BY THE WAINWRIGHT-CONSERVATION-PRIZE-WINNING AUTHOR OF REBIRDING Transform your understanding of the natural world forever and discover the wild forces that once supported Britain's extraordinary natural riches, and could again. Delve into the world of the invaluable wild forces that once shaped Britain's wild places and could again in the future. Our precious archipelago is ravaged by climate change, bereft of natural ecosystems and now lies at the mercy of global warming, flooding, drought and catastrophic biodiversity loss. But could restoring the species that once helped protect our islands help turn this crisis around? The British Isles - bereft of natural ecosystems, and with the onset of climate change, increasingly at risk of flooding, drought and catastrophic biodiversity loss. But could restoring the species that once helped protect our islands be part of a solution to turn this crisis around? From familiar yet imperilled honeybees and ancient oak woods to returning natives like beavers and boars, Britain's cornerstone species may hold the key to recovering our biodiversity on land and in our seas. For too long, we have forgotten the living organisms that once shaped our landscapes and determined the richness of our wildlife ... until now. In Cornerstones, we discover how beavers craft wetlands, save fish, encourage otters, and prevent our rivers from flooding. We learn how 'disruptive' wild boars are, in fact, seasoned butterfly conservationists and why whales are crucial for restoring seabird cities. We find out that wolves and lynx are not only iconic animals but practical forces that could save our trees, help sequester carbon and protect some of our most threatened birds from extinction. We learn how new temperate rainforests could save human lives, and we examine how humans - the most important cornerstone species of all - can become the greatest stewards of the natural world. In his new book, Benedict Macdonald will transform your understanding of the natural world forever revealing the lives that once supported extraordinary natural riches - riches we may enjoy once again on the islands we call home.