{"title":"Books by Derek Gow","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781645021230","title":"Bringing Back the Beaver","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe radical rewilder \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAs seen on BBC's 'The One Show'\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis authentic, impassioned manifesto-cum-memoir will hopefully have a major impact on what is likely to be a long-running controversy.\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eThe Spectator\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGow reinvents what it means to be a guardian of the countryside. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003ethe Guardian\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGow has a fire in his belly. We need more like him. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eBBC Wildlife Magazine\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBringing Back the Beaver\u003c\/em\u003e is farmer-turned-ecologist Derek Gow’s inspirational and often riotously funny first-hand account of how the movement to rewild beavers into the British landscape has become the single most dramatic and subversive nature conservation act of the modern era. Since the early 1990s – in the face of outright opposition from government, landowning elites and even some conservation professionals – Gow has imported, quarantined and assisted the reestablishment of beavers in waterways across England and Scotland.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlongside stories detailing the ups and downs of rewilding beavers, \u003cem\u003eBringing Back the Beaver\u003c\/em\u003e makes a passionate case as to why the return of one of nature’s great problem solvers will be critical as part of a sustainable fix for the UK’s growing flooding problems, whilst ensuring the creation of essential landscapes that enable the broadest spectrum of Britain’s wildlife to thrive.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":57688209588597,"sku":"9781603589963","price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43204919296178,"sku":"9781645021230","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781645021230_f3a6e549-c287-4433-91f6-cf2ba95e5346.jpg?v=1792686136"},{"product_id":"9781915294616","title":"Birds, Beasts and Bedlam","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘One of the most remarkable figures in British conservation.’\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003cem\u003eObserver\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘Gow reinvents what it means to be a guardian of the countryside.’ \u003cem\u003eGuardian\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘Courageous, visionary, funny.’ Isabella Tree\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘A brilliant read.’ Benedict Macdonald\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘He gets stuff done. . . . Highly entertaining but also a heartfelt plea for a wilder, more inspiring Britain.’\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eHugh Fearnley-Whittingstall\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eBirds, Beasts and Bedlam\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e recounts the adventures of Britain’s favourite maverick rewilder, Derek Gow, and his single-minded mission to save our rarest wildlife – one species at a time.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAuthor of \u003cem\u003eBringing Back the Beaver\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eHunt for the Shadow Wolf\u003c\/em\u003e, Derek shares his personal, courageous and highly entertaining tales in \u003cem\u003eBirds, Beasts and Bedlam\u003c\/em\u003e, including how he raised a sofa-loving wild boar piglet, transported a raging bison bull across the UK, got bitten by a Scottish wildcat and, together with Isabella Tree and Charlie Burrell, restored the ancient white stork to the pioneering Knepp Estate.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter a Shetland ewe captured his heart as a boy, Derek grew up to become a farmer with a passion for ancient breeds. When he realised how many of our species were close to extinction – even on his own land – Derek tore down fences literally and metaphorically, transforming his traditional Devon farm into a 300-acre rewilding haven for beavers, water voles, lynx, wildcats, harvest mice, wild boar and more. A project that is still ongoing today.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBirds, Beasts and Bedlam\u003c\/em\u003e continues the rich tradition of great British nature writing and is a natural bedfellow to Gerald Durrell’s \u003cem\u003eA Zoo in My Luggage. \u003c\/em\u003ePassionate, subversive and unforgettable, \u003cem\u003eBirds, Beasts and Bedlam\u003c\/em\u003e will leave you imagining a rewilded landscape filled with our lost native birds and wildlife.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘A do-er, not a dreamer, Gow has become one of our most outspoken rewilders.’ \u003cem\u003eCountryfile Magazine\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘In this warm and funny autobiography, [Gow] writes with a whimsical fluency about the moments of humour and pathos in an unusual life.’ \u003cem\u003eCountry Life\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44582971769010,"sku":"9781915294616","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781915294616_1aa67fc2-882f-4d86-9624-afdd7111990a.jpg?v=1786030236"},{"product_id":"9781645020424","title":"Hunt for the Shadow Wolf","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLonglisted for the Wainwright Prize 2024 for Nature Writing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Telegraph\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘One of the most remarkable figures in British conservation.’ \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Observer\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘There have been several books on the fate of British wolves, but this is the best.’ \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Spectator\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘Beautifully crafted, fascinating and unbearably poignant, I totally loved this book.’ \u003c\/strong\u003eIsabella Tree, author of \u003cem\u003eWilding\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'A dazzling romp through the turbulent history of wolves in Britain.' \u003c\/strong\u003eLee Schofield, author of \u003cem\u003eWild Fell\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'Gow's anecdotes will leave you howling - and his historical detective work to track down the shadow of the wolf is as gripping as any thriller.' \u003c\/strong\u003eGuy Shrubsole, author of \u003cem\u003eThe Lost Rainforests of Britain\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘Gow reinvents what it means to be a guardian of the countryside.’ \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eGuardian\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor of \u003cem\u003eBringing Back the Beaver\u003c\/em\u003e and Britain’s favourite maverick rewilder Derek Gow embarks on an adventure to uncover the mythology, mystery and history of wolves in Britain.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDerek Gow’s dream is that one day we will see the return of the wolf to Britain. Wolf rewilding projects have been successfully implemented across the world – so what is holding us back in the UK?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHunt for the Shadow Wolf \u003c\/em\u003eis Derek’s quest to uncover the true nature of this magnificent creature. As Derek worked to reintroduce the beaver, he began to hear stories of the wolf, both real and mythical, and his fascination with it grew. He pieced together fragments of information, stories and artefacts to reveal a shadowy creature that first walked proud through these lands and then was hunted to extinction.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat Derek came to realise was that the underlying motives behind our hatred were actually rooted in power and profit. We turned the wolf into a savage beast and saw its extirpation as a civilising mission. But the wolf endured and Derek tells of his sightings through folklore and mythology, the records of grand estates and parish churches as well as wolf heads, both real and recreated.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith bitingly funny but also tender stories,\u003cem\u003e Hunt for the Shadow Wolf\u003c\/em\u003e makes clear why we must reconcile our relationship with this majestic animal before we can begin to bring it back to these lands.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘Gow has a fire in his belly. We need more like him.’\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eBBC Wildlife Magazine\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":57685769159029,"sku":"9781915294715","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":56303179465077,"sku":"9781645020424","price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781915294715.jpg?v=1792598949"},{"product_id":"9781784270346","title":"The Eurasian Beaver","description":"The Eurasian beaver was near extinction at the start of the twentieth century, hunted across Europe for its fur, meat and castoreum. But now the beaver is on the brink of a comeback, with wild beaver populations, licensed and unlicensed, emerging all over Britain.   As a keystone species, the beaver plays a vital role in the creation of sustainable wetland habitats through its damming activities, providing living opportunities for a broad spectrum of wildlife. Yet as proposals for reintroducing beavers are underway, re-establishing the beaver in Britain is still a controversial issue.   This book presents a case for our future coexistence with beavers by providing factual information on this species that has now passed from national memory, covering the biology, behaviour and ecology of the Eurasian beaver in a British context, from their early history in archaeology and folklore to their contemporary field signs in the wild. This book familiarises readers once again, after almost 400 years of its absence, with the Eurasian beaver, providing essential information on its requirements in our human dominated landscape.   This book is for those with a specific interest in beavers and their reintroduction, and for anyone with a general curiosity in natural history, ecology or animal behaviour. It can be used as a field guide to identify beaver field signs and observe beavers in the wild by wildlife surveyors or general land users, or as an introductory guide for anyone with an interest in beavers and how to recognise them.   The authors have been actively involved in the study of beaver ecology, behaviour and reintroduction for many years. They have a first-hand knowledge of beavers in captivity and in the wild in both Britain and a range of other European countries.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56304627384693,"sku":"9781784270346","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781784270346_5bab40c9-2e66-42e8-95d7-3829f0b96f39.jpg?v=1786026204"},{"product_id":"the-eurasian-beaver-handbook","title":"The Eurasian Beaver Handbook","description":"\u003cp\u003eBeavers are widely recognised as a keystone species which play a pivotal role in riparian ecology. Their tree felling and dam building behaviours coupled with a suite of other activities create a wealth of living opportunities that are exploited by a range of other species. Numerous scientific studies demonstrate that beaver-generated living environments that are much richer in terms of both biodiversity and biomass than wetland environments from which they are absent. Emerging contemporary studies indicate clearly that the landscapes they create can afford sustainable, cost-effective remedies for water retention, flood alleviation, silt and chemical capture.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eBeaver activities, especially in highly modified environments, may be challenging to certain land use activities and landowners. Many trialled and tested methods to mitigate against these impacts, including a wide range of non-lethal management techniques, are regularly implemented across Europe and North America. Many of these techniques will be new to people, especially in areas where beavers are newly re-establishing. This handbook serves to discuss both the benefits and challenges in living with this species, and collates the wide range of techniques that can be implemented to mitigate any negative impacts.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eThe authors of this handbook are all beaver experts and together they have a broad range of scientific knowledge and practical experience regarding the ecology, captive husbandry, veterinary science, pathology, reintroduction and management of beavers in both continental Europe and Britain.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57487721890165,"sku":"9781784271138","price":37.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781784271138.jpg?v=1786354948"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-derek-gow.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}