Nature Needs You

‘A voice for nature’ Emma Marsh, RSPB

‘A true mark of courage is the willingness to be vulnerable. Putting yourself on the line, nakedly so in Hannah’s case, is the mark of a young woman who faces the challenge of making nature count. Courage is not fatalistic, nor does it follow the crowd to bland acceptance, it is stepping up and standing out. I applaud Hannah’s book; her inner steel and her sassy take on conservation are inspiring. I am so heartened that there are courage-driven young women holding nature in the light so that it WILL be seen by the powerful.’ Mary Colwell, author of Curlew Moon

‘An inspirational book that screams with urgency, bravery, heartache and hope. By the end you’ll be flocking to take swift action of your own to protect a world that needs us as much as we need it.’ Matt Gaw, author of In All Weathers

‘Nature Needs You is the story of [Hannah Bourne-Taylor’s] impressive campaigning, but you may find yourself seething in frustration at the indifference of parliamentary representatives … This passionate book could be a primer for other would-be campaigners about the blockers they will face.’ Country Life

‘This book might make you scream. It is the story of a fight that started with a promise to a small bird. It is about bird spirit and the spirit of a very singular human. Hannah Bourne-Taylor has a searing eye for both truth and charlatans. It is candid, courageous, powerful and profound. It is also riveting and nothing short of revelatory. Hannah is a hero of our times who pitted herself against giants and the dark business of vested interests. In the process, she is shamed, humiliated, trolled, disappointed, and let down. She becomes ‘a pest’ buzzing in their ears, and hopefully their conscience, and thank god, she will continue to be one.‘ Keggie Carew, author of Beastly

‘Hannah Bourne-Taylor is doing for swifts what Mary Colwell is doing for curlews. In a country where growth of consumption is the only game in town, we desperately need people like Hannah to call the governments and vested interests to account. A wonderful book that will make you furious, hopeful and inspired by turns. Buy it, read it and then become an activist yourself.’ Roger Morgan-Grenville, author of Shearwaters

‘A compelling and powerful story of magnificent determination and love for the natural world. We need more people like Hannah.’ Lev Parikian

‘We save what we love. Reading Hannah’s story, compellingly told, you will fall in love with these increasingly endangered birds, true masters of the sky, and realise we must work together to save them.’ Jane Goodall, PhD, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace

‘A powerful inspiration for anyone concerned about the fate of our beautiful natural world’. Tony Juniper CBE, environmentalist

‘A fierce and inspiring ride. I loved its passion, seriousness and courage. Hannah is Nature’s suffragette and in time will be seen as one of the heroes of this struggle.’ Adam Nicolson, author of Bird School and The Sea Bird’s Cry

‘A passionate, eloquent polemic from a conservationist so attuned to the natural world that is singing and dying all around us’ Saga

‘[Hannah] is an engaging and impassioned communicator, and her rallying cry highlights the struggle of liaising with campaigners, lobbyists and politicians in a bid to effect meaningful change.’ The Observer

‘This book is the story of Bourne-Taylor’s selfless ambition to save swifts … The story is an emotional but well-informed rollercoaster, and filled with love for nature. The reader is moved too – hopefully enough to help keep the pressure on to preserve this amazing species for many more millennia.’ David Callahan, BirdLife

‘This book offers an opportunity to see an environmental campaign from the inside … [Hannah’s] campaign has largely contributed to a broad awareness of the problems experienced by swifts and other insect-eating and cavity-nesting birds.’ Environmental Values

‘As the world becomes a more hostile place for nature, we will need more heroes like Hannah. This is a book that will appeal to all that are interested in the future of the natural world’ Steven Rutherford FBNA FLS, British Naturalists’ Association

Hannah Bourne-Taylor is a conservationist, bird lover, and author of the acclaimed nature memoir Fledgling (2022). Described by The Observer as ‘intelligent, poetic and moving’, she has been dubbed ‘a voice for nature’ by the RSPB. Hannah is an award-winning nature campaigner, named on the Ends Report green policymaking 2024 Power List. She lives in Oxfordshire with her husband and their two Ghanaian rescue dogs.

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