I don’t think this is a book for everyone, it might become a bit boring rather quickly. As interested as I was in the general idea, I felt it a little too slow for my taste. But it is not exactly bad.
As someone who studies limnology, I do think this book offers an interesting and even slightly romantic perspective on river restoration from the point of view of an English angler. It’s admirable to take on the mission of restoring a river on your own—and to succeed. In one year.
In this book, Simon Cooper takes us through a year—season by season—of his endeavor to restore one of England’s rivers where he used to fish, but where populations of migratory species were no longer the same. Early on, he shares why he takes it upon himself rather than relying on environmental consultants, but I’ll skip the “spoiler”.
I found it to be a good personal lesson on the contrasts between ecology and conservation as a science versus one of the key non-academic sectors interested in conserving these resources in the Global North countries: recreational fishing. Additionally, each chapter and season paints a lovely picture of basic ecological concepts in countries with marked seasonality, as well as the biology of aquatic organisms and the terrestrial organisms that also depend on the integrity of these ecosystems. All of this is told through pure narrative and personal stories.
I would recommend it to nature lovers, anglers, and those interested in ecological restoration from perspectives outside of academia.
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