The Jewel Box

How Moths Illuminate Nature’s Hidden Rules

De: Tim Blackburn

Narrado por: Richard Burnip

Duración: 10 h y 48 m

Resumen del Editor

Every morning, ecologist Tim Blackburn is inspired by the diversity contained within the moth trap he runs on the roof of his London flat. Beautiful, ineffably mysterious organisms, these moths offer a glimpse into a larger order, one that extends beyond individual species, beyond lepidoptera or insects, and into a hidden landscape.

Footmen, whose populations are on the march as their lichen food recovers from decades of industrial pollution. The Goat Moth, a thumb-sized broken stick mimic, that takes several years to mature deep in the wood of tree trunks. The Oak Eggar, with the look of a bemused Honey Monster, host to a large wasp that eats its caterpillars alive from the inside. The Uncertain, whose similarity to other species has motivated its English name. The Silver Y, with a weight measured in milligrams, but capable of migrating across a continent. A moth trap is a magical contraption, conjuring these and hundreds of other insect jewels out of the darkness.

Just as iron filings arrange themselves to articulate a magnetic field that would otherwise be invisible, Blackburn shows us that when we pay proper attention to these tiny animals, their relationships with one another and their connections to the wider web of life, a greater truth about the world gradually emerges. In THE JEWEL BOX, he reflects on what he has learned in thirty years of work as a scientist studying ecosystems, and demonstrates how the contents of one small box can illuminate the workings of all nature.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Tim Blackburn (P)2023 Orion Publishing Group Limited

Reseñas de la Crítica

A delightful peek into the treasures of the moth trap. The Jewel Box is a manifesto to care for the individuals of our local ecologies, a heartfelt plea to see those creatures around us that share our air, our gardens and roof terraces. Passionately written, Blackburn shows just how our lives can be lit up by noticing theirs (JAMES CANTON, author of THE OAK PAPERS)

What more could we ask for? A dextrous and clear-eyed unveiling of the dizzying jigsaw of life. This is how the world goes round. The moth trap as snapshot of the global panorama. The stupendous spectacular stupefying 4 billion year miracle. Take notice (KEGGIE CAREW, author of BEASTLY)

Beautifully written, accessible and essential reading for anyone curious about the workings of the natural world (SEIRIAN SUMNER, author of ENDLESS FORMS)