The Moth Snowstorm by Michael McCarthy
The Moth Snowstorm, by Michael McCarthy
Nature has many gifts for us, but perhaps the greatest of them all is joy; the intense delight we can take in the natural world, in its beauty, in the wonder it can offer us, in the peace it can provide - feelings stemming ultimately from our own unbreakable links to nature, which mean that we cannot be fully human if we are separate from it.
In this book, Michael McCarthy, one of Britain's leading writers on the environment, proposes this joy as a defence of a natural world which is ever more threatened, and which, he argues, is inadequately served by the two defences put forward hitherto: sustainable development and the recognition of ecosystem services.
Our review
“Nature is not an extra, a luxury, but on the contrary is indispensable, part of our essence. And now that knowledge needs to be brought to nature's defence."
In this stunning memoir to nature by Michael McCarthy, one of Britain’s leading writers on the environment and the natural world, tells the tale of how his love of the wild world emerged and how nature has changed.
From the loss of London’s sparrows to the former abundance of our native invertebrates, this book is a poignant examination of how our humanity is rooted in the natural world, what we’ve lost, and the joys we can find in embracing the wilderness around us, in our homes, cities, and countryside.
Wild Reads Book Choice
The Moth Snowstorm is part of our Wild Reads project in partnership with Suffolk Wildlife Trust, celebrating the connection between the natural world and the written word.
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Supporting booklist
Inspired by The Moth Snowstorm by Michael McCarthy, this month's Wild Reads theme celebrates insects and our memories of vanishing ecosystems. Explore our supporting titles on the fascinating critters and birds that fill our skies, and wildflowers and trees in which they find their home.
Suffolk Wildlife Trust has shared a list of beautiful butterfly reserves inspired by The Moth Snowstorm, showcasing Suffolk's best areas for biodiversity.