Sally Coulthard

"Recent of ancient human remains revealed that, across Europe at least, farming was spread by the physical movement of people, not the dissemination of ideas. Scientists can trace the DNA of , over multiple generations, as they slowly made their way around the coast and into mainland Europe, mixing with local groups as they went. And, by around 4000 BCE Neolithic farmers had finally reached Britain."

"For us, as kids, snow was synonymous with fun. Snow meant speed, exhilaration, and toppling laughter. Snow gave us the freedom to fight, slide, crash, and make a mess, without the fear of a scolding. Snow put a wrench in the works, stopped the numbing timetable of school lessons and stealing an extra day of free time."

"s are one of the few birds to have benefited, at least initially, from human activities. When , the barn owl managed to exploit the new that was created when forests were cleared to grow food. Not only did the absence of trees make it easier for barn owls to access open ground but the presence of s actually boosted the number of s scuttling around on the ground. And although barn owls originally evolved to nest in cliff cavities and tree hollows, human settlements, with their churches, farms and other buildings, offered an enticing array of places to roost and raise a family."

"We have sheep to thank for the invention of . Very early sheep farmers tried many different methods for removing wool, some more painful for the sheep than others. Plucking (also called rooing), tearing and combing out would are mentioned in n texts from the late third millennium ... ( is still harvested by combing in China), while modern comparison from traditional shepherding communities suggest that some farmers may have cut the wool off using knives — shepherds in Nepal still use a curved, sickle-like knife ..."

"Of all the deep burrowers, the best known is the Common earthworm (). This is the s friend — also known as the lob worm, the night crawler, the granddaddy worm and the dew worm — and is the largest naturally occurring earthworm across most of Europe (around 9–30 centimetres). The body of the Common earthworm can be as thick as a pencil and its tail can be flattened into a paddle shape, to help the earthworm grip the sides of its burrow."

"In the book Biophilia, designer and best-selling author, Sally Coulthard, demonstrates how to transform your living and working spaces into places that put you in touch with nature. The illustrated guide covers key elements for the ‘biophilic home’, including sounds, s, views, colour and natural light. Each section explores the links between home, health and happiness, drawing on environmental research and while making practical suggestions for bringing the natural world into your home."