Earth Sciences, Geography, Environment, Planning

'Pestilence' is a word that conjures up destruction at a large scale. It can be a plague of ravenous rabbits, millions of wilding pines that swallow up landscapes, a virus that brings the world to its knees within weeks of emergence. In Phil Lester's new book we dive deep into... the world of pestilence. We learn the stories of pests that are plants, animals and pathogens, and consider how we can manage their spread in Aotearoa and around the world. The human movement of diseases and pests has affected every corner of the globe, even Antarctica. We need effective management approaches that cause the least possible harm, especially as our population grows and we become increasingly connected. Lester explores the problems of international movement, methodologies designed to limit the unintentional introduction of species across borders, New Zealand's biosecurity legislation, the limits and possibilities of eradication as a goal, the means of population control, and the management of pathogens in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Illuminating this discussion are stories of cats on parachutes, angry hippos, cannibalistic cane toads, and a cook who unwittingly gave typhoid to at least 51 other people. Fascinating and lucidly written, Pests and Pestilence draws on many strands of history and science to ask how we can best manage the pathogens, animal and plant species that can do us harm.
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For years we've been told that the food system is destroying the planet. That there are too many cows and tractors, too much fertiliser, too much waste, and that farmers and food manufacturers are polluting our atmosphere. But we've also been told that food can help save us from ...the worst of global warming. How can it be both destroyer and saviour? In 2018, Nicola Harvey and her husband, Pat, left their careers and inner-city Sydney life to farm cattle in rural New Zealand. They thought it would be exciting, even relaxing, but soon found themselves in the middle of heated arguments and deep divisions about food, farming, and climate change. In this profoundly personal story, Harvey takes readers into the heart of the industrialised global food system to share what life on the land is like when you're a new farmer just trying to survive - and change the status quo. At odds with her family, and struggling to find a place within her new community, Nicola is at first outraged at the lack of action to curb global warming. When she realises, though, that we're all being sold a false fix, she begins to transform the farm into a site of activism. In the kitchen and on the land, Nicola finds hope and a path towards a cooler future.
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* Easily readable book for the general reader by highly regarded author * Very topical discussion of human impact on the environment * Well illustrated with art and photographs

Native Plants of Aotearoa is an accessible, handsomely illustrated guide to the commonly encountered native plant species of Aotearoa New Zealand. Part of the new Te Papa Te Taiao Nature Series, this accessible, handsomely illustrated guide to the commonly encountered native plan...t species of Aotearoa New Zealand has wide appeal.
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Gone is a fascinating and timely illustrated narrative exploring the lively tales of eleven extraordinary extinct species from around the globe--sharing an enlightening story of extinction and conservation for today.