Sally Coulthard

"If you visited your and told him you were suffering from a broken heart, what do you think he would prescribe? s? ? Or would he just tell you to go home and stop wasting his time?"

"For us, as kids, snow was synonymous with fun. Snow meant speed, exhilaration, and toppling laughter. Snow gave us the freedom to fight, slide, crash, and make a mess, without the fear of a scolding. Snow put a wrench in the works, stopped the numbing timetable of school lessons and stealing an extra day of free time."

"In Europe, nearly one in ten species of wild s faces extinction, and in the US about a quarter of all wild bees have disappeared in the past ten years alone. s of all kinds — bees, butterflies, moths and other bugs — are showing declines worldwide and although not all species are threatened (some are even improving their numbers), the overall picture is alarming."

"Of all the deep burrowers, the best known is the Common earthworm ('). This is the 's friend — also known as the lob worm, the night crawler, the granddaddy worm and the dew worm — and is the largest naturally occurring earthworm across most of Europe (around 9–30 centimetres). The body of the Common earthworm can be as thick as a pencil and its tail can be flattened into a paddle shape, to help the earthworm grip the sides of its burrow."

"We have sheep to thank for the invention of . Very early sheep farmers tried many different methods for removing wool, some more painful for the sheep than others. Plucking (also called rooing), tearing and combing out would are mentioned in n texts from the late third millennium ... ( is still harvested by combing in China), while modern comparison from traditional shepherding communities suggest that some farmers may have cut the wool off using knives — shepherds in Nepal still use a curved, sickle-like knife ..."

"s are one of the few birds to have benefited, at least initially, from human activities. When , the barn owl managed to exploit the new that was created when forests were cleared to grow food. Not only did the absence of trees make it easier for barn owls to access open ground but the presence of s actually boosted the number of s scuttling around on the ground. And although barn owls originally evolved to nest in cliff cavities and tree hollows, human settlements, with their churches, farms and other buildings, offered an enticing array of places to roost and raise a family."

"Nature never ceases to amaze me. I often describe my writing as the intersection between nature, people and history — I'm fascinated by the relationship between us, our , and how that has changed over the centuries. In many ways, that relationship is more sophisticated than it has ever been — we now know so many things about how the natural world works. And yet, something has also been lost. Unlike our ancestors, few of us could, with any confidence, recognize the plants in a typical or name more than a handful of birds that visit our gardens. Key moments that once defined the year, such as s, solstices or natural signs of seasonal change, have also lost their meaning."

"Recent of ancient human remains revealed that, across Europe at least, farming was spread by the physical movement of people, not the dissemination of ideas. Scientists can trace the DNA of , over multiple generations, as they slowly made their way around the coast and into mainland Europe, mixing with local groups as they went. And, by around 4000 BCE Neolithic farmers had finally reached Britain."

"Yorkshire-based Sally has put together a compendium of s, including the new, the old and the forgotten. The book is a thing of beauty itself and includes illustrations by printmaker Louise Lockart. It’s also a fascinating read and serves as inspiration for those who love making things. Sally covers everything from why craft matters and endangered crafts to maker spaces and how to make a living from your hobby. Alongside this, she delves into the details of over 70 crafts, from trug making to globe making and crochetdermy, and hopes this will encourage readers to try something new."

"In the book Biophilia, designer and best-selling author, Sally Coulthard, demonstrates how to transform your living and working spaces into places that put you in touch with nature. The illustrated guide covers key elements for the ‘biophilic home’, including sounds, s, views, colour and natural light. Each section explores the links between home, health and happiness, drawing on environmental research and while making practical suggestions for bringing the natural world into your home."