https://cdnbookworm.blogspot.com/2024/09/tapestries-of-life.html

I loved this book very much! The way it stepped us through so many beautiful examples with such ease was pleasant. Things are bad, but things are good, also - highlighting the way that humans have had so many negative impacts on the world around us, but our ecosystems have just kept going and adapting. It brings hope that we can do better.

Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson talks eloquently and enthusiastically about the myriad ways we are connected to the natural world. In Tapestries she takes us through the New York water system and the clams that help keep it pure; through to bone worms that live on the carcasses of dead whales that end up on the sea floor; all of this via mallow plants, possums, and Norwegian orchids. As she discusses the intricacies of the ecosystems involved, she skillfully ties them back to humanity, our modern world. 
It's eye-opening to learn how the plants and animals that surround us shape and reflect society - examples include scientists studying ant movements to model traffic flow, and examination of microstructures on moths' eyes to reduce the reflectivity of glass - and Sverdrup-Thygeson keeps it light, making the book engaging. But it's difficult to mesh the theme of nature's effect on humanity with her argument that the natural world has intrinsic value: and whilst she tries to present an even-handed view of differing styles of ecological preservation, it seems her preferences lie in one direction in particular. 
Overall, the upbeat teacher-y presentation might deter you, but it's informative and it encourages hope and action to preserve the future. 

An inspirational book full of short stories about the wonders of nature.