This was the most lighthearted, refreshing, funny book I've read about conservation in a while.

My friend Hayley said in her blog post review of this book that it feels like you're sat in a pub with Tom Moorhouse chatting about water voles & field work over a pint, and that is the exact vibe of this book.

Tom's real account of a life in fieldwork, from being covered in water vole urine to numerous near-drowning experiences. Battling the UK's unpredictable weather and bloodthirsty mosquitoes & horseflies, Moorhouse spends 4 years attempting to reintroduce water voles to 12 different rivers in Oxfordshire to reverse their decline in the region for the first time ever.

The book definitely highlights that a lot of conservation issues are due to non-native species being introduced to the UK, usually for unsustainable reasons like fashion, 'pest' control or a quick investment.

Moorhouse's love & passion for nature shines throughout the whole book, whilst addressing the serious lack of funding & governmental commitment to conservation efforts. Despite the difficulties of working in the field, he talks about the little treasures of nature he has the pleasure of witnessing so intimately, that most people will never get to see in their lives.

I also adored all the references to Kenneth Grahame's The Wind In The Willows. I remember reading it to my Dad as a child and it's made me want to reread it.