The Animals in That Country by Laura Jean McKay

$29.99 AUD

Category: Natural History

Out on the road, no one speaks, everything talks. Hard-drinking, foul-mouthed, and allergic to bullshit, Jean is not your usual grandma. She's never been good at getting on with other humans, apart from her beloved granddaughter, Kimberly. Instead, she surrounds herself with animals, working as a guide in an outback wildlife park. And although Jean talks to all her charges, she has a particular soft spot for a young dingo called Sue. As disturbing news arrives of a pandemic sweeping the country, Jean realises this is no ordinary flu- its chief symptom is that its victims begin to understand the language of animals - first mammals, then birds and insects, too. As the flu progresses, the unstoppable voices become overwhelming, and many people begin to lose their minds, including Jean's infected son, Lee. When he takes off with Kimberly, heading south, Jean feels the pull to follow her kin. Setting off on their trail, with Sue the dingo riding shotgun, they find themselves in a stark, strange world in which the animal apocalypse has only further isolated people from other species. Bold, exhilarating, and wholly original, The Animals in That Country asks what would happen, for better or worse, if we finally understood what animals were saying.   ...Show more

Feeding the Birds at Your Table: A Guide for Australia by Darryl Jones

$24.99 AUD

Category: Natural History | Reading Level: 4 Non Fiction

Feeding the Birds at Your Table is designed to provide detailed, comprehensive advice and suggestions for people wishing to feed wild birds in Australia from their own backyards and balconies. Millions of Australians feed wild birds in their gardens. Yet there is currently little information or advice o n offer to tell them how to do this properly. This book provides the first readily available source of reliable information relevant to Australia. What’s more, it is written by an expert who feeds birds himself. Including profiles on different types of Australian urban birds, what to feed them and the types of feeders to use, it also has advice on how to create a bird-friendly garden. Feeding the Birds at Your Table offers sensible and practical suggestions so feeding doesn’t only benefit us, but benefits the birds themselves. ‘At last, a sensible, science-based guide to safely feeding wild birds in Australia.’ — Paul Sullivan, CEO, BirdLife Australia ...Show more

Sharks: A History of Fear by Callum Denness

$29.99 AUD

Category: Natural History

For as long as people have lived in Australia, the shark has loomed large in our fears. From the Noongar people of Western Australia who stayed out of the water for fear of being taken, to media hysteria about attacks and even sightings today, sharks occupy the dark recesses of our national psyche unlik e any other predator. They challenge the very sense of ourselves as Australians, a people who hug the coastline and love the freedom of the surf. And the dispute between whether to kill or protect sharks cuts to the political core of our nation, yet another divide between the right and the left. There is no denying that shark attacks have been increasing in recent years, and so have our fears. Where do we go from here? How worried should we be? Journalist Callum Denness deep-dives into the history of our relationship with sharks, and circles our fear by talking to activists, marine biologists, politicians, surfers, survivors and those who've lost loved ones. Compelling and challenging, this is the clearest picture yet of whether or not we can co-exist with sharks. Don't get back into the water until you read SHARKS: A HISTORY OF FEAR. ...Show more

The Secret Network of Nature: The Delicate Balance of All Living Things by Peter Wohlleben

$19.99 AUD

Category: Natural History

From the bestselling author of The Hidden Life of Trees Did you know that trees can influence the rotation of the earth? Or that wolves can alter the course of a river? Or that earthworms control wild boar populations? The natural world is a web of intricate connections, many of which go unnoticed by humans. But it is these connections that maintain nature's finely balanced equilibrium. Drawing on the latest scientific discoveries and decades of experience as a forester, Peter Wohlleben shows us how different animals, plants, rivers, rocks and weather systems cooperate, and what's at stake when these delicate systems are unbalanced. ...Show more

Australia's Remarkable Trees (New Edition HB) by Richard Allen; Kimbal Baker

$19.99 AUD

Category: Natural History

Elephantine Boabs dot the Kimberley region of Western Australia; cattle rub against giant Bottle Trees and Ironbarks in Queensland, and Strangler Figs with 40-metre girths thrive in our northern rainforests. Snow Gums and Shining Gums eke out their lives on our icy mountain tops and prehistoric-looking Bunya Pines, which once looked down on the dinosaurs, grow in a few isolated places in Australia's north-east. Australia's Remarkable Treesexplores the extraordinary lives of fifty of Australia's oldest, largest and most unusual trees. Richly illustrated with more than 500 photographs, writer Richard Allen and photographer Kimbal Baker went to the far reaches of Australia; travelling more than 60 000 kilometres to photograph them and tell their stories. Australia's Remarkable Treesis not just a celebration of Australia's great trees. It also prompts us to look to the future to see what lies in store for them. It is a call to arms to preserve and protect our oldest and most magnificent living things, and the forests and wilderness in which they live. ...Show more

Walks in the Wild: A Guide Through the Forest with Peter Wohlleben by Peter Wohlleben

$29.99 AUD

Category: Natural History

The bestselling author of the Hidden Life of Trees brings the world of forests to lifeCan you tell the difference between wolf and dog prints?Which trees are best to shelter under a storm?How do you tell a deciduous and coniferous tree apart?Bestselling author of The Hidden Life of trees, Peter Wohllebe n, lets you in on the quintessentials of his forestry knowledge. He invites you on an atmospheric journey of discovery. Learn to find your way around the woods without a compass or GPS, which berries and mushrooms are good to eat, how to read animal tracks and what it’s like to spend a night alone in a forest.Walks in the Wild has everything you need to make a woodland walk – be it spring, summer, autumn or winter – into a very special experience. ...Show more

This Chicken Life: Stories of Chickens and the Australians Who Love Them by Fiona Scott-Norman

$32.99 AUD

Category: Natural History

This Chicken Life is a heart-warming and playful celebration of chickens and the Australians who love them. Striking photography and inspiring stories show the diversity and eccentricity of Australians who adore their chickens. You'll meet Jareth Bullivant, an animal liberationist who takes his rescue c hickens to the beach; Nik Round, an advertising executive who is focused on saving a heritage breed; Summer Farrelly, a 12-year-old with autism, who connects with the world through her chooks and has started a chicken therapy program; and Holly Snowflake, a comedian who performed her show, Crazy Chicken Nerd, with her silkie bantams. There are also essays on all-important topics, such as how to name your chook, the pecking order and chicken maths. This Chicken Life unpacks an obsession and a love affair. Chickens and humans, heart to heart, face to beak. This is no fad, it's a way of life.   ...Show more

Animal Languages by Eva Meijer

$35.00 AUD

Category: Natural History | Reading Level: 4 Non Fiction

Dolphins and parrots call each other by their names. Fork tailed drongos mimic the calls of other animals to scare them away and then steal their dinner. In the songs of many species of birds, and in skin patterns of squid, we find grammatical structures . . . If you are lucky, you might meet an animal that wants to talk to you. If you are even luckier, you might meet an animal that takes the time and effort to get to know you. Such relationships can teach us not only about the animal in question, but also about language and about ourselves. From how prairie dogs describe intruders in detail -- including their size, shape, speed and the colour of their hair and T-shirts -- to how bats like to gossip, to the impressive greeting rituals of monogamous seabirds, Animal Languages is a fascinating and philosophical exploration of the ways animals communicate with each other, and with us. Researchers are discovering that animals have rich and complex languages with grammatical and structural rules that allow them to strategise, share advice, give warnings, show love and gossip amongst themselves. Animal Languages will reveal this surprising hidden social life and show you how to talk with the animals. ...Show more

Insects of Australia by Paul Zborowski

$19.99 AUD

Category: Natural History | Series: Michelin Green Guides

Entertaining and informative text accompanied by action photography. The cast of Insects includes bees, witchetty grubs, butterflies, moths, roaches, grasshoppers and many more.

Around the World in 80 Trees by Jonathan Drori; Lucille Clerc (Illustrator)

$24.99 AUD

Category: Natural History

Trees are one of humanity's most constant and most varied companions. From India's sacred banyan tree to the fragrant cedar of Lebanon, they offer us sanctuary and inspiration - not to mention the raw materials for everything from aspirin to maple syrup. In Around the World in 80 Trees, expert Jona than Drori uses plant science to illuminate how trees play a role in every part of human life, from the romantic to the regrettable. Stops on the trip include the lime trees of Berlin's Unter den Linden boulevard, which intoxicate amorous Germans and hungry bees alike, the swankiest streets in nineteenth-century London, which were paved with Australian eucalyptus wood, and the redwood forests of California, where the secret to the trees' soaring heights can be found in the properties of the tiniest drops of water. Each of these strange and true tales - populated by self-mummifying monks, tree-climbing goats and ever-so-slightly radioactive nuts - is illustrated by Lucille Clerc, taking the reader on a journey that is as informative as it is beautiful. ...Show more

Grass Wrens by Peter Gower

$45.00 AUD

Category: Natural History

The Dog Rescuers: Heartwarming true tails of rescue, recovery and re-homing by RSPCA Staff

$19.99 AUD

Category: Natural History

As a nation, we're big fans of man's best friend. Nearly a quarter of all British homes own a dog. Sadly, not all of them receive the love and care they deserve and some dogs are neglected or, worse, abused. Enter The Dog Rescuers. Every day, these dedicated and passionate RSPCA inspectors - like Antho ny Joynes - contend with dog owners' abandonment and misuse of their pets, and spring into action on behalf of dogs in trouble, returning them to health, happiness and a loving new home. This collection of heartbreaking but ultimately heartwarming tales follows the likes of puppy Clover, who suffered damage to her face and lips, and Flint, the Lurcher who'd been used for badger baiting and lost most of his tail. When all seems lost, the RSPCA's dog rescuers are on hand, providing vital support to get Clover, Flint and friends the help they need and into forever families so that they don't just survive, they thrive. ...Show more