Dancing with Bees

The most important message of this evocative and beautifully written book is that many of us have stopped noticing trees, plants, flowers, blossoms and insects, especially bees. This put me in mind of an experience when I used to commute into central London, and was walking past a cherry blossom between Marylebone and Baker Street. I suddenly stopped in my tracks in front of this cherry tree, realising that I had passed it without noticing the previous day. I now make a point of walking mindfully, noticing what I see, sometimes translating this into poetry (they look but they do not see). Life is far richer on that account. This reconnects us with nature and natural cycles – and this book is full of observations and experiences that can encourage readers to follow suit in terms of gardening and walking. There is an extraordinary amount to learn about the various species of bee, and the way in which plants and pollinators have co-evolved. Many readers will be aware of the precipitous decline of insects according to a recent authoritative report, and one learns about the scale and implications of large-scale industrial monoculture on bees, also reading one to wonder how a transition to a more sustainable food system can be managed. We can revisit familiar places 'with new eyes, ears and awareness' realising that 'having a relationship with the rest of the nature is about opening our hearts, our minds, and ourselves, knowing that we can, if we wish, rekindle our lost connections, because somewhere deep inside us all, there lives a little spark of "wild" just waiting to be ignited, or re-ignited.' And, if we have a garden ourselves, we can participate actively in the process.