Bees, butterflies, bats, badgers …
These beautiful and fascinating creatures need a little help from us, as their natural habitats are under pressure.
It’s time to invite nature into your home – whether it’s a window box, a suburban garden or a farm. Learn how to build a pond, make places for bats to roost and spaces for hedgehogs to ramble. Discover the amazing secret lives of Ireland’s wildlife, from tiny bugs to large mammals.
Do try this at home!
Make Your Home a Nature Reserve” offers a fascinating exploration of the lives of common garden creatures. The author's passion for her subject is evident, and her ability to explain complex topics in simple terms makes the book accessible to readers of all ages. While the title might suggest a greater emphasis on practical conservation tips, the in-depth look at animal life cycles and behaviours is equally rewarding. The beautiful illustrations bring the natural world to life, making this book a delightful read for anyone interested in wildlife.
General Structure
Designed to teach people easy ways they can care for wildlife, this book is a fascinating read. Donna Mullen, the author, has worked as a conservationist for more than thirty years, and helps run a reserve at her own home. It's aimed at adults, but children over the age of about ten would be well able for it, and younger children might find it interesting - there's a lot about poo in here! Young children will love to look out for different animals in the wild, and older children could enjoy implementing some of the ideas given in the book, perhaps as a school project.
Content Analysis
The creatures covered in the book are divided into six sections:
- What lies beneath, for burrowing insects
- Larger mammals, from badgers to hedgehogs, taking in various others along the way
- Smaller mammals, including bats, rats and squirrels among others
- Smaller Birds, tits, sparrows, finches and others
- Bigger Birds, birds of prey
- Flying Insects, bees, butterflies and moths
There's also some information about frogs in a later section about building ponds, but for the most part, the animals are in those six sections. There's some general information about each and then a section called 'A Year in the Life' which covers their mating and childrearing habits. It's pretty fascinating stuff - I didn't know that a lot of the smaller female animals can store the sperm or blastocyte until there's enough resources around to help ensure a successful pregnancy! Donna is clearly very passionate and knowledgeable about the topic.
The advice she gives ranges from the simple - cut grass from the centre out, not the edges in; turn off outdoor floodlights to avoid confusing bats - to the more complicated things you'd need a group to manage, like planting trees and connecting hedges. For every animal there's at least one tip that would be easy to do, though, which is a great start, and some of the others are things that schools or companies could implement, making it a real community challenge.
The section on flying insects includes a helpful list of plants that attract bees, butterflies, and moths. By incorporating these into their gardens, readers can play a vital role in supporting local pollinators, and have beautiful insects to watch during the summer. There's also a great section on ponds and what kind of wildlife they might attract - I'm tempted, but I don't have the space for it. However, a school might be able to fence off a small area and use it as a nature lesson for students.
There's an image every six or eight pages, just a small, black and white drawing of an animal; they help to break up the text and add flavour to the reading. I can imagine a children's version of this book with full colour illustrations! It's lovely to be able to picture the animal you're reading about.
Strengths and Weaknesses
- Donna's writing style is chatty and fun, and she shares plenty of personal anecdotes about animals she's seen, heard or rescued.
- Her suggestions for things to try are clear and understandable. Children will be eager to try some of them.
- It is mostly about animal's lifecycles, with some conservation information added in; however it's all fascinating information.
- I would love to compare it with similar books for other regions of the planet. Maybe a series, O'Brien?
Overall Assessment
If 10% of the people who buy this implement two tips, it'll be a great help to the wildlife of Ireland. Hopefully, of course, people will implement many more! Things like leaving certain food scraps out for animals, or throwing them into a compost heap for insects, are easy to implement. Letting bats roost in old sheds or barns is simple too. There's plenty to try here no matter what kind of space or time you have to spare.
Overall, "Make Your Home a Nature Reserve" is an inspiring and informative guide to coexisting with wildlife. Whether you have a sprawling garden or a small balcony, this book offers practical advice to create a haven for nature. By following the author's suggestions, readers can not only enhance their own lives but also contribute to the preservation of Ireland's biodiversity.
Make Your Home a Nature Reserve is available now. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.
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