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One man tracks the arrival of spring north through Europe from southern Spain to the Arctic Circle.

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Exploring Europe´s remarkable heritage of exceptional places and the wildlife, traditions and people associated with them, in February 2016 Laurence Rose crossed the Mediterranean from North Africa and set off on a series of journeys northwards towards the Arctic coast of Norway, all the while keeping pace with the arrival of spring.

Like a modern-day pilgrimage, he is accompanied by fellow wayfarers, migrating swallows and cranes and later, wild swans and eagles. He witnesses the awakening of a continent from its winter slumber and encounters new behaviours, such as storks that no longer migrate, exploring how they link to climate change. From Spain, Laurence headed north through France and Britain. Crossing over to Sweden, Finland and Norway, he ended his travels four months later as the long Arctic days stretched into continuous daylight.

In The Long Spring, Laurence evokes the landscapes, sounds and colours of the continent at its most vibrant. And as a lifelong naturalist, his journeys tracking the world´s most significant and beautiful phenomenon - spring - were a chance to explore the past, present and future of our connections to nature, reflecting on three decades of work and travel in Europe and his own long relationship with wildlife.

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No book has made me want to sprout wings and fly quite like Laurence Rose´s modern classic as it chronicles nature´s progress from winter slumber to verdant awakening in language so beautiful it sings. Stuart Winter Sunday Express 20180401

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LAURENCE ROSE is a naturalist and conservationist whose work has ranged from creating urban greenspace to advocating global treaties. He has worked for the RSPB in roles as diverse as nature reserve management, international capacity building and community engagement. Laurence is also active in the arts, as a creator, curator and administrator, often working with artists inspired by nature.

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