Our dewilded dictionary rejected conkers and adders - but help is at hand | Patrick Barkham

The loss of natural vocabulary impoverishes children's lives. In The Lost Words, Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris hope to heal those woundsIt is hazardous to stand in my garden. Thwack. Thud. Every five minutes, the tree above slings a conker to the ground as if by catapult.Some open their spiny cases on impact. Others can be gently crushed to reveal their gleaming treasure: cool to touch, encased in cream memory foam, and decorated with whorls that resemble a chestnut map of the world. Continue reading...