Bring the outdoors in with a nature-based book this winter

In the early days of the pandemic, the country saw a surge in book sales and some members of our team made recommendations of books that could help you learn more about nature.

Read our original blog  - Grow your perspective with a good read

As we head into the middle of winter, we thought we'd revisit this list, adding to it with some further recommendations of books that can help you connect to, and learn more about, nature and trees from the comfort of your living room.

They could also make the perfect Christmas gift for the nature enthusiast in your life.

• 'How to be more Tree' by Annie Davidson - A beautifully illustrated book that brings together sixty essential life lessons inspired by the infinite wisdom of trees.

• The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring by Richard Preston – This book is all about the people who search for, climb and study the tallest trees in the world; the redwoods.

• Wildwood: A Journey Through Trees, by Roger Deakin – Accompany Deakin through the woods of Britain, Europe, Kazakhstan, and Australia in search of what lies behind man's profound and enduring connection with trees.

• Meetings with Remarkable Trees by Thomas Pakenham – A best-selling book of tree portraits, which is a moving testimonial to Earth's largest and oldest living structures.

• The Night Life of Trees by Bhajju Shyam, Durga Bai, Ramsingh Urveti - An exquisite silkscreen-printed art book of tree lore from the Gond tribe in central India.

• The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate – Discoveries from a Secret World by Peter Wohlleben – A book that presents the science behind the secret and previously unknown life of trees and their communication abilities.

• The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono – Recommended by both Dave and Susannah in the team, this amazing book is set in the foothills of the French Alps, where the narrator meets a shepherd who has quietly taken on the task of planting one hundred acorns a day in an effort to reforest his desolate region.

Suggestions for children

Stories of adventures in forests, the changing seasons and how to care for the environment can inspire our youngest family members to find out more about the great outdoors and the steps that can be taken to help protect it.

• Tree: A Peek-Through Picture book by Britta Teckentrup - Susannah, in the Mersey Forest team, says: "my kids have had this book since they were young and loved the pictures showing the changing seasons."

• The Magic and Mystery of Trees – RHS - With beautiful pictures and lots of information, this nature book takes children on a fascinating journey of exploration, showing them just how special these mighty organisms are.

• The Promise by Nicola Davies - The Promise is a much-loved children's story, about a young girl surviving in a hard city, where nothing grows and no one ever smiles. One night, she meets a woman and makes her a strange promise – one that involves her planting an acorn. Slowly colour, warmth and music return to the world, a forest grows and a community is forged. Read how the Mersey Forest worked alongside The Promise Opera team and Wild Rumpus earlier this year to plant trees and help grow the existing woodland on their site.

• The Lorax by Dr Seuss – A classic cautionary tale warning against mindless progress and the danger it posed to the earth's natural beauty.

• Belonging by Jeannie Baker - Observed through the window of a house in a typical urban neighbourhood, each picture shows the developments of the land being reclaimed from built up concrete to a gradual greening, shown through the artist's collage illustrations.

• Magic Faraway Tree collection, Enid Blyton – A classic by Enid Blyton following the tail of three friends discovering the magical world while exploring the woods by their new home.

• The 13 Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths - One recommended by a few of the team with children, an exciting adventure book based around a rather fascinating tree house.

• The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson – Go on a journey through the deep dark woods with a little mouse who meets lots of woodland creatures that warn him about the Gruffalo.

• Stick Man by Julia Donaldson - Stick Man lives with his lady love and three stick children in the family tree. One day he gets snatched by a dog while he's out for a jog. Follow his adventures as he tries to make it back home.