through. His skies are full of birds and insects, creating a great sense of joie de vivre.
Richard
Jefferson's succinct text provides an excellent introduction to our
wildlife-rich grasslands, describing
the various types and their origins. At the back of the book is a
useful section with a map, listing a selection
of nature reserves which contain areas of semi-natural grassland,
together with their type. One can't help
but think that 50 years ago the listing would have been to regions,
rather than isolated nature reserves.
An intriguing glossary of grassland names and terms completes the
book . Did you know, for example, that a
'pightle' is a small field, or that a 'pleck' is a local name in the
Wyre Forest for a very small meadow?
Jefferson points out in his introduction how difficult it is to
conserve these landscapes as, to many people,
unless you start to look more closely, most agriculturally improved
grasslands appear little different to a species rich
hay meadow or pasture. Let us hope the bustling scenes, full of
colour and life, which John Davis has portrayed will help to change
people's perceptions about this most British of habitats.'
Andrew Branson October 2012 British Wildlife Magazine
'..the magnificent illustrations whose impact is instantaneous and impressive...simply breathtaking. The secret of the fascinating text is not that it is so well written and easy to read but the fact that there is an underlying and important conservation message. This covers partly the rich and vital conservation value of grasslands but also the way in which they have gone or been drastically reduced by man, in so many areas.
The introduction over such conservation issues is dealt with in sections at the beginning of the book and are amongst the best summaries I have read for a long time...The book is thoroughly recommended.'
Ray Collier Highland News Nov 15
2012