The Cuckoo Calls the Year
by Peter Stroh
After working as a botanist and natural historian for more than 25 years, walking the countryside had almost imperceptibly turned into a disheartening endeavour for Pete Stroh. He found himself resting at viewpoints and contemplating how much better it would be if a pasture had not been drenched with herbicide, if a woodland had not been planted up with regimented lines of conifer crops, if an arable field could every so often not be ploughed right up to the bloody roots of the hedgerow…
So he decided that in writing this book, he would wander within the boundaries of the parish where he lives, record weekly what he actually saw, and restrict grumblings to a minimum, to observe rather than judge. This, he writes, took a bit of getting used to but proved ultimately to be a liberating and unexpected experience.
The result is this uplifting and positive book showing the surprising abundance of nature, given half a chance.
Professional botanist Peter Stroh decides to explore within his local parish boundaries for wildlife and flora over a year, but instead of grumbling at what is missing he determines to look at what he actually finds. His writing about his weekly meanders is highly engaging and the results he finds on his doorstep are a surprising delight.
Availability:
Illustrations:
Black & white illustrations
Pages:
208
Published:
May 07, 2025
ISBN:
9781913159825
About the Author:
Pete Stroh is the author of numerous scientific papers, a regular contributor to British Wildlife magazine, and has published several books about the flora of our Isles, including Grassland plants of the British and Irish lowlands, Threatened Plants in Britain & Ireland, and Plant Atlas 2020. Originally from south Devon, he settled in Northamptonshire after a largely bohemian existence in Scotland for much of the 1990s, when amongst other things he worked in a record shop, ventured up munros, frequented late-night bakeries, and lived for a time with ospreys.
