Stuart Edmunds
A reading list to get you started
What to read now you have the time
There are many great nature-related books. See our recommendations below!
Recommended by Communications Officer Sarah Gibson:
Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold
Bird Sense by Tim Birkhead
How to make a wildlife garden by Chris Baines
Recommended by recruiter Alec Connah:
The Unofficial Countryside by Richard Mabey
The Amateur Naturalist by Gerald Durrell
The Sea Around Us by Rachel L. Carson
The History of the Countryside by Oliver Rackham
Sharing Nature with Children by Joseph Cornell
Taming the Flood by Jeremy Purseglove
This Land is our Land by Marion Shoard
Islander by Patrick Barkham
The Ocean of Life by Callum Roberts
Feral by George Monbiot
The Peregrine by J.A. Baker
A Buzz in the Meadow by Dave Goulson
Wilding – The return of nature to a British farm by Isabela Tree
Nature guides
Whether you love trees and flowers, reptiles or mammals, there is a field guide out there for you!
Mammals of Britain by M.J Lawrence and R.W Brown
The best guide that has been produced on British mammal field signs- the 1967 edition has never been bettered!
The Language of Field Sports by C.E. Hare
This book gives a great introduction to wildlife tracking throughout history and the traditional terms used for field signs. Did you know that hare droppings were called "crotiles"?
Collins Tree Guide by Owen Johnson and David More
A great guide for all levels of interest. There are 32 species of native trees in Britain, plus many more imports, but they aren't always as easy to recognise as you might expect.
Britain's dragonflies- guide to the dragonflies and damselflies of Great Britain and Ireland by Brooks and Lewington
Odanata can be a challenging group of insects to accurately identify. This book gives clear images and descriptions of each of the species found in the UK and tips on where to find them.
Field guide to the bumblebees of Great Britain and Ireland by Mike Edwards and Martin Jenner
This book describes 25 species of bumblebee in great detail, including life cycles and habitats. We all love bees but we don't all know everything about them!
We will keep updating this page as more recommendations come in!
Ant Hill at Earls & Pontesford Hill (c) Ben Osbourne
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We are anticipating a large financial loss due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We need your support now more than ever to help us manage Shropshire's wild places. Could you join us?