Jules Pretty

Bamboo and Butterfly : Transformation and Story for Climate and Nature Recovery Jules Pretty

We’re deep in a hole. Story with a swerve gets us out. You and me.

How about it? This is how climate and nature recovery leaps into a world of plenty and abundance. A fragile butterfly flaps its wings and changes whole earth-systems. Bamboo and Butterfly is a unique blend of fiction and non-fiction: 82 short stories and scenes offering hopeful, grounded responses to the climate and nature crises.

Rather than dwelling on catastrophe or offering only technical fixes, it explores the vital middle ground—where transformation is possible, difficult and deeply human. Story is our oldest technology, and at a time of uncertainty and fatigue, it is essential for inspiring agency, imagination and courage. These narratives show how individuals, communities, institutions and social systems can change, revealing pathways out of despair and into action.

They do not deny the scale of the challenge, but illuminate how collective effort, social capital and creative thinking can help navigate it. Written for a broad audience, Bamboo and Butterfly has relevance for researchers, professionals, students and policy communities, as well as general readers seeking reassurance that positive change is both necessary—and achievable.