Leif Bersweden – författare

He has just a few months to complete his quest – no one has ever done it before within one growing season – and it will require ingenuity, stamina and a large dose of luck.As he battles the vagaries of the British climate, feverishly chasing each emerging bloom, Leif Bersweden takes the reader on a remarkable botanical journey.This study of the 52 native species is a fantastic gateway into the compendious world of orchids – one that will open your eyes to the rare hidden delights to be found on our doorstep.Like Two Owls at Eton and My Family and Other Animals, The Orchid Hunter is a charming account of a precocious adolescent’s obsession with the natural world.Leif’s enthusiasm for his quest is infectious, as is the quiet conviction with which he keeps at it, showing how plant hunting can be the ultimate mindful activity.

**Longlisted for the Wainwright Prize****Shortlisted for the Richard Jeffries Award**'A meditative, descriptive, easy-to-read book that's perfect for plant lovers.' - Irish Examiner'A delightful, soothing book, packed with enlightening information about the natural world and the threats it faces.' - Mail on Sunday'This bicycle Odyssey of Britain and Ireland's wild flora is joyous, inspirational and beautifully observed.' - Peter Marren, author of After They've Gone'The Wildflowers of Britain have a new champion.' - Lee Schofield, author of Wild Fell'A heart-warming, fascination-inducing read from start to finish.' - Lucy Lapwing'An extraordinary book... captivating in its joy for the natural world.' - Isabel Hardman'When was the last time you stopped and noticed a wild plant?'An intriguing and timely exploration of the importance of Britain and Ireland's plant life.Leif Bersweden has always been fascinated by wild plants. From a young age, his afternoons were spent hunting for and cataloguing the plants in his local area. But it is a landscape that is fast disappearing.Climate change, habitat destruction and declining pollinator populations mean that the future for plant life looks bleaker than ever before. Many of us are also unable to identify, or even notice, the plants that grow around us.Now a botanist, Leif decides to go on a mission, to explore the plants that Britain and Ireland have to offer and to meet those who spend time searching for them. Over the course of a year, Leif goes on a journey around the UK and Ireland, highlighting the unique plants that grow there, their history and the threats that face them. His journey takes him from the Cornish coast to the pine forests of Scotland - even to the streets of London, proving that nature can be found in the most unexpected places. Along the way, Leif highlights the joy and positivity that can be found through understanding nature and why it is so desperately important to protect our wildflowers.