{"title":"Wild Nature Press","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780957394681","title":"A Sea Monster's Tale","description":"\u003cp\u003eThere are few marine creatures as spectacular as the Basking Shark. At up to 11 metres in length and seven tonnes in weight, this colossal, plankton-feeding fish is one of the largest in the world, second only to the whale shark. Historically, Basking Sharks were a familiar sight in the northern hemisphere – off the coasts of Norway, Scotland, Ireland, Canada and the USA, for example. In an 18th Century world without electricity, they became the focus of active hunting for their huge livers containing large amounts of valuable oil, primarily used in lamps.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCatch numbers were small enough to leave populations largely intact, but during the 20th Century a new breed of hunter joined the fray, some driven as much by a need for adventure as for financial gain. With improved equipment and experience, they exploited the shark on an industrial scale that drastically reduced numbers, leading to localised near-extinction in some areas.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the 1970’s onward a new generation took to the seas, this time with conservation in mind to identify where the shark might still be found in the waters around the British Isles, employing new technologies to solve long-standing mysteries about the behaviour of this elusive creature. Using the best of both old and new research techniques, the case was built to justify the species becoming one of the most protected sharks in the oceans.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eToday, the Basking Shark is a much-loved cornerstone of our natural heritage. There are positive signs that the population has stabilised and may even be slowly recovering from the damage of the past, proving that timely conservation measures can be effective. Join us on a journey amidst wild seas, places, people and conservation history in the battle to protect this iconic creature – a true sea monster’s tale.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56295160185205,"sku":"9780957394681","price":30.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780957394681_36a51066-0730-484b-a3b6-e00316aa7b7d.jpg?v=1786015744"},{"product_id":"9780995567313","title":"The Essential Guide to Rockpooling","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe marine environment is a remarkable place – otherworldly and a source of endless fascination. The rocky shore where land meets sea, its array of life ever-changing with the tides, offers us a chance to explore this hidden world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis book reveals the astonishing diversity of wildlife on rocky shores and in the rockpools around the coast of Britain and gives readers a greater under-standing of the myriad creatures that can be found using a bit of simple detective work.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRockpooling is an activity enjoyed by children and adults alike. This guide will make your exploration even more rewarding, whether you are enjoying a day out at the seaside or seeking to expand your knowledge of a unique habitat. ​​​​​​\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDetailed descriptions of around 400 common and rare rocky shore species\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClear colour photographs of all the species described\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTips and techniques describing how to find the more cryptic animals\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIdeas for rockpool-related family activities\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInformation on threats to the intertidal environment\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMeasures we can all take to safeguard the future of our rocky shore wildlife\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56295185547637,"sku":"9780995567313","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780995567313_e518722f-4ffb-43a6-bfa5-1d994b1afae2.jpg?v=1786015950"},{"product_id":"9780995567344","title":"Exploring Britain's Hidden World","description":"\u003cp\u003eBritain’s shallow seas are a mysterious domain. They remain largely unseen and unexplored except by marine scientists and divers, who have been documenting their wondrous discoveries over many years. Now, a wealth of information about what lives on and in the seabed has been brought together in one sumptuously illustrated volume.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKeith Hiscock describes the incredible variety of marine life that exists around Great Britain, providing a foundation of knowledge for those interested in the natural history of the shallow seabed. He explains how findings are gathered and organised, as well as showing what is out there and how it works. Fascinating, beautiful and often fragile, the habitats and marine life described are essential to the health and productivity of our oceans. Without an adequate, shared understanding of what and where they are, how can we identify and protect them?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eExploring Britain’s Hidden World\u003c\/i\u003e is the culmination of 50 years of research by the author to better understand where different subtidal seabed habitats occur and how their associated marine life has come to exist. That quest draws on a rich vein of knowledge obtained by many naturalists, scientists and divers who, for almost 200 years, have described seabed communities and sought to understand their structure and function.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUsing a minimum of technical terminology, Keith Hiscock combines his interests in marine biology, diving and photography to inform, inspire, and leave a vivid and lasting impression of the marine habitats and species around Britain. 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From time immemorial people have been drawn to the beach to collect practical resources as well as mysterious objects that have fuelled myth and folklore – it is our inherent hunter-gatherer instinct.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe beach strandline is also a wildlife habitat, home to a unique community of plants and animals, many found nowhere else. They create a rich and ever-changing oasis of life in the otherwise harsh environment of the beach.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhether you are a seasoned beachcomber, a casual visitor or an enthusiastic naturalist, this book is for you. It will satisfy your curiosity about each treasure found cast up on the beach, be it a pretty seashell or an exotic ocean voyager.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDescriptions of common and rare beach finds, both natural and man-made\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eClear photographs showing objects and species as found on the strandline and in their natural habitat\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSuggestions for family activities related to beachcombing\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA comprehensive account of the living flora and fauna of the beach strandline\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInformation on threats and conservation measures for the marine and coastal environment\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56295187644789,"sku":"9780957394674","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780957394674_14d8f64a-6560-4b42-a4b3-0b01ed4f7290.jpg?v=1786015743"},{"product_id":"9780995567337","title":"Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe cool temperate waters of the British and Irish seas contain an astonishing 6% of the world’s algal species, more than 600 different seaweeds, and yet most divers, snorkellers and rockpoolers can put names to only a handful of them.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe first edition of \u003ci\u003eSeaweeds of Britain and Ireland\u003c\/i\u003e has proved invaluable to an enormous number of people, not just volunteer Seasearch divers and snorkellers, and this eagerly awaited second edition will no doubt prove to be equally as popular. 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A bird much more often heard than actually seen, and often mistaken for a hawk or falcon when briefly glimpsed in flight. Cuckoos are also well known, perhaps even infamous, for their habit of laying their own eggs into the nests of much smaller species, such as reed warblers, who are then doomed to raise the enormous cuckoo chick rather than their own young, and whose eggs are ruthlessly thrown from the nest by the cuckoo hatchling.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut how does this complex behaviour act out in nature, and how did it evolve?  What are the cuckoo’s special tricks and what counter-measures have the host birds developed to resist the depredations of cuckoos?  In this book the authors delve into the stories behind what we see, and into the complex and ever evolving evolutionary arms race by which the nest parasite and its hosts constantly try to leapfrog each other into prime position. The natural history of the cuckoo-host struggle is illuminated with detailed explanations of the results of behavioural and ecological research to provide a comprehensive, but highly readable, account in which an  insight into one puzzle constantly reveals a new question begging an answer.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe whole story is brought vividly to life through the astonishing photographs of Oldo Mikulica, who has watched cuckoos and their various hosts from hides for almost four decades. 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