The blurb sums up this interesting little book by saying: 'Fifty
wildlife species are featured in this absorbing celebration of the
Welsh countryside. Wales has an extraordinary diversity of habitats
for a country of its size, resulting in a rich and varied flora and
fauna, many of which are rare and endangered. This is the perfect
introduction to Welsh wildlife, ideal for both those who live in
Wales and for those visiting the country to experience its natural
beauty'. This is all well and good, but the book has a far more
serious purpose than this description implies: the key words being
'rare and endangered', for it is aimed at educating the general
public about the importance of preserving the environment. In the
introduction, the author states: 'In the past, the belief has
somehow come about that ravages will not irrevocably damage the
very fabric of the natural beauty of the countryside, that all is
reparable. It must now be evident that this is not the case', and
he stresses that the only hope for the future of Welsh wildlife is
changing our attitude towards the environment. By concentrating on
this very small but very special fraction of Wales's species - for
a comprehensive coverage the reader is referred to William Condry's
Natural History of Wales, it is hoped to engender a greater
understanding of their needs. They range from mountain goats to the
rainbow beetle and include a tree so rare it is only to be found in
Wales. There are some horrifying cautionary tales, like that of the
foreign professor of botany seen carrying off a basketful of the
rare sea lavender from its only British mainland site. The worst
offenders in this respect were the collectors and tourists of the
eighteenth and nineteenth century whose botanical zeal and greed
almost extirpated the plants they came to see. But not all past
scholars were such vandals - we owe an immense debt of gratitude to
Edward Lluyd, the indefatigable seventeenth-century recorder of
Welsh treasures. In many ways it is a very exciting book to read,
with its wealth of detective work and the resulting rediscoveries
of lost species. There are encouraging accounts of species brought
back from the brink of extinction, but others still hover there.
This book should surely preserve us all from any complacency. The
photographs of the butterflies and moths could have been in colour,
but it is still a worthwhile purchase.
*Sue Passmore @ www.gwales.com*
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