Supporters of rebirthing claim that by participating in a “rebirth” as a child or adult, you can resolve negative experiences from birth and infancy that may be preventing you from forming healthy relationships. Some even claim to have memories of their birth during rebirthing.

We map out in Rebirding how much larger the Avalon Marshes need to be to support pelicans, but increasingly, I’m confident they could survive in smaller areas than I’ve proposed, perhaps only four times the current size of Somerset’s marshlands. He proposed a radical upheaval of conservation in the UK. Instead of managing small nature reserves, Macdonald advocates for the acquisition of enormous tracts of land that can be returned to nature through rewilding. Ben concludes that we should do more in terms of winning hearts and minds while being bold in demanding change.Any digging into the comparative economies of, say, grouse shooting as opposed to nature watching, in similar areas, then yielded the expected result that nature fuels asection in the economy worth billions each year – and that’s even before we’ve reinstated true national parks and many of our lost charismatic animals. You write: “[T]he inability for many nature reserves to embrace scruffiness is why many of our counties already have more avocets than they do willows tits or spotted flycatchers.” What do you think we need to do to make ​ ‘scruffy’ agood thing? For anyone who still needs winning around to our planet’s beauty – and wants to know how we can save it – this is the book they should read. Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

The poet Ted Hughes famously wrote that the return of swifts to Britain in May is a sure sign that ‘the globe’s still working’. So their increasing absence, is evidence of something seriously amiss. Why is the RSPB repeatedly described (by Mark) as an NGO (non-governmental organisation)? Surely it’s better described as a wildlife/ conservation charity? The Knepp Estate tends to dominate the conversation, but it is not the only rewilding project in the UK. Faced with the devastating loss of biodiversity, a diverse assortment of landowners and individuals are increasingly taking matters into their own hands. Ensuring that the birds have enough insects to eat is another vital part of the new campaign. Swifts alone are voracious feeders. On a good day a pair can gobble up 20,000 insects and spiders between them. Their constant energy supply means they even sleep while airborne, propelled by boomerang-shaped wings which make them the fastest bird in powered flight ever recorded. While the peregrine falcon achieves higher speeds, these are the result of the raptor stooping (essentially plummeting down from a great height) rather than beating its wings. This book encourages readers not to look up but down, at the universe below our feet. It speaks of a world that is more complex, abundant and interwoven than you could dream of. And it reads like an adventure, with lots of details about the author’s own travels. It’s free from jargon yet manages to navigate all the typically hard-to-communicate points, such as genes, ecosystems and species.Aim for a baby who is not full, but not actively hungry. About an hour after a feeding is usually a good goal. If your child is showing signs of PTSD or failure to attach to you, there are other recommended treatment options. Talk to a healthcare provider to find out what may be best for you. This book changed how I understand nature and conservation, and the author's thoughtful, plausible plan to restore it in Britain is truly inspiring.

Breath-based meditation does have some recorded health benefits. Research has shown that a consistent breath-based meditation practice can improve: Elsewhere community groups such as the Totley Swift Group in Sheffield have erected nearly 100 nesting boxes in recent years, nearly a quarter of which have been used by the birds to nest. Ideally any nesting spot for swifts needs to be north-facing, sheltered, and at least five metres off the ground (the higher the better for the fledglings’ first vertiginous flight). By far the most powerful and convincing ecological argument I've read. I got through this one with a whole gamut of emotions, from rage to frustration to optimism, and then all over the place again. Chapters three and four were particularly hard hitting, creating a sensation of vertigo. The targets are already there – imagine 100,000 hectares of new wetlands when you think what Ham Wall and Lakenheath have achieved, 140,000 hectares of peatland restored, 250,000 hectares of woodland and other habitat around our towns and cities. They’re already on the table – the recommendations of the Natural Capital Committee, rarely mentioned by conservationists. Where the book loses a little clout, in my opinion, is in the simplification of some of the arguments. The author suggests, with good evidence, that rewilding and letting go of vast swathes of our country is what is needed to save wildlife. It is hard to argue that point. However, at the end of one chapter he states Knepp is "more profitable, more diverse, more humane, more robust - and better for both people and wildlife alike". There are other forces at play here that the author doesn't touch on. Knepp's organic, expensive, meat, which I have tasted and love, isn't affordable or accessible to everyone. Organic food comes at a premium and requires much more land footprint. Overpopulation (which the author dismisses based on the relatively small physical land footprint we take up) and our dietary choices are two fundamental issues not touched on as key enables of lessening pressures on land. Do we import our food instead when we should be encouraging more local produce and reducing our carbon footprint? The owners of Knepp themselves concede not all farming can be like it is there. I think any book which is trying to rewrite aspects of our agricultural system should touch on these fundamental societal issues we are facing, that there are simply too many of us living too lavish a lifestyle. I did, however, warm to the idea of us hunting and eating more deer, which, in the absence of predators, have overpopulated and decimated some of our countryside.In addition to the historical context for what our landscapes looked like, I got a lesson in the recent history of conservation of lands in Britain and how that could be improved. I appreciate the author’s thesis that ecotourism could be responsible for many more rural jobs than we currently have. I think this is an idea that could help world-wide with conservation of land for wildlife. The classic argument in response is that ​ ‘scrub will take hold’. Good! Scrub accounts for more specialist and declining species than any other British habitat except aged wood-pasture. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654 While I have to admit to occasionally skim-reading some nature books as they can turn into endless lists of unconnected stories, Ben has a structure that works, that builds an argument, that takes you from imagining the past to imagining our future.

One of the most important arguments he mounts is that the large mammals he calls “landscape architects” must be returned to Britain – bison, wild boar and the predators that influence their density and distribution are what maintained European diversity over millennia. There is one place in Britain where this great experiment is being run – Knepp Estate in West Sussex, 3,500 acres where primitive breeds of cattle, pigs and ponies have been left to roam. Let’s be the first generation since we colonised Britain to leave our children better off for wildlife Benedict Macdonald Charlotte said: “Rebirding is an immensely readable book on complex and contentious issues. As you’d expect, it considers the needs of birds, but also the future of rural communities in an interesting and engaging way. While not everyone will agree with Benedict Macdonald’s conclusions, they’ll enjoy arguing with him as they read!” Consider that this therapy isn’t something most licensed psychologists, psychiatrists, and counselors would recommend. Macdonald is not a professional conservationist; rather, he is a lifelong birder who specialises in making nature documentaries. The vision he sets out in Rebirding was forged through years of travel and research, including the 500 academic papers he read while writing the book, and his personal observations of wildlife declining around him.The goal of this type of breathing is to inhale energy as well as oxygen. Practitioners of rebirthing claim that by breathing in energy, you’re healing your body. First documenting and diagnosing the decline of our wild birds, Ben then offers an ambitious and alternative vision for how we can create new economies for our towns and countryside with nature at their heart. It is truly mind blowing that 16% of the UKs land is given out to grouse and deer parks adding virtually nothing to the economy, used by virtually no one and destroying wildlife. 88% of Wales is grazed by sheep. An industry almost completely held up by government subsidies. The more I learn about animal agriculture the more insane it seems that anyone can actually argue that it can continue in its current form. Drugs fed to cattle come out in their dung destroying beetle populations and causing extinction of insectivore birds. The author uses some truly startling facts and illustrations to paint a picture of what could be - the real question is will there be enough people out there prepared to help Britain achieve its true potential as he proposes. The Chair of Judges for the new Global Conservation Prize was BBC Countryfile presenter, Charlotte Smith. She was joined by Adrian Phillips, conservationist; Rachel Woolliscroft, sustainability expert; and Craig Bennett, CEO UK Wildlife Trusts.