A Buzz in the Meadow

In 2003, Dave Goulson buys a derelict farm in rural France, along with 33 acres of meadow around it. Over the next ten years he works to turn the land into a refuge for bumblebees, his favourite animals, and for the many other insects that share the ground.

This is narrative non-fiction about natural history, written from the author's own experience of living on the land. The farm and its meadow give the book its setting, and the creatures found there give it its subjects.

The topics range widely. Goulson describes how a deathwatch beetle finds a mate, why houseflies matter, and why butterflies carry spots on their wings. Dragonfly sex, bed-bugs and wasps also get their turn.

Beneath the curiosity runs an argument. Goulson urges readers to value and protect living things in every form, and the book works as a warning as much as an introduction. It suits anyone interested in insects, wildlife and the countryside, including readers with no scientific training.