'Tender, connected and considered' - Chris Packham
'Luminous' - Freya Bromley
'Extraordinary' - Dr Amir Kahn
'Uplifting, defiant, galvanising' - Sophie Pavelle
'A tender, rambunctious song of undilutable adoration' - Amy-Jane Beer
Nature makes us feel things. It sparks awe, curiosity and a sense of beauty and community. But as wildlife around us declines and disappears, murkier feelings rise up: guilt, detachment and fear for nature's plight. For many years, Lucy Lapwing wrestled with these tangled emotions. So, in an attempt to make sense of this dance between joy and grief, she decided to go on a journey.
In Love Is a Toad, Lucy traverses meadows, bogs and hedgerows with her fellow nature enthusiasts, where she digs down into our relationship with the natural world. Over the course of a year, she meets bucketfuls of wildlife - Blackbird and Oak, slugs and puffballs, waterlilies, Dung Beetles and toads - as she roams across the UK.
From a river swim to wanders through woodlands, with every journey, Lucy explores how nature makes us feel, from wild grief and anger through to soaring joy and indefatigable hope. At once a celebration and an invitation to reflect, Love Is a Toad prods and pokes at our connection to the natural world, exploring its complexity in all its muddiness, messiness and wonder. Lucy Lapwing grew up in west Lancashire in the 90s. As a kid, she was fascinated by things that scuttled and fluttered and slimed, but it was only as an adult that she really came to know the nature under her nose. Now a wildlife campaigner, Lucy writes about nature on Instagram and works behind the scenes on BBC Springwatch. Outside - and indeed inside - of work, you're likely to spot her rootling in the mud, collecting feathers and bones, or whispering compliments to spiders. Lucy now lives on the Isle of Bute. A lyrical exploration of our complex and intricate relationship with the natural world in all its muddy, messy and beautiful glory. Love Is A Toad will appeal to all those who love to read in the genre of nature writing. Having built up a following on her Instagram account and through her work with BBC on Spring-, Autumn- and Winterwatch, Lucy is a recognised and respected face within this field. Lucy has an array of contacts within the conservation community who will support the publication of the book. She will be speaking to the likes of Chris Packham and Amy-Jane Beer for the content and so they will be able to provide endorsements. As well as her links within the world of conservation, Lucy's personal story of illness and recovery adds a unique angle to her experience and interaction with nature.
