Jo Graeser – Hoopoe – A blog by nhbs

Hazel Dormouse Conservation Handbook: Author Interview

The third edition of the Hazel Dormouse Conservation Handbook is based on the most recent research and practical experience available on the ecology of Hazel Dormice. It provides information on best practices for conservation, whilst a separate publication, the Hazel Dormouse Mitigation Handbook, offers further information for those involved in development projects across the UK that may affect Hazel Dormouse populations.

We recently had the opportunity to speak to authors Simone Bullion, Rob Wolton and Ian White about the most recent volume, including the latest updates, how they became interested in Dormouse conservation and more.

Firstly, can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you became interested in Dormouse conservation?

Simone Bullion:

It was 25 years ago, when I had newly started a job with the Suffolk Wildlife Trust, that two events acted as a catalyst for my great interest in dormice. Firstly, I was approached by my friend, Pat Morris, to support the National Dormouse Monitoring Programme by helping to increase the number of people with dormouse licences. At the same time, there was a release of captive-bred dormice into a Suffolk woodland close to where I was living, giving me the opportunity to study them first hand. A series of funded projects followed, which helped increase our knowledge of their distribution across the county – this then initiated conservation action to restore vital linkages by planting kilometres of hedgerows. However, through time, the more I found out about dormice, the more it seemed they hadn’t read the book. Habitats that I felt quite certain would support dormice often resulted in several attempts to confirm their presence. Clearly, there were better places to nest than in the boxes and tubes I was offering them, so that led to my interest in footprint tunnels as an alternative detection method. There is still much to learn about dormice, but working with such an interesting and charismatic species has been a privilege.

Rob Wolton:

My fascination with dormice, and indeed with hedges themselves, really started when I noticed strange round nests in the hedges on our farm in Devon. As a keen birdwatcher, I could not place them. Until, one day about 30 years ago, a dormouse popped out! My first. That was the prompt that made me start to look seriously at hedges and at their wildlife, a passion that remains with me to this day. Each autumn I must admit to becoming more than a little fixated with trying to spot dormouse nests in our hedges as I walk around the farm, checking the stock or walking the dog. For several years my wife Paula took care of one, a three-legged female, no longer fit for captive breeding at Paignton Zoo. Dora, as we named her, was a huge draw, a natural lead in to talk about the farm’s wildlife and how we were encouraging it. There are few such endearing and engaging mammals.

Ian White:

I had always had an interest in conservation, but after university I worked in the retail sector. I then embarked on a new career path in my 40’s, thinking that I would become a wildlife ranger. During a training course I was asked to put together a presentation on a British mammal – I chose shrews, and so started an interest in small mammals. I was fascinated by the fact that many were considered common, but based on what? It appeared that very little was known about this group compared with larger mammals. My initial interest in dormice was somewhat biased in that, due to their conservation status, they were the only small mammal that anybody was likely to pay me for. Now after over twenty years working with dormice, I think that they are a fabulous ambassador for many other species, and they still fascinate me now as much as they did when I first saw one.

The Hazel Dormouse Conservation Handbook marks the third edition of this vital text; what can we expect from this updated volume?

Much research has been undertaken on various aspects of dormouse ecology since the release of the second Dormouse Conservation Handbook in 2006. As a result of several PhD theses and other studies, much more is known about their habitat requirements, hibernation ecology, population biology and genetics. New survey techniques are also included to aid with detection of this sometimes very elusive species.

Unlike previous editions which integrated conservation, mitigation and the effects of development within one title, the third edition presents this information into two distinct handbooks. Why was it necessary to separate this information into two guides?

Landowners, land managers and the voluntary sector continue to have a significant interest in dormouse ecology and habitat management. Separately, there is a professional interest in this protected species in the context of land use planning. Specialist knowledge has also increased, in terms of understanding best practice approaches to minimise the impacts on dormice from development. Consequently, it was decided to separate these areas of interest into two books. It is envisaged that the Hazel Dormouse Conservation Handbook will be useful to anyone with an interest in dormice, as it covers their ecology, survey techniques and habitat management. The Hazel Dormouse Mitigation Handbook will be essential as an additional and complementary reference to support the work of professional ecologists and others involved in planning.

Hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) by Frank Vassen, via flickr.

Since the 1996 publication of the first Dormouse Conservation Handbook, how have Dormouse populations and their conservation status changed?

Sadly, Hazel Dormice have continued to decline. The ‘State of Britain’s Dormice 2023’ reported a 70% decline of dormice in monitored populations since 2000. If the observed annual rate of decline of 5.7% were to continue unabated, then dormouse counts would be expected to have fallen by more than 90% by 2034. It is also believed that there has been a loss of the species from 20 English counties over the past 100 years. Consequently, they are currently considered a vulnerable species and in danger of further localised extinction in Britain.

Which factors pose the greatest threats to dormice in the present day, and what conservation strategies are being employed in an attempt to mitigate their effects?

Whilst dormice are can live in a wide range of woody habitats, they thrive in the mid-stages of successional regrowth of woodland after coppicing, in networks of sensitively managed hedges and in scrub. However, woodland management has declined during the last 100 years; only half of our hedgerows are in favourable condition and scrub is much maligned. Dormice are also particularly vulnerable to habitat fragmentation. To be effective, dormouse conservation therefore requires landscape-scale thinking to deliver the necessary increases and improvements in their habitat, and to restore connectivity. This will also help remaining dormouse populations become more resilient to localised changes, as well as the negative impacts of unfavourable weather and climate change.

However, there are parts of their former range where natural recolonisation of dormice is extremely unlikely. The dormouse reintroduction programme, administered by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species, focuses on consolidating the current range of dormice, working to restore dormice at landscape level to create robust metapopulations.

Muscardinus avellanarius by xulescu_g, via flickr.

Dormouse research relies heavily on the work of volunteer dormouse monitors, demonstrating the essential role of volunteers in conservation. What does this volunteer role entail, how does it support conservation, and how can the public get involved?

The National Dormouse Monitoring Programme (NDMP) has been running for over 25 years and is a powerful tool in monitoring population trends. As it relies on volunteers, it also provides an opportunity for people to interact with wildlife and see a dormouse close up – something that rarely happens in the wild. As dormice are a highly protected species, checking boxes for their presence must be undertaken by a trained licence holder. This training can take several years to complete, and numbers of trainees are often limited by the sites available, so sometimes there can be a waiting list to start. However, non-licence holders can also assist with putting up boxes, helping record the data and undertaking winter repairs to the boxes when they are unoccupied.

Other ways people can also get involved is to volunteer with one of your local conservation charities to help manage habitats to benefit dormice.

What do you hope the reader can learn from the Hazel Dormouse Conservation Handbook?

Dormice act as umbrella species for our native wildlife. Their habitats are home to a broad range of other species and retention of their populations is a strong indicator of habitat integrity at a landscape scale. Put simply, if we get it right for dormice, we get it right for many other species as well. We therefore hope that this handbook will help to aid the recovery of this important species.

Hazel Dormouse Conservation Handbook is available from our bookstore here.

Interview with Devon’s Living Churchyard Project

Over the last 6 months, NHBS has had the opportunity to work alongside Devon’s Living Churchyard Project by donating a number of bat and bird boxes to be installed in a range of churches across Devon to support local wildlife. This initiative aims to manage churchyards while also encouraging wildlife, biodiversity and promoting sustainable management practices.

We recently spoke with David Curry, former Voluntary Environmental Advisor at the Living Churchyard Project, about his role, the importance of preserving these habitats and more.

Firstly, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you first became interested in biodiversity, particularly within churchyards?

I began my career working as Keeper of Natural History at Plymouth Museum and Art Gallery, and later St. Albans museums in Hertfordshire. I am now retired, having worked mainly in local government for 50 years, where I first worked in heritage departments and planning.

My main role in planning was as an enabler – working with community groups in developing and managing wildlife sites – these ranged from changing derelict chalk stream cress beds into chalk wetlands, to planning and establishing community orchards ranging in size from 1ha to 72ha.

I’m an old-fashioned naturalist, today it’s called biodiversity.

In 1986 the Living Churchyard Project was set up by the Arthur Rank Centre to encourage the use of churchyards as a community environmental resource and to raise environmental awareness. I took an active interest in the project and began to visit and record churchyards in my area. I then lead the Devon Living Churchyards Project in a voluntary capacity for the Church of England’s Diocese of Exeter, while working in partnership with the national charity Caring for God’s Acre project.

18 leaves etc. Danson Park by Brian Toward, via flickr.

What does the role of a voluntary Environmental Advisor entail?

September 2023 saw the publication of the 4th State of Nature (SON) Report.

The report provides the most comprehensive overview ever of species trends across the UK, laying bare the stark fact that nature is still seriously declining across a country that is already one of the most nature-depleted in the world.

The data shows that since 1970, UK species have declined by about 19% on average, and nearly 1 in 6 species (16.1%) are now threatened with extinction. This is a timely reminder, if we needed it, that the nature crisis isn’t restricted to far-off places like the Amazon or Great Barrier Reef – it is right here, on our doorstep. We are losing familiar wildlife that we cherish including the Hazel Dormouse and Skylark.

SON goes beyond the bare statistics to assess the evidence behind these differences, it also identifies the actions that are needed to recover nature. To quote the report; “We have never had a better understanding of the State of Nature and what is needed to fix it.”

Exeter Diocese

The Diocese of Exeter is part of the Church of England and covers the whole of Devon. There are over 600 churches in the diocese, many of them rural, and there are over 2,000ha of glebelands (areas of land owned by the Church of England) which are used as a source of income through rents etc.

Opportunities

So, what are the issues that that needed to be addressed? And what are the opportunities to address them?

Evidence from the State of Nature report, and elsewhere, points to four big on-the-ground changes that we can take to accelerate nature recovery:

Improve the quality of our protected sites on land and at sea. These places have been chosen because they are special for nature, and wildlife should be thriving within them, yet too many are currently in poor condition.
Create more, bigger and messier places for wildlife. Our wildlife needs more space, and we know that many species can benefit from habitats that are quick to create such as ponds, scrubby habitats and un-trimmed hedgerows.
Reducing pollution on land (notably pesticides and excess fertilisers) and reducing the pressure on marine environments. This means more wildlife-friendly farming, forestry and fisheries.
Targeted species recovery action. This can be very effective when applied to a high proportion of a species’ population, and is also key to bringing back lost species.

Churchyards and their unique habitats provide a recipe for recovery in that they can be used to create more, bigger and messier places for wildlife. But also, the local communities must have the chance to be part of these changes. Establishing a Nature Recovery Network of ‘honeypot’ churches has been key. A pilot scheme working with the South Devon National Landscapes Life on the Edge project and Buglife has surveyed churches along the South Devon B Line from Wembury near Plymouth to Brixham (2023/2024). From the data collected, we will be able to provide churchyard management action plans to improve the biodiversity of each site, creating ‘honeypot’ churches.

In Conclusion

The picture of ongoing nature loss painted by the SON report is stark. This isn’t just sad – nature loss undermines our economy, food systems and health and wellbeing. So, we owe it to nature, and ourselves, to make sure that it is the last State of Nature report to chart continuing decline. Churchyards, in particular the Living Churchyards project, can make a positive contribution towards nature recovery in Devon and ensure that the next SON report can document the start of nature bouncing back.

“Nature’s recovery in Devon is not something we can achieve alone. It needs the support of individuals, communities, businesses and schools.” Devon Wildlife Trust

Monterey Cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) by Peter O'Connor, via flickr. — Monterey Cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) by Peter O’Connor, via flickr.

Why do you think creating new habitats, and restoring old ones, is important for these spaces, and which species are you hoping to attract to the area with the installation of our habitat boxes?

Encouraging a diversity of species on a site is important. Installing the NHBS habitat boxes will provide both shelter and protection to various species such as bats, swifts, and bees.

Why do you think these vital areas of biodiversity are so often overlooked, and how do you think we can work to improve their future preservation?

Mention churchyards to anyone and they will usually shrug their shoulders.

A churchyard is many things to many people;

A pleasant, reflective place for the congregation and visitors
An environment in keeping with the function of burial and the scattering of cremated remains
A respected and cared for part of our environment

No one mentions its potential as a sanctuary for wildlife. That’s the problem. People will walk past a church cemetery without giving a thought to looking inside, after all it’s a cemetery containing graves and memorials for the dead.

Raising awareness about the wildlife in the churchyard or the peace and tranquillity takes priority. We need to make the entrance more welcoming with appropriate signage.

‘People protect what they love’ – Jacque Yves Cousteau. This quote encapsulates the basic human instinct that drives us to safeguard and preserve the things that hold a special place in our hearts. Whether it be our loved ones, our communities or nature. At its core, this quote highlights the importance of connectiveness. Our modern culture has disconnected us from nature, and as ambassadors for nature we need to reconnect people, encourage people to understand and love nature and to be motivated to protect it.

Nature can also trigger positive emotions, reduce stress, increase prosocial behaviour, and improve health and wellness.

Hart's-tongue fern (Asplenium scolopendrium) by Peter O'Connor, via flickr. — Hart’s-tongue fern (Asplenium scolopendrium) by Peter O’Connor, via flickr.

What are the most interesting species that you’ve found in some of the churchyards you’ve visit?

Gosh, how long is a piece of string? Because churchyards have been oases in space and time, largely immune from activities beyond their walls, they have become sanctuaries for a wide range of species. Churchyards provide a mosaic of habitats, from meadowland to woodland edge, dense hedges, short and long grass cover and a variety of ‘cliff’ and rock habitats in the form of the church wall and gravestones. They can harbour a startling number (often many hundreds) of species and no doubt conceal rare and interesting creatures and plants. The range of rock types on headstones are of special value to lichens and other lowly plants, some of which may be very rare.

Old cob boundary walls maybe especially interesting, offering hole nesting species including many species of solitary bees with places to lay eggs. These in turn attract the inevitable parasites, some of which are often over-looked but impressively sci-fi in appearance. Part of the peregrine falcon ‘come back’ after they dwindled to near extinction was fuelled by the nest site opportunities of church buildings – they are now a regular site perched on bell towers. Likewise, the shocking decline of swifts is now being reversed thanks to the installation of nest boxes in bell towers.

Love Your Burial Ground Week, celebrated every June, is an important opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of churchyards and celebrate their natural diversity. How can the local community get involved?

Saturday 7th June to Sunday the 15th June 2025.

Love Your Burial Ground Week is a celebratory week which has been running for many years. Caring for God’s Acre has been encouraging all who help to look after churchyards, chapel yards and cemeteries to celebrate these fantastic places in the lovely month of June – in any way you choose.

We’ve seen history talks, picnics, bat walks, storytelling, volunteering work parties and even abseiling teddy bears!

Churches Count on Nature 2025 runs at the same time as Love Your Burial Ground Week, and focuses on the brilliant wildlife to be found in churchyards and chapel yards. It is a joint initiative promoted by Caring for God’s Acre, the Church of England, the Church in Wales and A Rocha UK.

In the months leading up to June we shall be working with Caring for God’s Acre to encourage church communities throughout Devon to take part in this exciting event. There is a wealth of information on how you can open your churchyard to visitors provided by Caring for Gods Acre.

Author interview with Tony Juniper: Just Earth

In this radical, eye-opening book, environmentalist Tony Juniper CBE explores the interconnectedness of the environmental crisis and inequality, and argues that ecological progress cannot be achieved without addressing these disparities. Collating a range of interviews with global experts, and drawing upon 40 years of research and campaigning, he provides long-overdue answers as to how we can achieve real, lasting change.

Tony Juniper portrait. — Tony Juniper portrait © Jason Bye

Tony Juniper CBE is an environmental advocate who has been active in defending nature for nearly 40 years, through leading major organisations, managing global campaigns, and holding high-level government advisory roles. He is a celebrated author, known for numerous award-winning titles, and was awarded a CBE in 2017 as recognition for his contributions to conservation.

We recently had the opportunity to speak to Tony about his book, where he told us about the most challenging aspects of writing Just Earth, the importance of technology in creating a sustainable future and more.

Firstly, can you tell us a little about yourself and what inspired you to write this book?

I am a long-serving environmental advocate. I have led and advised campaigns and campaigning organisations, worked as a professional ornithologist, worked with the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, written some books and I now lead Natural England – the UK government’s nature agency in England.

What message are you hoping to convey with Just Earth, and what do you hope the reader may learn from its message?

Just Earth set outs why and how various kinds of social inequalities are massive environmental issues. This is seen in how the poorest and voiceless get hit first and hardest by environmental damage, including exposure to toxic pollution, lack of access to good quality green spaces and the effects of climate change. Those most affected are the groups who are least responsible for causing such damage in the first place. The injustices linked with this limit the agreement of strong global accords and blocks action in countries around the world – new environmental laws and policies are held back because of the plight of the poor, who during cost of living crises are held up as the reason not to increase costs through moves to sustainable farming and clean energy, for example. Inequality also destroys the trust needed to foster the common endeavour that is so vital for fixing complex global issues. I set out something on what might be done, but it is a big set of challenges that we are facing, and the book seeks to inform the reader about the breadth and depth of what is at hand.

What was the most challenging aspect of writing Just Earth?

It is a complex story that the book seeks to tell. Getting the facts and data woven into a readable and balanced narrative was hard work – I am pleased with the result though, and hope readers will find it interesting and informative.?

Hills of Ingleton Waterfalls by Robin Mulligan, via flickr.

Green growth explores the possibility of decoupling the expansion of gross domestic product (GDP) with environmental damage. How important do you think technology will be in a green growth scenario, and do you think technological innovation can truly pave the way for a greener, more sustainable future?

Technology is a vital component of what is needed, but we’ve had a lot of that for decades and not used it at the scale needed. Just Earth sets out why it is important to look beyond solar panels, AI, batteries and all the rest, and looks into the social and political context in which these technologies are deployed. The idea of green growth has been around for years but there are too few examples of it working in practice. One challenging aspect that runs counter to our consumerist culture is the need to use less stuff. We are already causing massive environmental damage with a minority of the world population living like Europeans, and we simply don’t have enough planet to keep growing as we have during past decades – even if it is a bit greener here and there.

Greyfield Woods by Stewart Black, via flickr.

Chapter 11 sets out a ten-point agenda for a just transition to a secure future. If any, which of these do you believe should be the primary focus in beginning this transition, and how long do you think it will take to achieve?

I think the biggest single thing, which links to the idea of green growth, is to change what we are measuring as growth. At present, gross domestic product (GDP) dominates but fails to take account of the environmental damage and inequalities that go with it. Coming up with more comprehensive measures of growth, that also include metrics linked with social wellbeing, ecological footprint, happiness, health and social cohesion would lead to different outcomes. There are ways of doing this, and in the book, I touch on the idea of a Genuine Progress Indicator, which measures far more than simply how much economic activity is taking place.?

What gives you hope for the future of our planet??

We are in revolutionary times and at a moment when the old ideas of the 20th century are facing serious tests. Environmental goals are being diluted and weakened by some governments and companies and democracies showing signs of stresses and strains that have profound implications. My hope is that during the turbulent times that we are in new ideas will begin to take hold. I propose a new frame of reference to go beyond capitalism or socialism and to instead embrace the idea of Thrivalism, a world view that would aim to create the conditions for ten billion people to thrive and enjoy long and happy lives on a living planet. At this point we need to think big.

What’s next for you? Are you writing any other books we can hear about?

I have various projects in mind, and more will be shared on those in due course. For now, promoting the ideas in Just Earth will I expect take up quite a lot of time, alongside all the other things I do.

Just Earth is available to order from our bookstore here.

This Week in Biodiversity News – 17th March

Policy

The Climate Change Committee establish its seventh Carbon Budget, the limits of which will be agreed to this year with the aim of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. The latest budget allocated for 2038-2042 should be set at 535 megatonnes of CO2 equivalent – including domestic, aviation and shipping emissions – which the government hopes will save individual households £700 in energy bills due to increased energy security. This budget highlights that the government’s economic goals can be achieved whilst also taking action against climate change, benefitting the UK as a whole.

Last week, the UK Government introduced the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. The Bill aims to fast-track the planning and construction process, removing hurdles to boost economic growth and energy security while delivering environmental commitments. This significant change to the planning system encompasses a number of key measures, including the implementation of a Nature Restoration Fund, the abandonment of individual site level mitigation and assessment, and the introduction of Environmental Delivery Plans. The Bill has raised serious concerns for protected species and habitats in the absence of targeted, site-specific mitigation – read CIEEM’s response to the Bill here.

Environment

Government pledges to clean up Windermere, after a study reveals it has been contaminated with over 140 million litres of pollution. This commitment has been made after water supplier United Utilities admitted to illegally discharging millions of litres of raw sewage into the lake over three years. Environmental Secretary Steve Reed did not divulge how discharge into the lake would be prevented, however a feasibility study conducted by United Utilities concluded this will require over 42 miles of new pipework to take the sewage downstream, and a further 205 miles to connect private sewage facilities. This is likely to cost hundreds of millions of pounds, which will be paid through increased customer bills.

lake windermere — Lake Windermere by Jim Leach via Flickr

The Blue Marine Foundation is challenging the government’s fishing quotas in the High Court. There is concern that Defra overlooked scientific advice when setting catch limits after Brexit, which have resulted in concern over the sustainability of fish stocks, and notable decreases in commercial species such as Pollack. Blue Marine Foundation argues that unsustainable management by Defra is irresponsible, risking both fish stocks and the livelihoods of fishing communities – they have asked the court to declare the limits unlawful to inform better practices in the future.

Discoveries

A new study suggests that ancient frogs survived the largest mass extinction due to their varied feeding ecology. This study, conducted by the University of Bristol, has revealed that while purely terrestrial predators depended on dwindling land-based prey that couldn’t adapt to the fluctuating environmental changes, these early amphibians thrived. Their adaptability to freshwater habitats provided a stable food source, which enabled them to flourish in the early Triassic period.

Wheatfield revised by zaphad1, via flickr.

The quantity of microplastic found in crops is significantly affecting their ability to photosynthesise. Marking the first attempt to understand the impact of microplastic on food production, this new assessment has revealed that between 4% and 14% of the world’s staple crops are being lost each year due to pervasive plastic particles. This report combined over 3,000 observations of the impact of microplastics on plants from 157 studies, and emphasised the profound effects of plastic pollution on global food security. Professor Denis Murphy praised the value and timely manner in reminding us of the dangers of these particles in our food supplies, but cautioned that the figures require further research.

Author interview with Merlin Hanbury-Tenison: Our Oaken Bones

Haunted by war and loss, Merlin and his wife Lizzie leave the bustle of London and relocate to his childhood farm in Cornwall, only to find new battles awaiting them; crippling debt, a fragmented ancient rainforest, and Merlin’s father struck down by COVID-19. Drawn into the rainforest’s depths, they discover a desperate fight for survival, aiming to save this magical habitat while trying to heal from their own battles.

Merlin Hanbury-Tenison is a Cornish conservationist and veteran who founded The Thousand Year Trust, Britain’s rainforest charity. The charity’s mission is to catalyse the movement to triple Britain’s rainforest cover to one million acres in the next thirty years. His work has been featured in National Geographic, the Guardian and on the BBC. Merlin lives in a rainforest in Cornwall with his wife Lizzie, an entrepreneur and business leader, and their two young daughters.

We recently had the opportunity to speak to Merlin about his first book, including how he came to write it, how important he thinks species reintroductions are in Britain, which challenges he’s faced and more.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, and what inspired you to write Our Oaken Bones?

I was born and brought up on Bodmin Moor on a small upland hill farm with a slice of stunning and rare ancient Atlantic temperate rainforest at its heart. I left to join the army when I was 19 and served on three tours of Afghanistan. After returning, I began to suffer from complex PTSD and found the rainforest to be the best place to escape to and heal. At the same time my wife, Lizzie, was also suffering psychologically having gone through two traumatic miscarriages and my father had almost died from very severe Covid. All of us found the rainforest to be the best place possible to heal, restore and recover. I was inspired to write Our Oaken Bones as I want everyone to have access to the kind of healing that we experienced, and for all of us to use that knowledge to heal the rainforests of Britain in return. We used to be a rainforest island with 20% of our landmass covered by this beautiful habitat but almost 99% of it has been cut down and destroyed. I hope that Our Oaken Bones might act as a catalyst to ensure that this is the bottom of the bell curve and that we don’t destroy any more of this vital habitat. With every year that passes I hope that we will see more rainforests being restored and planted across our western uplands.

Merlin as a child high in the rainforest canopy, exploring with his father. — Merlin and his father in the rainforest as a child.

This book blends elements of biography, natural history, and scientific discussions to combine your personal journey with biodiversity and the pioneering research being undertaken at Cabilla. What motivated you to adopt this multi-faceted approach to writing?

We are all a part of nature, not apart from it – I am passionate about helping people to realise and remember this. It’s easy to say but much harder to feel. I thought that writing a book about trees would appeal to a small audience who are already interested in that subject. Writing a book about the people who live in, and are working to save these rainforests, felt like a subject that would be more engaging and would capture people’s interest. Rainforests are stunning, vital and rare. All I hope for is that people who didn’t even know that we have rainforests in the UK will read this book and finish it in love with the habitat and passionate about saving them. These are our most romantic and folkloric spaces, but many people are unaware of them or their decline. I hope that by weaving personal, historic and scientific narratives together we can shine a light on this important subject.

In Chapter 6, you detail your successful journey reintroducing beavers to Cabilla in 2020. How important do you think reintroducing native species to the UK will be in restoring our natural world, and are you hoping to introduce any other species to Cabilla?

I believe this is a vital area. We live on an island – if important native species are removed and new, non-native species are introduced the results can be catastrophic. This is well understood on islands like Australia and New Zealand, but in the UK, we seem to have a bit of a societal blind spot about it. Returning beavers to the Cabilla Valley has created the most wonderful explosion in biodiversity and habitat abundance. The change was near immediate and very evident. I believe that we can create similar improvements in the British countryside with the slow and careful return of other species, like Pine Martens and wild cats. This should never be rushed, and the most important focus area is ensuring that everyone in a catchment or a release area is on side and positive about the changes. This is all part of the effort to return to a more equilibrious state of British flora and fauna where species that evolved here are interacting in a more natural way together. It’ll be a very long process, multi-generational, but I’m positive that as long as we all remain optimistic we can restore much of what we’ve damaged and lost over the previous centuries.

There is often friction between conservationists and farmers in relation to the effects of livestock on landscapes, but I really enjoyed hearing about your work with farmers to create a blueprint for new farming methods focusing on ecological and economic benefits. How important do you think the shift from working against farmers, to working with them, in conserving our shared landscape will be?

This will all be impossible without the farming community. About 70% of the UK is farmland so we will never be able to combat climate change, restore biodiversity or bring back our rainforests if we don’t work closely and compassionately with farmers. This should never have been an issue historically and I believe it comes from a place of misunderstanding and poor communication. Conservationists and farmers should be the closest of collaborators and colleagues. We are all striving for the same goal; a Britain which provides food for all those who live in it, has an improving and resilient countryside and is full of some of the most stunning natural habitats on earth. Farmers are the key to making this happen and we can help them by ensuring that Government is providing them with the support and guidance to farm in a way that meets all these goals.

The Cabilla Cornwall Retreat offers a unique space for wellness groups, veterans, key workers and individuals to experience the wonders of nature. What are the key benefits of connecting with nature for well-being, and how does this align with the broader goals of the Thousand Year Project?

There is some simply stunning research underway which demonstrates how spending time in native rainforest environments can be beneficial for human psychological and physical health. I am a living example of this, as are many of my family. We have brought a large number of people into the Cabilla Valley as part of the retreat business here and the impacts have always been heart-warming and invigorating. We always do this work with a focus on the habitat first to ensure that we aren’t bringing people into the rainforest at the detriment of the habitat. This is very important. We are currently living through a mental health pandemic and an obesity crisis. There are many reasons for both of these issues and there are also many cures and methods to help alleviate them. The natural world, and rainforests in particular, are a key weapon in this fight. I would never claim that they might replace clinical or pharmacological healing, but we must begin to view all the options side by side and not in isolation. I have seen such marvellous healing impacts in the valley here and I believe that everyone in the UK, especially those who live in urban areas, should be encouraged and assisted in accessing nature as part of their general health and wellbeing.

Have you faced any significant challenges over the past few years that you can share with us?

So many! This would be another book in itself. Running a small business has been an adventure but I won’t pretend that it hasn’t been extremely difficult. The state of our economy and the environment for small business owners is pretty dreadful in the UK right now. When you add that Cabilla is a hospitality business set up during the Covid lockdowns and have then had to survive through all the financial conniptions that our country has been going through, it has resulted in many sleepless nights. Setting up a charity is also a very challenging undertaking and the ability to fundraise at the moment in the UK is particularly difficult. It took me over a year to convince the Charity Commission that we even have rainforests in the UK and that’s before we even entered into the treacle-like bureaucracy of the charity sector. Running a farm is also very challenging at the moment as we have departed the EU, therefore the subsidy systems are changing which has created a number of very difficult financial implications that we’re still trying to work through. This is all before I even come to the difficulty of reintroducing beavers and then keeping them in their government mandated enclosure – but there’s a whole chapter on that in the book, and I don’t want to spoil the fun here!

What do you hope other landowners can learn from the pioneering and vital work you’re doing?

My hope is that the Thousand Year Project that we have started in the Cabilla Valley will act as a blueprint for other interested farmers and landowners on the uplands who are looking to evolve and transition their farming techniques to one that works with nature rather than against it. We are a small farm and below the average farm size across the UK, so this isn’t some unachievable large-scale project that the average farmer wouldn’t be able to do. Everything that we have done here has been designed to not only repair biodiversity and the habitat but also to create a more resilient farming business model under the new subsidy and farm payments system. My hope is that others will take some of what we’ve done here and implement it on their own farms. This is how we will one day come to see rainforests across the uplands and once again view them as a bedrock of our cultural landscape.

Finally, what are your hopes for the future of Cabilla?

I would love to find a way to bring the valley into some form of public ownership so that the work that has begun here will be guaranteed and continue long after I have gone. The whole point of the Thousand Year Project was to create a multi-generational effort. This should be how all land strategy is viewed and conceived. I want my own children to feel free to do whatever they choose to with their lives in the knowledge that the rainforest restoration that we have begun at Cabilla will outlast all of us. I hope that this will become a national project that truly continues until our rainforests have returned across much of our uplands.

Our Oaken Bones is available from our online bookstore.

This Week in Biodiversity News – 17th February

Environment

A new restoration project is set to enhance RSPB Geltsdale in northeast Cumbria. The project aims to restore and protect vital habitat across the site, including moorland, wetland and woodland. These enhancements will benefit a number of species including Hen Harriers, Curlews, Snipe, Willow Warblers, Black Grouse and Red Squirrels. RSPB will be working in partnership with North Pennines National Landscape and Natural England for the project, building on the previous conservation successes in Geltsdale, which include renaturalising a river, native tree planting, meadow creation and restoration of blanket bogs.

Ireland’s remaining ancient rainforests are under threat from the rapid expansion of pine monoculture plantations. Despite government efforts to increase woodland cover, the country’s focus on non-native pines is proving detrimental to biodiversity and ecosystem health. Ireland has the lowest proportional tree coverage of all European territories – the Irish Republic reports 11.6% coverage while Northern Ireland has just 8% – despite investing over £1bn into forestry schemes to increase woodland cover. This widescale industrial approach is replacing lost woodland with monoculture, enhancing both ecological decline and rural depopulation. Experts emphasise the need to identify and protect the remaining ancient woodland to safeguard the future of ancient Irish rainforests.

Derryclare Wood by Nils van Rooijen, via flickr.

Experts warn that the world’s peatlands are dangerously unprotected. Despite covering only 3% of land, peatlands store more carbon than all of the world’s forests and are crucial for biodiversity and water management. With only 17% of this vital habitat within protected areas, their draining, overgrazing and burning driven by agriculture and extraction is emitting greenhouse gases that would make peatland the fourth biggest polluting country in the world. With over ¼ of peatland under heavy anthropogenic pressure, experts are emphasising the need to restore and conserve existing peat to keep global warming in line with international targets.

Wildlife

Over one thousand dead sea turtles have been found along India’s coastline. An estimated 1,100 Olive Ridley Sea Turtles have washed up on the beaches of Tamil Nadu in southern India. The stranded turtles were found with bulging eyes and lung lesions, indicating death by suffocation and drowning – although it’s difficult to determine, it is possible that net fishing in the area may have caused entanglement and drowning in these animals. Since the incident, local government have created a task force and increased night patrols to protect the hatchlings from harm.

25082: olive ridley sea turtle by Panegyrics of Granovetter, via flickr.

A drove of feral pigs have been illegally released in the Cairngorms. In the wake of the illegal release of Lynx last month, a group of feral pigs have been spotted near the Uath Lochans area, less than five miles from the release site of the Lynx. Working with NatureScot and Forestry and Land Scotland, the Cairngorms National Park Authority is working to investigate the release of these animals and safely capture them.

Policy and Development

The UK government remains committed to Heathrow’s third runway, despite significant environmental and social concerns. The expansion could see a further 4.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year – the equivalent of 101 billion car miles which could have destructive consequences in terms of pollution and the environment. The expansion could generate 51 million tonnes of carbon in five years, over 500,000 people would be exposed to enhanced noise pollution, and there would be severe environmental impacts – diverting five rivers, building a tunnel under the M25 and new flight paths would significantly impact wildlife throughout London, including the eleven bat species that reside within Richmond Park.

EGLL - Boeing 747 - British Airways - G-BNLY by Steve Lynes, via flickr. — EGLL – Boeing 747 – British Airways – G-BNLY by Steve Lynes, via flickr.

In its first year, Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) has significantly underperformed. First-year figures for BNG show only 773 hectares of habitat creation and enhancement (onsite and offsite combined), which marks just 13% of Defra’s annual generation estimations for the scheme. This shortcoming is due to broad exemptions, limited resources and poor monitoring and enforcement. Environmental groups are calling for a strengthening of the scheme through the upcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill , including more ambitious targets, reducing exemptions to BNG, enhanced monitoring and enforcement, and a guarantee that reforms will not weaken existing protections while delivering more effective off-site nature compensation.

Find an official response from CIEEM on the UK Government’s Planning Reform Working Paper here. The working paper will be used to build the Planning and Infrastructure Bill that will seek to fast-track development across the UK and could see impacts on the role and effectiveness of biodiversity net gain.

Author interview with Richard Lewington: Pocket Guide to British Spiders

Featuring 130 of the most common and readily available spider species, Pocket Guide to British Spiders is the ideal companion for both beginners and more experienced enthusiasts alike. Detailing identifying features, webs, egg cocoons and behaviour, these accounts are interspersed with beautifully illustrated spreads showing similarities and differences at a glance, making this introductory guide the perfect companion for use in the field.

Richard Lewington is a renowned wildlife illustrator, whose beautifully detailed drawings feature in a wide array of identification guides including The Butterflies of Britain and Ireland, Field Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland, and Field Guide to the Bees of Great Britain and Ireland. In 1999, he was awarded Butterfly Conservation’s Marsh Award for the promotion of Lepidoptera conservation, as well as the Zoological Society of London’s Stamford Raffles Award for contribution to zoology in 2010.

We recently had the opportunity to speak to Richard about his latest book, including how he first became an author, why he chose to focus on arachnids and which techniques he uses to create these stunning illustrations.

Firstly, can you tell us a little bit about yourself, and how you first became an author and illustrator?

I became a freelance wildlife illustrator soon after leaving art college in the 1970s. I’ve always had an interest in the natural world, particularly butterflies and moths, so invertebrates were the subjects I concentrated on right from the start. I’ve always worked in collaboration with various experts, until about 25 years ago, when I wrote and illustrated my first book How to Identify Butterflies. Since then, I’ve written and illustrated five books, though most of the books I work on are collaborations with authors with specialist knowledge of the subjects.

Pocket Guide to British Spiders is your 29th identification guide published since 1979. What inspired you to focus on arachnids for this book, and how did you choose which of the 680 British species to include?

I’ve had an interest in spiders for many years and have a collection of paintings, some of which I did about 50 years ago. I thought they would form the basis of a pocket guide, and I added more illustrations in the last few years to go with those I already had. The aim was to include common, well-known and easily identifiable species – about 130 in total. As many spiders are very small and similar to each other, it is necessary to examine them through a microscope to identify many of them, which is the next step up for those who want to study them in greater detail.

I was surprised to learn about the somewhat limited conservation efforts being undertaken to protect endangered spider species across Britain. What are the largest threats to spiders, and how can we protect these vital invertebrates in the future?

As with much of the natural world, spiders are under threat from habitat loss and pollution, but because they don’t have the same appeal as some other groups, they receive less attention. However, they are just as important, helping to keep the balance in ecological systems by eating and being eaten by a vast number of other creatures. Gardens are becoming more important, and we can all help spider well-being by not being too tidy in the garden to encourage a good variety of mini habitats in which they can live.

Pocket Guide to British Spiders includes a vast amount of detail on nomenclature, structure, anatomy, mythology, identifying features and more. What was the most interesting thing you learned while researching this book?

Probably their diversity. They vary hugely in size, shape and colouring, and can be found in every habitat from mountain tops to beneath the surface of water. Many also occur throughout the year when many other invertebrates are dormant.

Having illustrated many guides throughout your career, can you give us an overview of the techniques you use to create such detailed works of art, and explain how your painting style has evolved over time?

I start by doing a detailed, measured drawing on layout paper. This is transferred to watercolour paper and, using Designers’ Gouache paints, I apply washes, gradually building the colour intensity and the effect of light and shadow. Details such as textures and highlights are added to give a three-dimensional appearance. More recently, I’ve been scanning the artwork before sending it to the publishers, so that I can adjust, enhance and touch-up the images using a tablet and image enhancing software.

What were the most difficult aspects of illustrating spiders, given their intricate and often microscopic features?

Spiders can’t be preserved in museum collections like butterflies and beetles, as they have soft bodies which shrivel after death, so working from live specimens or from detailed photographs are the best options. This means going into the countryside to find specimens and asking other spider enthusiasts to help. I like to take my own macro photographs from the exact angle to avoid any distortion, I can then work using the photos and the live specimen, observing it under my microscope. It’s also necessary to have a good knowledge, so that the subjects can be correctly identified, as some are very similar.

Finally, what’s taking up your time at the moment? Are you planning to write or illustrate any more books over the coming years?

My next book will be a field guide to Orthoptera, which I completed several years ago but has been long delayed. After that I shall be working on a project about my work as a wildlife illustrator, concentrating mainly on British moths, butterflies and their caterpillars.

Pocket Guide to British Spiders is available from our online bookstore.

The NHBS Seed Sowing Calendar: January-March

Planting and watching seeds grow is one of the most rewarding parts of having an outdoor space. From a young age I can vividly remember chilly winter trips to the garden centre, picking out different bulbs and seeds to plants in time for spring, followed by an agonising wait for the last few frosts to pass to allow us to start planting. This patience was however rewarded with my favourite task – exuberantly poking a million holes in compost-filled trays – before carefully sowing the seed in the soil and gently covering them in a blanket of compost.

To this day, I still get just as excited when spring is around the corner, and I can finally turn my wintery, plain garden into a hub of vibrant flowers and wildlife. But with so many different bulbs and seeds out there, all of which working to very different schedules, it can sometimes be overwhelming when thinking about where to start, what to sow when, and where.

Here, we provide a detailed Seed Sowing Calendar to make sure you’re on-track for those beautiful spring blooms in just a few months time.

Close up of lots of Sweet Peas in mixed colours including pink, fusia, purple and white. — Sweet Peas by the Walled Garden 02 by Sam Saunders, via flickr.

January:

January is still very much in the grasp of winter, so most seeds sown outside will perish due to the cold and frosts – therefore it is recommended that seeds are planted in trays or pots that can be kept in an enclosed greenhouse or indoors in a warm, dry, sunny place to ensure successful germination.

Sowing this early in the year means that you’re more likely to get a good, healthy crop come springtime, but it does require a lot of patience and attentiveness.

Sweet peas – Lathyrus odoratus

Sweet peas are one of my favourite flowers and produce vibrant, fragrant blooms in a range of stunning colours. They are natural climbers, therefore they should be grown up a cane, netting or trellis, and can reach approximately 2m in height. Seeds should be planted 1cm deep in trays or individual pots filled with compost in late winter (January – February) and watered 2-3 times a week. As soon as the last frost is over, and the soil is loose and pliable, transfer the seedlings outside. When the plants are tall enough to reach the canes, manually wrap the stems securely, but gently, around them – the plants will naturally take to climbing the higher they grow.

Carnations – Dianthus caryophyllus

Carnations produce small, fringed flowers on long stems and should be grown in small to medium pots or planters with good drainage. The seeds should be planted about 0.5 cm deep, in potting soil or compost, covered in a layer of soil and pressed down firmly. Place them in a warm, sheltered space inside and water 2-3 times a week using a spray bottle. When the seedlings reach 5cm tall, transfer outside after the frost has passed.

You can also sow carnations directly into the garden once the frosts are over, normally in late April, however it’s unlikely they will bloom the first year if they are sown this late in the spring.

Lobelia – Lobelia erinu

Lobelias are beautiful, colourful little bedding plants that are very hardy and will produce flowers from early summer to mid autumn. They are easy to start indoors, and need well drained, loose soil to thrive. Sow the tiny seeds liberally across the surface of the soil in a large seed tray, cover loosely with a thin layer of compost, and gently press down to ensure the seeds are fully covered. Place the tray in a warm, sunny position and water with a light mist. Ensure the soil stays moist while the seeds are growing inside and transfer into the garden once the frosts have ended.

Close up photograph of orange and red tagetes (french marigolds). — Tagetes patula by Tacowitte, via flickr.

February:

February is the ideal time to start sowing most summer bedding plants, as well as perennials that grow year on year. Due to the colder temperatures, it’s recommended that most flower seeds are still grown inside to begin with.

French Marigolds – Tagetes patula

Marigolds are very easy flowers to grow and are equally easy to maintain once they’re bedded into the garden. Fill a tray with compost and press the seeds 1cm deep into the soil, then cover lightly with another thin layer. Plant each seed 5cm apart to allow for growing room, and water every couple of days to keep the soil moist – but not soggy. You can then plant the seedlings outside in early spring (mid to late March) in pots, planters, beds or hanging baskets when they are a few inches tall and the weather is milder. Marigold seeds can also be planted directly outside, but you should wait until late spring (April – May) or early summer (May – June) to do so, otherwise they may not germinate in the cold weather.

Snapdragons – Antirrhinum majus

Snapdragons are bright, annual plants that come in a wide range of colours and heights, and attract an array of garden insects. They require a lot of light to germinate, so make sure you don’t cover the seeds with too much soil. Simply put the seed on top of the soil in a tray, cover with a very thin layer of compost and compress with your hand, before watering once a week. Place in a warm, very sunny location and, if sown in one large tray, thin the crop to one seedling per pot when the seedlings have developed 2-3 leaves. Snapdragons can be transferred into the garden after the final frost of spring and should be spaced 30cm apart to give them enough room to grow into full blooms.

Wild Flower Bed showing a mix of pink, white, yellow and purple flowers. — Wild Flower Bed by Pete Sandbach, via flickr.

March:

By the time March comes around, the soil is slowly starting to warm up and frosts are a lot less frequent. During this time, some of the toughest flowers can be sown directly outside, as well as summer-flowering bulbs.

Cornflowers – Centaurea cyanus

Cornflowers are small, vibrant blue flowers that grow best in full sunshine. They can tolerate freezing temperatures, so these seeds can be planted outside throughout the winter. If you are planning to sow Cornflowers nearer spring, plant the seeds straight into soil or planters about 5cm apart and 1cm deep, and water once every 3–4 days. Cornflower seeds are loved by many garden birds, so to make sure your hard work isn’t wasted, ensure they are covered with a good layer of compact soil.

Cornflowers take approximately 10 weeks to flower if they are planted in spring, so these beautiful flowers will brighten up your garden in no time!

Wildflower mixes (native)

Late March is the perfect time to plant your mixed wildflower seeds to produce a beautiful range of native flowers, colours and scents, and most importantly provide food, shelter and habitats for key pollinators such as bees. Wildflowers are best sown straight outside in large beds or planters. Break up any large lumps of soil, then generously sprinkle the seed mix before carefully raking over the seeds, ensuring they are fully covered up. Gently water the area after planting, ensuring that you don’t dislodge the seeds with too much water, and watch them bloom!

Water your wildflower garden twice a week to ensure the soil doesn’t dry out, particularly over the hot summer months.

If you are keen to begin your wildflower garden early, you can plant them in February if the weather remains mild and dry.

Cosmos – Cosmos Bipinnatus

Cosmos can be grown both inside and outside, and thrive is sunny areas of the garden. They germinate very quickly and produce vibrant, tall flowers. If you prefer to start your flowers inside, yielding blooms in early summer, sow the seeds in individual pots in mid to late March in fresh, loose compost. Each seed should be 2mm deep in the soil and should be covered in a thin layer of compost. Place the individual pots or trays into a larger seed tray and water from below. Transfer into beds in the garden four to six weeks later, or after the last frost.

If you prefer the ease of planting seeds directly outside, or are a little late to the party, wait until the weather is mild and drier in early May before scattering the seeds straight onto evenly raked soil and covering lightly. Water every few days until the plants are well established, but be careful not to overwater as this will cause fewer buds to grow on each plant.

Small green seedling in a terracotta pot in compost. — Mystery seedling by Joe Lipson, via flickr.

Top Tips:

– Make sure to label your seed trays or pots if you’re growing a variety of different seeds at once, as it is very easy to get mixed up!

– Ensure that any seeds grown inside are only kept in moderately warm places – too hot a temperature, such as by a radiator, can cause the seeds to perish, so it’s recommended to take advantage of sunny windowsills and French doors instead.

– It can be beneficial to ‘pinch out’ bedding plants in the early stages of growth to ensure they focus their energy on big, strong, bushy blooms, rather than becoming tall and leggy. This helps produce side shoots that should all bear flowers, but it is advisable not do so until the seedlings have grown at least two sets of leaves or you risk damaging the plants. To pinch out a plant, gently cut the growing tips just above the side shoots, repeating on as many stems as you wish until it resembles the shape you’re after

– Even if you miss the opportunity to start growing your seedlings inside, it’s rarely too late to grow your seeds if they are in season. Instead, you can plant them straight outside when the milder weather arrives, and will simply have later blooms – so you can enjoy beautiful flowers during the summer months instead.

Author interview with Peter Marren: Rare Plants

Featuring hundreds of stunning photographs, the 14th volume in the British Wildlife Collection explores the meaning of rarity in our changing world and climate. It discusses the importance of these species in our landscape, provides an overview of different conservation techniques, examines the justifications for intervening in the life of a wild species and more.

Peter Marren is a natural history writer and conservationist whose wildlife-centred writing portfolio includes newspaper journalism, obituaries, book reviews and humorous opinion pieces. He was a regular contributor to British Wildlife magazine for 33 years and is the author of more than 20 books, including Bugs Britannica, After They’re Gone, and Mushrooms – the first title in the British Wildlife Collection series.

We recently chatted with Peter about Rare Plants, where we discussed how he first became interested in botany, why he chose to focus on rare species, what inspired him to return to the British Wildlife Collection and more.

Firstly, can you tell us a little bit about yourself, and how you became interested in botany?

I have been interested in wild flowers since boyhood. I was lucky enough to have had a rural childhood, but my first serious attempt to track down rarities was during my gap year when I tried to find every British species of orchid. I failed.

What I love about flowers is that they evoke so much about our surroundings, the colour and texture of the landscape, its land-use and history, and its seasonality. Rare flowers in particular express the fine tuning of nature, and their presence suggests that here we are standing in a special place – one that, for whatever reason, has changed less, has perhaps preserved more of its naturalness, more stability. They are also wonderful in themselves. Orchids, for instance, trick and confuse insects into doing their bidding. Our alpine flowers are living links with the Ice Age. Bluebells have a scent that is impossible to reproduce chemically. These are some of the reasons why I love field botany.

Your first contribution to the British Wildlife Collection was the first monograph in the series, Mushrooms, which was published in 2012. What inspired you to return to this renowned series for the 14th volume?

I returned to the series because Katy, who edits the titles, asked me to! In the 1990s I wrote a book in association with Plantlife and the then English Nature, titled Britain’s Rare Flowers (1999). The rights are now owned by Bloomsbury, who publish the British Wildlife Collection, and she suggested that I revise the book for the series. It didn’t take long for a revision to turn into a completely new book, and I broadened the scope from angiosperms to wild plants in general, including pteridophytes, bryophytes and algae, and to Ireland as well as Great Britain – hence, Rare Plants. I dedicated it to my old friend, the plant photographer Bob Gibbons and his partner Libby, and half the 300-odd images are his.

Cottonweed (Achillea maritima) by Liam Lysaght, via flickr.

Why did you decide to focus on rare plant species for this book?

I concentrated on rarities partly because they are the focus of conservation efforts, and partly because they are the highlight of any excursion (as botanical trips are known). Rare plants have more ‘geography’. If only you knew enough, you could probably place yourself exactly where you are in the landscape without recourse to a map simply by looking at the plants. Britain is that kind of place: intimate, complex, infinitely varied. Above that, there’s the eternal thrill of tracking down a rarity, whether it’s a flower, or a bird, or a Ming vase. If you love plants, then setting your eye for the first time on an elusive species you have long known about and pictured in your mind is a moment to savour. As I hope I communicated in my book, Chasing the Ghost.

This is an incredibly well-researched and detailed book that covers all aspects of Britain and Ireland’s flora, from the uniqueness of some species and details on why plants become rare, to their role and representation within our culture. What was the most interesting aspect of researching this book?

What I enjoyed most when researching Rare Plants (and it was quite an enjoyable book generally) was the impressive new work on apomictic plants, that is, the ones that do without sex and so perpetuate minute differences. It helps that whitebeams and hawkweeds are not only beautiful in themselves, but tend to grow in beautiful landscapes. I was also enthralled by all the activity in the world of mosses and liverworts, mapping them in the same detail as ‘higher’ plants and getting them onto the conservation agenda. Some species have incredibly narrow niches, confined to lead mining spoil or lime kilns, or china-clay pits. Both are the work of relatively small groups of specialists who combine biological know-how with the ability to communicate to wider audiences – and to take brilliant photographs. I could say the same about lichens, but they aren’t really plants. So someone else will have to do them.

Eyebright by Donald Macauley, via flickr.

In the first chapter of the book, you discuss the IUCN’s criteria and red list. How accurate do you think this assessment is, and are there any disadvantages to using this method of classification to determine the rarity, and future protection, of any given species?

The IUCN criteria are only as good as current knowledge allows. Conservationists love to list and pigeon-hole; it creates a kind of order. But, in a rapidly changing world, the vulnerability of species is itself changing. Government and officialdom haven’t yet caught up with climate change and its implications for our flora. I think the most endangered plants are now our northern and arctic-alpine species, especially those that need long, cold winters with plenty of snow. It isn’t outright habitat destruction so much as the subtle consequences of a warmer but wetter and windier climate. The other problem with pigeon-holing is that it is boring. It creates the idea of fragile ‘things’, like pieces of china, and diverts our eyes from the marvels of the living plant with its ability to meld with its habitat, compete with its neighbours, and find necessary partnerships to survive.

The same idea of plants as passive ‘things’ has led well-meaning conservationists to substitute gardening for conservation. Plant conservation is under-funded and, alas, also under-expertised. Academic botany is in decline (count the university courses – not many).

Lady's-Slipper Orchid - Cypripedium calceolus by Bjorn S, via flickr. — Lady’s-Slipper Orchid – Cypripedium calceolus by Bjorn S, via flickr.

Finally, what’s taking up your time at the moment? Are you planning on working on any future volumes in the British Wildlife Collection?

I doubt I’ll be writing any more books for this series. They take a long time and I’m getting on a bit! Besides, these are hard times for writers who aren’t footballers or chefs, or others who have become famous from constant exposure in the media. While the natural history bookshelf has never been more bountiful, some of us are working for less than the minimum wage! I’ve recently finished a book (my 27^th, I think) about the world’s most noxious plants called The Devil’s Garden, which was fun, and I hope will be fun to read. I love plants that defend themselves with alchemy, vicious thorns and stings, horrific poisons, or play mind-games with their pollinators; in short those with a wicked reputation. They provide an antidote to the idea of plants as passive and compliant.

Vivat flores!

(Long live the flowers)

Rare Plants is available from our online bookstore here.

Q&A with Dr Rebecca Farley-Brown: Head of Field Studies Council Publications

The Field Studies Council has been educating the public on Britain’s natural environment for 70 years, and its publications have played a vital part in making nature more accessible. Three generations of wildlife enthusiasts and conservation professionals have learned about the UK’s plants and animals through Field Studies Council courses and honed their skills with Field Studies Council publications.

The Field Studies Council has published an impressive range of handy fold-out charts, as well as a large series of AIDGAP Guides, which are aimed at non-specialists and are intended to assist with the identification of difficult groups of plants and animals. Their back catalogue also includes a selection of more specialised titles, such as the Royal Entomological Society Handbooks on British Insects, and wildlife distribution atlases produced for the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology’s Biological Records Centre.

We recently had the opportunity to speak with Dr Rebecca Farley-Brown, Head of Publications at the Field Studies Council, about the many courses they run, how they develop their identification guides, their exciting new projects for the New Year and more.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what your role within the Field Studies Council entails?

Dr Rebecca Farley-Brown, Head of Field Studies Council Publications

My role within the Field Studies Council is Head of Publications, based in our warehouse in Telford. I started out in academic research and lecturing before moving to Field Studies Council in 2000. As well as business and product development, I manage the postal sales team that processes orders for our retailers as well as our e-commerce shop. It’s a busy role – every year we mail out over 145,000 guides and aim to publish at least four new ones. We also develop commissioned guides to support citizen science projects.

Developing identification guides is a key part of what we do – for those that take the first step of peering into the garden in search of butterflies and bees on flowerheads, through to guides for enthusiasts, fieldworkers and scientists. I am lucky to have a job which can make a difference, and successful identification is fundamental to survey work and biological recording – if we can’t name it, we can’t protect it.

Founded in 1943, Field Studies Council aims to facilitate an array of opportunities for people to learn about nature, which includes field or outdoor educational classes, residential and day centres, natural history courses and more. How large is your operation and what can be expected from one of your courses?

We have a network of 11 residential field centres and seven day centres across the UK, where we welcome over 100,000 learners from schools, colleges and universities every year. There is no substitute for first-hand experiences in nature, and our charity gives learners a special opportunity to see and explore natural landscapes for themselves. There are wider benefits too – being outdoors is good for mental health and wellbeing.

Our teams provide over 200 natural history courses a year, taking place online or in stunning locations. Whether you’re learning online at a pace that suits you, or in-person gaining practical hands-on experience, all of our courses are led by expert tutors who have a wealth of knowledge, and participants often leave feeling very inspired.

Natural history course participants learning how to identify dragonflies and damselflies

There is always a large demand for professional skills courses from those within the environmental job sector, including topics like habitat surveying, protected species, and understanding Biodiversity Net Gain. Alongside this, we get a lot of enthusiasts and students who are looking to improve identification skills for biological recording and knowledge to further their careers. As an example, our two-and-a-half day ‘Bats: Ecology, Surveying, and Conservation’ course will see you explore areas around our field centre in Shrewsbury. It offers hands-on experience with equipment such as bat detectors, where you will complete a bat survey and analyse the results. Plus, if you’re staying with us overnight, you can have a chilled catch-up with other like-minded people in the evening.

The charity has been creating Field Studies Council identification guides for many years, with a catalogue of over 200 guides to date. These resources cover a vast range of topics from plants and fungi to mammals and insects – can you share with us how you decide which subjects to focus on?

We try to keep an overview of what guides we have, where there are gaps and what needs updating. We had fungi marked as a potential area for a few years, but struggled to find an author until we started working with fungi expert Geoffrey Kibby in 2023, and we now have three WildID guides to distinctive fungi which have been really popular this autumn.

We also think about levels – people need different types of guides depending on their knowledge and experience. Someone starting to look at local wildlife might be happy to know they have found a grasshopper, whereas the enthusiasts and recorders will want to identify it to species level.

That being said, some keys are a challenge to develop and might not make it through to publication. We like to thoroughly test our guides with a range of people, including experts in the subject to make sure they are accurate and useful.

Two wildlife watchers using a Field Studies Council WildID Bird guide in a local field — From beginners to experts, we make guides suitable for all skill levels.

Each guide is beautifully produced and printed, featuring numerous detailed illustrations to aid reliable identification. What process do you go through when selecting an expert illustrator for each guide?

We’re lucky to have good working relationships with several artists, so we have a regular group we tend to use, some of whom are experts in their field too. Sometimes we can reuse existing artwork such as Richard Lewington’s butterflies and dragonflies – the detail on these is exquisite and so accurate, even down to wing venation.

Other times we might need to commission new illustrations, and it is always good to see these develop. Lizzie Harper does many of our plant illustrations, and we recently worked with her on the Waterside Plants WildID guide. Once we have decided on the species and the features that need illustrating, Lizzie will produce sketches that the final artwork will be based on – it’s always an exciting moment when these arrive!

Suddenly you can start to visualise the finished guide. This is the time to check the details. Are any modifications needed? Are there particular features, such as hairs, that need to be brought out in the final painting? All of this is discussed, and then we sit back and wait for the finished artwork to arrive. Lizzie has a lovely blog on her website, which gives an insight into how she develops her artwork.

fungi WildID guide next to a mushroom on the floor — Our selection of new fungi WildID guides feature beautiful illustrations and have been very popular this autumn.

What are some of the challenges that the charity has faced over the past few years, and what are your hopes for the future of the Field Studies Council going forward?

One of the biggest challenges was COVID-19 – lockdown meant that our field centres were closed, and the majority of staff were placed on furlough. But it was also an opportunity, and sales of the wildlife guides flourished as more people had time to spend outdoors exploring.

During this period, we also developed a couple of online natural history courses. These proved extremely popular, and over time we’ve increased our range to over 44 topics which we run every year. Feedback on these showed that it was a fantastic way for people to learn about nature from their own home, especially with time restrictions or accessibility constraints.

We hope to continue to increase the variety of online training we offer; while improving accessibility, we will also be mirroring these topics in our practical field-based courses to offer progression routes.

With 2025 just around the corner, are there any exciting new projects on the horizon that we can hear about?

We are always working on new guides. Some are still a few years away from completion, but a guide to raptors in flight is nearly finished and an AIDGAP guide to micro ladybirds and another fungi guide are planned for 2025. We also have a sedges guide in development, which will hopefully be progressing to the layout stage next year.

We’re also thinking about beetles, and working on another introductory guide series to common wildlife that we hope to launch in the spring.