Oliver Rackham was one of my greatest
inspirations. Before his great work “Trees
and Woodland in the British Landscape”, few of us had any idea about ancient
woodland; we didn't understand how special they were, few realized that woods
were managed and very few understood the great historical and cultural value of
woodland. Oliver Rackham opened a whole
library of rich new meaning to generations of people with an interest in woodland and landscape. His books
were just becoming well known as I was developing my own interest in woodlands
and his sudden death after collapsing at a dinner in Leckhampton leaves a great
hole were there once was the leading authority on trees and woodlands. Some great tributes have been payed to Oliver; see, for example posts by Keith Kirby and Ian Rotherham.
Thursday 19 February 2015
Friday 13 February 2015
What Nature Does For Britain - A brilliant new book draws on the work of The Wildlife Trusts across the UK
A new book by Tony Juniper, What Nature Does for Britain, takes a fascinating journey through
Britain and powerfully illustrates how we all need nature – for our health,
wealth and security. He explores how
nature makes us happy, helps us to feel better and is good for business too. The book also looks at how the protection of
natural habitats can also provide a cleaner, cheaper water supply; how healthy
soils help purify water, reduce flooding and store carbon, thus combating
climate change; and how food production in the UK remains fundamentally
dependent on a thriving natural world.
In the book Tony visits people and places across Britain to illustrate
the social and economic benefits of landscape and habitat restoration. The book includes many examples of The
Wildlife Trusts’ work such as:
·
Montgomeryshire
Wildlife Trust’s Pumlumon Project where landscape restoration upstream seeks to
reap flood defence benefits downstream
·
Yorkshire Wildlife
Trust’s Potteric Carr – a beautiful urban wildlife retreat on the edge of
Doncaster, designed to store quantities of water and prevent local flooding
·
Leicestershire
& Rutland Wildlife Trust’s awe-inspiring ospreys, eco-tourism and habitat
creation with Anglian Water at Rutland Water
·
Lancashire Wildlife
Trust’s peatland restoration near Manchester to create fabulous habitats and
store carbon at Chat Moss and other bogs
·
Ulster Wildlife’s
expertise in maintaining wildlife-rich farmland and the benefits of reserves
like Slievenacloy
·
Sheffield and
Rotherham Wildlife Trust’s work to improve community greenspace, making it
wilder and bringing social benefits to deprived and run-down housing estates
Stephanie
Hilborne OBE, Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts, says: “What Nature Does for Britain is a
fact-packed challenge to any preconceptions that greens spend their lives complaining.
There are positive alternatives and this book makes these very clear. What
Nature Does for Britain provides great material for politicians, town
planners, health workers and even the Treasury to justify taking into account
the true value of wildlife and natural ecosystems. Tony
Juniper illustrates the folly of short-term gain strategies which damage the
natural world. The tax payer is being landed with unnecessary bills now
but it is the next generation that it will cost most dearly. I’m delighted
that the author has chosen examples of The Wildlife Trusts’ work to illustrate
the benefits of restoring our ecosystem for people’s happiness, health and for
their purses.”
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