress-relief, it's not surprising that our woodlands are enjoying a renaissance... Whether you want to learn more about trees, woodland crafts or anything to do with woodlands, this book should provide all the inspiration you need." Louisa Pearson, The Scotsman, 1/11/10
Price £25 Binding: Hardcover
Size in mm: Height of book 250mm Width of book 195mm Pages: 320pp
Publication date 07/10/10
Reader Comments
A book to give impetus to the reforesting movement.
An inspiring, content-rich book that has been beautifully put together, and which makes me want to be out in the woods whenever I open it. It's particularly timely, too.
I look forward to enjoying reading it on a bench in a wood not far from here.
This book is very lovely to look at, straightforward to read and so timely in the reminders it gives to take it slow, look around us and value what's important in our precious natural environment.
A inspired book full of inspiration - life in the slow lane in the best possible sense. A must for folk who love the woods.
This is not just a very attractive book. The enthusiasm of the individual woodworkers, users and wood product utilisers featured in communicates a real excitement. Let it inspire people to get out there to the woods and enjoy themselves!
Full of inspiration – not least because there is a sharp contemporary edge to this celebration of traditional skills.
A wonderful book made by the people out there in the woodlands
Woodlanders
Reforesting Scotland is to be congratulated for bringing together so many aspects of trees and tree people, woodlands, forests and forest people, forest crafts, forest culture and forest buildings in this timely and inspirational book.
It beautifully captures and illustrates just how much we still depend on trees and how resourceful we still can be in utilising this benevolent, ancient and powerful natural resource.
A wonderful treasure of a book.
Buy this as a Christmas present for anyone who appreciates trees wood and woodlands.
A brilliant book if you enjoy woodlands.
Each on his or own working with trees and timber may seem to be a small thing but all together in this book it feels like we are part of something significant and magnificent, connecting with our past whilst bravely preparing for the future. D McP
Fantastic stuff! Deserves a higher level of exposure so it gets my vote.
"Woodlanders" is a truly inspirational and beautifully illustrated book that features all manner of crafts and activities carried out by 'ordinary' yet skilled and dedicated people whose lives are tied to the trees as well as featuring the trees themselves. It is most definitely the best book of its type I have ever come across yet a book that is unlikely to get the level of recognition and exposure it deserves. Because "Woodlanders" doesn't pander to 'TV celebrity culture and its corporate backers, it really is a 'book of the people',
A beautiful book in every respect.
This is a wonderful book with inspiration on every page. Settle down by the woodburning stove and read about people whose lives have been changed by their engagement with woods. Dip into the lyrical descriptions by woodcut printmaker Carry Akroyd or learn about traditional crafts and the people who keep them going. Foraging for food, kids projects, fuelwood, bushcraft, the latest sustainable design in buildings - the topics are legion and very diverse. This book is also beautiful, with gorgeous photos, and it is produced with unusual care and eco-ethical credentials. It is a winner.
Woodlanders is an inspirational book demonstrating the possibilities of our woodlands and their place in the modern age. From sustainability and eco-awareness to freedom and creativity, the book tells the stories of those whose lives and occupations have been shaped by wood and woodlands.
In a world where modern life is increasingly damaging to the planet, it is refreshing to see the possibilities for sustainability that lie within our native woodlands.