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Matthew Oates, naturalist, at Christ's Hospital School, Horsham, W. Sussex.
Matthew Oates, naturalist, at Christ’s Hospital School, Horsham, W. Sussex. Photograph: Graham Turner/The Guardian
Matthew Oates, naturalist, at Christ’s Hospital School, Horsham, W. Sussex. Photograph: Graham Turner/The Guardian

The best nature books of 2014

This article is more than 9 years old

Today, I share a list of what I consider to be the best nature books of the year, hoping that you’ll find lots of interesting and unusual ideas for all the naturalists on your holiday gift-giving list!

Yesterday, when I was tearing through my bookshelves hoping to discover books to include on my Best Bird Books of 2014 list, I ran across a number of wonderful nature books that I had to share with you, too. In retrospect, it is interesting to note that I had a much more difficult time choosing these titles because nature literature is a broader and more-difficult-to-define genre than is, say, bird literature, and also because I have a more complete library of nature writing from 2013 than from 2014.

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Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer [408 pages, Milkweed Editions, 2014; Amazon UK hardcover/paperback/kindle UK; Amazon US hardcover/paperback/kindle US]

Publisher’s synopsis: As a botanist and professor of plant ecology, Robin Wall Kimmerer has spent a career learning how to ask questions of nature using the tools of science. As a Potawatomi woman, she learned from elders, family, and history that the Potawatomi, as well as a majority of other cultures indigenous to this land, consider plants and animals to be our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these two lenses of knowing together to reveal what it means to see humans as “the younger brothers of creation.” As she explores these themes she circles toward a central argument: the awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgement and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the world. Once we begin to listen for the languages of other beings, we can begin to understand the innumerable life-giving gifts the world provides us and learn to offer our thanks, our care, and our own gifts in return.

Winner of the 2014 Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award.

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Diary of a Citizen Scientist: Chasing Tiger Beetles and Other New Ways of Engaging the World by Sharman Apt Russell [224 pages, Oregon State University Press, 2014; Amazon UK paperback/kindle UK; Amazon US paperback/kindle US]

Publisher’s synopsis: In the exploding world of citizen science, hundreds of thousands of volunteers are monitoring climate change, tracking bird migration, and following their bliss counting stardust for NASA or excavating mastodons. The sheer number of citizen scientists, combined with new technology, has begun to shape how research is conducted. Non-professionals become acknowledged experts: dentists turn into astronomers and accountants into botanists. Diary of a Citizen Scientist is a timely exploration of this phenomenon, told through the lens of nature writer Sharman Apt Russell’s yearlong study of a little-known species, the Western red-bellied tiger beetle. In a voice both humorous and lyrical, Russell recounts her persistent and joyful tracking of an insect she calls “charismatic,” “elegant,” and “fierce.” Patrolling the Gila River in southwestern New Mexico, collector’s net in hand, she negotiates the realities of climate change even as she celebrates the beauty of a still-wild and rural landscape. Russell’s self-awareness --of her occasionally-misplaced confidence, her quest to fill in “that blank spot on the map of tiger beetles,” and her desire to become newly engaged in her life -- creates a portrait not only of the tiger beetle she tracks, but of the mindset behind self-driven scientific inquiry. Falling in love with the diversity of citizen science, she participates in crowdsourcing programs that range from cataloguing galaxies to monitoring the phenology of native plants, applauds the growing role of citizen science in environmental activism, and marvels at the profusion of projects around the world. Diary of a Citizen Scientist offers its readers a glimpse into the transformative properties of citizen science -- and documents the transformation of the field as a whole.

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Claxton: Field Notes from a Small Planet by Mark Cocker [256 pages, Jonathan Cape (Random House Group), 2014; Guardian bookshop; Amazon UK hardcover/kindle UK; Amazon US hardcover/kindle US]

Publisher’s synopsis: In a single twelve-month cycle of daily writings Mark Cocker explores his relationship to the East Anglian landscape, to nature and to all the living things around him. The separate entries are characterised by close observation, depth of experience, and a profound awareness of seasonal change, both within in each distinct year and, more alarmingly, over the longer period, as a result of the changing climate. The writing is concise, magical, inspiring.

Cocker describes all the wildlife in the village -- not just birds, but plants, trees, mammals, hoverflies, moths, butterflies, bush crickets, grasshoppers, ants and bumblebees. The book explores how these other species are as essential to our sense of genuine well-being and to our feelings of rootedness as any other kind of fellowship.

A celebration of the wonder that lies in our everyday experience, Cocker’s book emphasises how Claxton is as much a state of mind as it is a place. Above all else, it is a manifesto for the central importance of the local in all human activity.

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Shrewdunnit: The Nature Files by Conor Mark Jameson [300 pages, Pelagic Publishing, 2014; Guardian bookshop; Amazon UK hardcover/kindle UK; Amazon US kindle US]

Publisher’s synopsis: Conor Mark Jameson has spent most of his life exploring the natural environment and communicating his enthusiasm for it to family, friends and, more recently, readers of a range of newspapers and magazines. Shrewdunnit brings together the best of these dispatches, alongside unpublished essays, in a poetic and evocative journal that inspires and delights. Jameson’s prose is fresh and in places irreverent, with a hint of mischief and a dash of wit.

From his back door to the peaks of New Zealand and the swamp forests of the Peruvian Amazon, he carries on the biogumentary style he perfected in his earlier books showing never telling how to bring nature and conservation home. He may just have invented a genre.

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A Buzz in the Meadow by Dave Goulson [288 pages, Jonathan Cape (Random House Group), 2014; Guardian bookshop; Amazon UK hardcover/paperback/kindle UK; Amazon US hardcover/kindle US]

Publisher’s synopsis: In A Buzz in the Meadow Goulson tells the story of how he bought a derelict farm in the heart of rural France, together with 33 acres of surrounding meadow and how, over a decade, he has created a place for his beloved bumblebees to thrive. But other creatures live there too, myriad insects of every kind, many of them ones that Goulson has studied before in his career as a biologist. You will learn about how a deathwatch beetle finds its mate, about the importance of houseflies, why butterflies have spots on their wings, about dragonfly sex, bed-bugs and wasps. Goulson is brilliant, and very funny, at showing how scientists actually conduct experiments.

The book is also a wake-up call, urging us to cherish and protect life on earth in all its forms. Goulson has that rare ability to persuade you to go out into your garden or local park and get down on your hands and knees and look. The undiscovered glory that is life in all its forms on planet Earth is there to be discovered. And if we learn to value what we have, perhaps we will find a way to keep it.

A Sting in the Tale, Dave Goulson’s account of a lifetime studying bumblebees, was one of the most gratifying success stories of 2013. Brilliantly reviewed, it was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize for the best non-fiction book of the year. A Buzz in the Meadow is another call to arms for nature lovers everywhere.

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Cold Blood: Adventures with Reptiles and Amphibians by Richard Kerridge [304 pages, Chatto & Windus (Random House Group), 2014; Guardian bookshop; Amazon UK hardcover/kindle UK; Amazon US hardcover/kindle US]

Publisher’s synopsis: As a boy, Richard Kerridge loved to encounter wild creatures and catch them for his back-garden zoo. In a country without many large animals, newts caught his attention first of all, as the nearest he could get to the African wildlife he watched on television. There were Smooth Newts, mottled like the fighter planes in the comics he read, and the longed-for Great Crested Newt, with its huge golden eye.

The gardens of Richard and his reptile-crazed friends filled up with old bath tubs containing lizards, toads, Marsh Frogs, newts, Grass Snakes and, once, an Adder. Besides capturing them, he wanted to understand them. What might it be like to be cold blooded, to sleep through the winter, to shed your skin and taste wafting chemicals on your tongue? Richard has continued to ask these questions during a lifetime of fascinated study.

Part natural-history guide to these animals, part passionate nature writing, and part personal story, Cold Blood is an original and perceptive memoir about our relationship with nature. Through close observation, it shows how even the suburbs can seem wild when we get close to these thrilling, weird and uncanny animals.

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In Search of Lost Frogs: The Quest to Find the World’s Rarest Amphibians by Robin Moore [256 pages, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2014; Guardian bookshop; Amazon UK hardcover/kindle UK; Amazon US hardcover/kindle US]

Publisher’s synopsis: On August 9, 2010, 33 teams from 21 countries were dispatched to search for the Lost Frogs identified by Conservation International. On their list were a host of species including, in the top ten most wanted, the Rio Pescado Stubfoot Toad, found only in Ecuador -- which was to prove a triumphant rediscovery. Several months, a number of key rediscoveries -- such as the Elegant Tropical Frog, last seen in 1937 and the Chalazodes Bubble-nest Frog -- last seen in 1874 and two new species later, the Search for Lost Frogs had generated more than 650 news articles in 20 countries and over a billion potential viewers.

Author Robin Moore was responsible for spearheading the Search for Lost Frogs and coordinating the teams. He also co-led two expeditions to Colombia and Haiti. In Colombia in search of the Mesopotamia Beaked Toad, the steamy jungles of the Choco yielded not the desired species but a brand new one -- the Mr. Burns Toad, so-called because of an uncanny resemblance to the Simpsons’ character; the species was selected as one of Time magazine’s top ten new species of 2010. In Haiti the team found six frogs last seen 20 years before, including the Ventriloqual Frog, named for its ability to throw its voice.

This fascinating new book tells the story of the expedition -- its highs and lows, discoveries and failures and the campaign’s ongoing work. Despite the campaign, one third of the world’s amphibians remain threatened with extinction. Most of the species searched for were not found. But those that were provide a glimmer of hope. Understanding why these species have survived when many others have not should help us understand what makes these species different. In Search of Lost Frogs is a story of perseverance, disappointment, rediscovery, resilience, but ultimately of hope, written with passion and illustrated with the author’s superb photographs.

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The Hunt for the Golden Mole: All Creatures Great and Small, and Why They Matter by Richard Girling [320 pages, Chatto & Windus (Random House Group), 2014; Guardian bookshop; Amazon UK hardcover/paperback/kindle UK; Amazon US hardcover/kindle US]

Publisher’s synopsis: This story is a quest for an animal so rare that a sighting has never been recorded. The Somali golden mole was first described in 1964. It is mentioned in a number of textbooks, but the sole evidence for its existence is a tiny fragment of jawbone found in an owl pellet. Intrigued by this elusive creature, and what it can tell us about extinction and survival, Richard Girling embarks on a hunt to find the animal and its discoverer -- an Italian professor who he thinks might still be alive...

Richard’s journey comes at a time when one species -- our own -- is having to reconsider its relationship with every other. It is also a quest for knowledge. He delves into the history of exploration and the tall tales of the great hunters, explores the science of collecting and naming specimens, traces the development of the conservation movement and addresses the central issues of extinction and biodiversity. The Hunt for the Golden Mole is an engaging story which illustrates the importance of every living creature, no matter how small, strange or rare. It is a thoughtful, shocking, inspiring and important book.

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When Eagles Roar: The Amazing Journey of an African Wildlife Adventurer by James Alexander Currie and Bonnie J. Fladung [Ukhozi Press, 2014; Amazon UK paperback/kindle UK; Amazon US paperback/kindle US]

Publisher’s synopsis: Follow the daring safari of James Currie as his love of birds, fascination with wildlife and craving for adventure lead him into humorous and life threatening situations. James captures the essence of what it means to be African today, facing everything from the Big Five to the vestiges of apartheid to the AIDS epidemic. He provides authoritative information on African wildlife and illustrates hair-raising encounters with lions, buffalo, leopards, elephants, rhinoceros and snakes through exciting and humorous stories. The book follows James’s journey from city boy to conservationist and shows what it takes to become an African game ranger. From his first graphic encounter with the brutality of nature on Table Mountain in South Africa to his disappearance as a boy on safari in Malawi to the rigorous training he underwent to become a game ranger at Phinda Private Game Reserve, this book will delight and educate anyone fascinated with nature, wildlife, travel and adventure. James provides wonderful insights into African conservation and a fascinating glimpse into the importance of cross-cultural relationships in Africa’s wildlife tourism environment. He details his own inner journey overcoming physical challenges and finding the balance between following passions and what’s important in life.

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The Galápagos: A Natural History by Henry Nicholls [256 pages, Profile Books, 2014; Guardian bookshop; Amazon UK hardcover/paperback/kindle UK; Amazon US hardcover/kindle US/Audible audio download]

Publisher’s synopsis: Charles Darwin called it “a little world within itself.” Sailors referred to it as “Las Encantadas” -- the enchanted islands. Lying in the eastern Pacific Ocean, straddling the equator off the west coast of South America, the Galápagos is the most pristine archipelago to be found anywhere in the tropics. It is so remote, so untouched, that the act of wading ashore can make you feel like you are the first to do so.

Yet the Galápagos is far more than a wild paradise on earth -- it is one of the most important sites in the history of science. Home to over 4,000 species native to its shores, around 40 percent of them endemic, the islands have often been called a “laboratory of evolution.” The finches collected on the Galápagos inspired Darwin’s revolutionary theory of natural selection.

In The Galápagos, science writer Henry Nicholls offers a lively natural and human history of the archipelago, charting its course from deserted wilderness to biological testing ground and global ecotourism hot spot. Describing the island chain’s fiery geological origins as well as our species’ long history of interaction with the islands, he draws vivid portraits of the life forms found in the Galápagos, capturing its awe-inspiring landscapes, understated flora, and stunning wildlife. Nicholls also reveals the immense challenges facing the islands, which must continually balance conservation and ever encroaching development.

Beautifully weaving together natural history, evolutionary theory, and his own experience on the islands, Nicholls shows that the story of the Galápagos is not merely an isolated concern, but reflects the future of our species’ relationship with nature -- and the fate of our planet.

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Handbook of the Mammals of the World: Sea Mammals edited by Don E. Wilson and Russell A. Mittermeier [614 pages, Lynx Edicions, 2014; Guardian bookshop; Amazon UK hardcover; Amazon US hardcover]

Publisher’s synopsis: Marine mammals include some of the most fascinating animals on Earth. Large, majestic whales and stunning, playful dolphins have provided mysterious companionship to humans at sea for hundreds of years. These magical creatures, along with the equally fascinating manatees, dugongs, seals, sea lions, and walrusses, have developed a completely different set of adaptations from their terrestrial ancestors and relatives. Volume 4 of the HMW series provides complete accounts of all species and families in these important groups. Lavishly illustrated with colour photographs showing different behaviours of all of them, the text contains the latest up-to-date information on all families of sea mammals.

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You may also be interested to peruse my choices for Best Birds Books, Best Popular Science Books (Biological sciences), Best Popular Medicine Books and Best Popular Science Books (Physical sciences) for 2014.

Did I miss something? Feel free to add it in comments below, so other readers can check it out.

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When she’s not got her nose stuck in a book, GrrlScientist is very active on twitter @GrrlScientist and lurks on social media: facebook, G+, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

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