A Sting in the Tale "Goulson, Dave"

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

** SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER**

One man's quest to save the bumblebee...

Dave Goulson has always been obsessed with wildlife, from his childhood menagerie of exotic pets and dabbling in experimental taxidermy to his groundbreaking research into the mysterious ways of the bumblebee and his mission to protect our rarest bees.

Once commonly found in the marshes of Kent, the short-haired bumblebee is now extinct in the UK, but still exists in the wilds of New Zealand, descended from a few queen bees shipped over in the nineteenth century.

A Sting in the Tale tells the story of Goulson's passionate drive to reintroduce it to its native land and contains groundbreaking research into these curious creatures, history's relationship with the bumblebee, the disastrous effects intensive farming has had on our bee populations and the potential dangers if we are to continue down this path.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Goulson (biological and environmental sciences, Univ. of Stirling) explores the world of the bumblebee, sharing his many years of related research in this engaging, at times humorous, book. At a young age the author developed an interest in animals and attracting insects to gardens, leading to his studying biology at Oxford. Here Goulson shares bumblebee biology and natural history including evolution, foraging behavior, reproduction, locating nests (e.g., using a trained sniffer dog), predators, and issues related to introducing nonnative species. The author also discusses his attempt to reintroduce the short-haired bumblebee to the UK using bees from New Zealand and Sweden. Concerned about the decline in numbers of the creatures Goulson founded the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, and he shares information about the creation of this new charity and its early days as well as ways to protect bumblebees and their habitat. Finally, he covers his purchase of land in France and how he created a meadow to use for long-term studies. -VERDICT A fascinating look at bumblebees and a biologist and his students at work that will appeal to readers who enjoy natural history writing.-Sue O'Brien, -Downers Grove P.L., IL (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly Review

Goulson, founder of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust (U.K.), offers what is ostensibly a survey of the bumblebee, the "most gentle and friendly of insects," but which reads more like a biologist's memoir-a conversational exchange with the reader replete with jokes, anecdotes, and personal asides. He recounts his life in conservation, beginning with a pastoral childhood that involved hobbies of egg collecting and taxidermy, through to his professional research, wherein he explores both the achievements and limitations of sometimes "decidedly fruitless" scientific efforts. Fondly recalling quirky graduate students previously in his employ and their shared successes and charming mishaps with "various schemes" to monitor bumblebees, Goulson's personal touch is stamped throughout. This intimate quality does bring with it the occasional dip into nostalgic indulgence and irrelevant interjections about his "[meat] pie obsession." The niche field of bumblebee research can feel insular (even honeybees are peripheral creatures in this work), but Goulson reminds the reader of the subject's relevance through the bumblebee's role in global food production and overall biodiversity. Though his conclusions and observations are occasionally benign, they are frequently peppered with fascinating observations, a sense of good cheer, and Goulson's undeniable passion for an oft-uncelebrated subject, here presented for appreciation by the casual armchair naturalist. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Booklist Review

Although the disturbing recent spread of bee colony collapse disorder has prompted media outlets to take a closer look at these humble, honey-gathering insects, for Goulson, the study of bees has been a lifelong passion. As he recounts in this absorbing and informative hybrid between guidebook and memoir, Goulson fell in love with the buzzing creatures as a young nature buff growing up in rural Shropshire, England. However, one variety of bee, the short-haired bumblebee, which Goulson observed as a boy, is now gone, a fact that spurred him to found the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and lead efforts to bring this particular species back to the UK from New Zealand. In between describing the ordeal that ensued when Goulson and a fellow entomologist traveled to New Zealand to solve the puzzle of shipping bumblebee queens back to England, the author gives readers a solid grounding in bee gestation, anatomy, culture, and the many environmental threats bees are currently facing. An outstanding piece of nature writing that also celebrates one of humankind's most cherished insects.--Hays, Carl Copyright 2010 Booklist