A Sting in the Tale

March 24, 2014
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 memoirâa 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 " 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.

Starred review from April 1, 2014
What you never knew about bumblebees, from a man who is both passionate and knowledgeable. Bumblebee Conservation Trust founder Goulson (Biological and Environmental Sciences/Univ. of Stirling) has been fascinated with nature since his childhood. His tales of collecting insects, raising frogs and snakes, dissecting roadkill and even teaching himself taxidermy as a child serve as a light, engaging introduction to this often humorous but deadly serious account. During his lifetime, wild bumblebees have been disappearing at an alarming rate, and Goulson makes clear why this has happened and why we should care about it. He examines their mating behaviors, life cycle, genetics, nesting habits (unlike honeybees, they don't build hives), foraging techniques (smelly footprints help them tell which flowers have been recently drained of nectar), navigation skills and their many enemies. The extreme measures he and his research assistants take to study bumblebees will astonish--attaching antennas to bees is a tricky business, and collecting their feces is even more difficult. Even finding bees can be a challenge, as the author relates in stories about attempts to restore Great Britain's short-haired bumblebee population by capturing queen bees in New Zealand, to which the species had been exported in the 19th century. The success of another project--releasing bees imported from Sweden into an area around Dungeness--remains to be determined. Goulson also relates his adventures turning a dilapidated French farm into a thriving bumblebee reserve. Educating the public about bumblebees and encouraging creation of habitats beneficial to them are two of the goals of the BBCT, and they are surely the impetus behind Goulson's impressive debut. A delightful book by an author filled with enthusiasm for the natural world and in possession of just the right touch for sharing it with others.

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April 15, 2014
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

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2014
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.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)