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In Emergent, Miriam McDonald explores the relationships that bind our world together. It is by reintegrating lost species with historic ranges that rewilding reignites the miraculous dance of life across landscapes. It is through reforming severed relationships that regenerative farmers build soil, produce nutrient-dense food and foster a renewed sense of kinship and community. And it is by reweaving our lives with those of the wild that we can restore our earth and ourselves. Regenerative agriculture and rewilding grow from the same root but appear as separate entities to our unaccustomed eyes, divided by how we view ourselves within, or banish ourselves from, the land. Emergent delves into this divide to explore the fascinating story of our exclusion from the wild and the scientific discovery of our interdependence with it. Above all, Emergent gives us a reason to be hopeful. To embrace all that humanity is, and can be, as an amazingly beneficial force in a complex and connected world.
Miriam Kate McDonald has over 15 years of experience in ecology, conservation and agriculture, working in some of Britain's most beautiful landscapes. Her fusion of science and practice lead her to the realisation that people are a part of the wild, entangled in interdependent relationships. She created and co-directs Holistic Restoration with Robert Owen from the University of Exeter, exploring and recreating humanity's ecological connections with the wild through research, teaching and consultancy. She lives in Middleton, UK.
"Emergent tells us what we long to hear – that we are nature. Miriam challenges, in a clear and concise way, the contemporary narrative of Human vs Nature, which has enabled us to dismantle the very ground upon which we stand. This book tracks the journey of that separation and reminds us of our true nature. It reminds us to tend our gardens as all living creatures do, as an integrated part of the beautifully complex and dynamic ecosystems we inhabit."
– Caroline Aitken, director, teacher and lead designer at Whitefield Permaculture and co-author of Food from Your Forest Garden
"This book brings new perspective in how to think about our environment and how we interact with it. For me, new to the farming world it makes sense of much of what I see and have experienced over the last 6 years starting up our small holding and trying to build resilience into what was very tired land. What's exciting though is that it also chimes beautifully with my world of strengthening and building wellbeing in the NHS. Understanding the holistic approach , that we. Must build and strengthen what is just another ecosystem in the NHS is fundamental to positive change. If you need good soil to grow then the same applies to any ecosystem."
– Colin Tudge, author and co-founder of the College for Real Farming and Food Culture
