Festive Nature and Science

Newman se Voëls volgens Kleur bied vir die beginnervoëlkyker ’n vinnige, eenvoudige manier om Suider-Afrika se algemeenste voëls volgens hul kleur te identifiseer. Die vierde uitgawe van dié nuttige geïllustreerde gids is bygewerk met die nuutste gewone voëlname, uitgebreide habitatinligting en die mees onlangse verspreidingkaarte. Die leersame inleiding bevat praktiese wenke oor die uitken van voëls, inligting oor voëlanatomie en -klassifikasie, en raad oor waar om vir voëls te soek en wat jy op só ’n uitstappie moet inpak. Verkoopspunte: Volledig bygewerk – nou met illustrasies  en foto’s. Gebruik kleur om voëls te identifiseer. Voëlname ook in inheemse tale. Verspreidingskaarte vir elke spesie. Ideaal vir beginnervoëlkyker.

Read more less

Newman’s Birds by Colour offers beginner birders a quick and simple way to identify southern Africa’s most common birds using colour as a starting point. Now in its fourth edition, this handy illustrated guide has been updated to include the latest common names, expanded habitat information, and up-to-date distribution maps. An informative introduction provides practical tips for identifying birds, and includes information on bird anatomy and classification, and guidance on where to look for birds and what you need to go birding. Sales points: Fully revised – now with illustrations PLUS photographs. Use colour to ID birds. Bird names in indigenous languages too. Distribution maps for each species. Ideal for novice birders.

Read more less

Part detective trail, part love affair and pure story telling at its best. In 1990 an expedition of Cambridge scientists arrived at the Plains of Nechisar, tucked between the hills of the Great Rift Valley in the Gamo Gofa province in the country of Ethiopia. On that expedition they collected twenty-three species of small mammals, a rodent, a bat; three hundred and fifteen species of birds were seen, sixty-nine species of butterfly were identified; twenty species of dragonflies and damselflies; seventeen reptile species were recorded; three frog species were filed; plants were listed. And the wing of a bird was packed into a brown paper bag. It was to become the most famous wing in the world. When the specimens finally arrived at the British Natural History Museum in Tring it set the world of science aflutter. It seemed that the wing was unique, but they questioned, can you name a species for the first time based only on the description of a wing, based on just one wing? After much to and fro confirmation was unanimous, and the new species was announced, Nechisar Nightjar, Caprimulgus solala, (solus:only and ala:wing). And birdwatchers like Vernon began to dream. Twenty-two years later an expedition of four led by Ian Sinclair set off to try to find this rarest bird in the world. Vernon R.L. Head captivates and enchants as he tells of the adventures of Ian, Dennis, Gerry and himself as they navigate the wilderness of the plains, searching by spotlight for the elusive Nechisar Nightjar. But this book is more than a boy’s own adventure in search of the rarest bird in the world. It is a meditation on nature, on ways of seeing, on the naming of things and why we feel so compelled to label. It is a story of friendships and camaraderie. But most of all it embraces and enfolds one into the curious and eye-opening world of the birdwatcher. For birdwatchers, twitchers, bird lovers, and about-to-become birdwatchers everywhere. For those who enjoy the natural world, the outdoors, the untamed places. Reminiscent of Nathaniel’s Nutmeg and Longitude, this true story of incredible adventure will bring out the explorer in everyone who reads it.

Read more less

‘A mind-altering and exhilarating read’ Helen Macdonald, author of H is for Hawk  ‘Of all the popular books on the search for life that are now being published, this one is quite special’ James L. Green, former NASA chief scientist One of the world’s leading astrobiologists takes us on an awe-inspiring journey across the cosmos to investigate some of humanity’s most profound questions. We are living in a golden age in astronomy. Over the last few decades, space exploration has revolutionized our understanding of our place in the cosmos. We now know that not only are there many habitable environments within our solar system, but there are millions of exoplanets within our galaxy that could support life. Yet a profound question remains: are we alone in the universe? Nathalie Cabrol, leading astrobiologist and director of the Carl Sagan Center at the SETI Institute, takes us to the frontiers of the search for life. This book’s odyssey begins by searching for how life began on Earth in order to understand what’s necessary for life to exist elsewhere. What role did our Moon play? And could life on Mars, or another world, have seeded life on Earth? Cabrol continues this dazzling interplanetary tour, illuminating the likeliest places for life in our neighbourhood: Venus, Mars, the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn, and Pluto. Finally, we seek life beyond our Solar System, looking at the recent revolution in the night sky: the realization that there are as many planets as stars in our galaxy.The Secret Life of the Universe is both a comprehensive and authoritative guide to the latest discoveries and an awe-inspiring exploration of what this means for us as humans on Earth today. It’s an exhilarating journey, perfect for anyone who has ever looked up at the stars and wondered what might be out there.

Read more less

Patrick Watson is currently South Africa’s most innovative and versatile landscape architect.Known for designing extensive mega-sites, such as Sun City and an entire Indian OceanIsland, he is also the creator of exquisite small home gardens and quiet spaces for reflection,such as at the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. A highly sought-after designer, he hascreated over 200 gardens in Africa and many others elsewhere.He seldom works from carefully drawn plans, instead combining artistic intuition withextensive botanical knowledge and a deep concern for the conservation and restoration ofnature. His projects are creative, fresh with inspiration, and often bold, and he uses mostlyindigenous plants, colours, landforms and space to create visual and emotional experiences.Covering 23 gardens and landscapes, and richly supported by exquisite photographs andspecially commissioned artworks, Veld is a beautiful tribute to a remarkable talent andvisionary whose work is deeply informed by nature. It recognises and celebrates thecombination of knowledge, skill and instinct that make up the man, and the radical influencehe has had on his profession, and the landscapes he has restored.

Read more less