Renaturing

A wry and open-minded interrogation of human interventions in the landscape – RICHARD MABEYA timely and urgent message made warm and accessible; in Renaturing Canton tells us that bringing back nature in any and all places is the best way to fix the biggest challenges of our time. This is a profoundly uplifting and empowering book – BEN GOLDSMITHA charming account of one man’s decision to get his hands dirty and try to play his own small part in trying to make the world a better place. Thoughtful and insightful – NEIL ANSELLWhat James Canton promises is something hearty and hopeful: a clear-eyed way forward for the outside world and those who live in it, beyond the binaries of the rewilding debate and into an inspiring demonstration of how we can make a difference – ALICE VINCENTA balm for any nature-lover, Renaturing provides a meditative, practical and beautifully-observed account of restoring a small yet significant patch of land. Canton takes us with him on a journey of learning that offers plenty to any reader, whether steeped in the lore of rewilding and ecology or a newcomer curious to know more – CHANTAL LYONSIt’s impossible to feel what we should about the gigantic problems of our age: climate change, mass extinction, and so on. They are too big, and we are too small and too tired. But James Canton shows us a way to feel properly again when we look at the wild world - by looking quietly and closely at the wilderness on our doorsteps and in ourselves. A tender and important manual of intimacy and revolution – CHARLES FOSTERRenaturing presents an important, heartfelt message that there are things that we can all do to improve the current and evermore concerning state of nature. It is a book appealingly relatable in its content and deeply encouraging in its outlook. Enjoyable start to finish – MATT COLLINSA lovely, meditative, quietly inspiring book. There is a haikulike quality to the writing, in the focus it brings to the seasonal tasks of attending to a meadow - scarifying, sowing, scything - and the way these tasks resonate, reach out to a wider community of people caring for nature with the same diligence and love as Canton – JAMES MACDONALD LOCKHARTCanton’s physical energy and activity in the field are matched by his intellectual energy as he sets out to understand the various new terms around ‘rewilding’ … [He] daily forges new ideas as well as actual pathways through the meadow, the rewards outweigh the aching bones and thorn-torn shirts and skin * * Hortus * *If you too own a patch of earth, from a windowsill box and up, then this book is a must. It is simply told yet so powerful and thought-provoking. Renaturing is an inspiring and pleasurable read, full of love for our natural world. Highly recommended * * LoveReading * *

James Canton is Director of Wild Writing at the University of Essex. He is the author of Grounded: A Journey into the Landscapes of Our Ancestors (2023), The Oak Papers (2020), Ancient Wonderings: Journeys into Prehistoric Britain (2017) and Out of Essex: Re-Imagining a Literary Landscape (2013), which was inspired by his rural wanderings in East Anglia. He has written for the Guardian, reviews for the TLS and Caught by the River, and is a regular on television and radio.