Overview

Twenty years ago, James Canton moved from London to the English countryside. Behind his farm labourer's cottage was a small field with a 'for sale' sign. At first it was a site for family picnics and cricket matches with friends, but James knew that the two-acre patch of earth held more potential - as a place for nature to return and flourish. Here is the story of how, over a number of years, he undertook a project to 'rewild' the field: digging a pond, forging meadowlands, creating habitats for birds and insects, encouraging flowers and plants that support pollinators and wildlife. Eventually what was once just a grassy space was again buzzing with life. The process raised some interesting questions. Rewilding is about bringing a large landscape back to a natural, self-sustaining state. But that wasn't possible on the scale of a field, a garden or a window box. What if we rethought the term? What if we aimed for 'renaturing' instead? Even on the smallest of scales we can create habitats to support a greater diversity of nature. A single window box planted with pollinator-friendly flowers can provide a mini-habitat to support honeybees; a tower block with a window box on every balcony becomes an acre of bee-friendly ecosystem. Renaturing shows how the concept of rewilding can be adopted by us all. We can all make positive change, however large or small. We can all be involved in caring for and restoring the natural world.

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9781837260393

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Reviews

A wry and open-minded interrogation of human interventions in the landscape -- RICHARD MABEY Praise for James Canton: 'Canton's writing has an exquisite, somewhat dreamlike quality -- PETER WOHLLEBEN Through [James Canton's] eyes we see the magic of discovery * * Mail on Sunday * * James Canton knows so much, writes so well and understands so deeply -- SARA MAITLAND Canton is an acute, gentle, companionable and elegiac guide -- CHARLES FOSTER Canton, like Robert Macfarlane and others, engages friends and experts, fostering credibility but also a sense of gentle companionship * * Countryfile * *

'A wry and open-minded interrogation of human interventions in the landscape' - RICHARD MABEY 'A balm for any nature-lover, Renaturing provides a meditative, practical and beautifully-observed account of restoring a small yet significant patch of land. Canton takes us with him on a journey of learning that offers plenty to any reader, whether steeped in the lore of rewilding and ecology or a newcomer curious to know more' - CHANTAL LYONS 'Renaturing presents an important, heartfelt message that there are things that we can all do to improve the current and evermore concerning state of nature. It is a book appealingly relatable in its content and deeply encouraging in its outlook. Enjoyable start to finish' - MATT COLLINS 'A lovely, meditative, quietly inspiring book. There is a haikulike quality to the writing, in the focus it brings to the seasonal tasks of attending to a meadow - scarifying, sowing, scything - and the way these tasks resonate, reach out to a wider community of people caring for nature with the same diligence and love as Canton' - JAMES MACDONALD LOCKHART

Author Information

Dr James Canton is Director of Wild Writing at the University of Essex. He is the author of Grounded: A Journey into the Landscapes of Our Ancestors (2023), The Oak Papers (2020), Ancient Wonderings: Journeys into Prehistoric Britain (2017) and Out of Essex: Re-Imagining a Literary Landscape (2013), which was inspired by his rural wanderings in East Anglia. He has written for the Guardian, reviews for the TLS and Caught by the River, and is a regular on television and radio. @jamescanton | @jrcanton1 | jamescanton.co.uk

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