The biodiversity gardener : establishing a legacy for the natural world / Paul Sterry.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sterry, Paul, author.

Series:

Wild Nature Press Series

Wild Nature Press Series ; Volume 34

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Biodiversity conservation--Great Britain.

Biodiversity conservation.

Garden ecology.

Gardening--Environmental aspects.

Gardening.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (360 p.) : 900 color photos.

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Princeton, New Jersey : Princeton University Press, [2023]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

A personal account of—and guide to—unlocking the wildlife potential of gardens and other plots of land in lowland BritainOver the past decade, wildlife author and photographer Paul Sterry has nurtured, both through action and by doing nothing, what has become a small island of flourishing biodiversity in the half-acre garden that surrounds his north Hampshire cottage. By giving nature a free hand, and fostering habitats appropriate to this part of southeast England, he has enabled an abundance of native plant and animal species to call the garden home. This contrasts with the continued decline in biodiversity in the surrounding countryside. In this inspiring and informative book, Sterry tells the story of his own experiences in biodiversity gardening and offers detailed practical advice to anyone who wants to give nature the upper hand on their own bit of land, no matter how small.Hampshire still retains traces of its rich wildlife heritage, but changes in land use over the past half-century have had a devastating impact on local biodiversity. Against this backdrop, The Biodiversity Gardener presents a habitat-driven and evidence-based approach, describing how any gardener can unlock the wildlife potential of their plot and enjoy the satisfaction of watching it become home to a rich array of native species, including butterflies, wildflowers, grasshoppers, amphibians, and fungi.In The Biodiversity Gardener, Sterry explains the ecological imperative of adopting this approach. Collectively, biodiversity gardens could leave a lasting legacy—wildlife oases from which future generations stand a fighting chance of restoring Britain’s natural heritage. The book encourages and empowers readers to create their own biological inheritance for posterity—and shows them how they can do it.

Contents:

Cover

Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

The bigger picture

Recent times

The fight back

Managing land for native wildlife

Why is biodiversity important?

Putting wildlife first

Different approaches

Does size matter?

A work in progress

What does the future hold?

Setting the Scene

Humble beginnings

Pamber: a country parish

The cottage and garden

Environmental Decline and Fall

Overview

Basingstoke

The parish of Pamber

Practical Biodiversity Gardening

Basic principles

Soil

Grassland

Woodland

Freshwater

The cottage as a habitat

Managed retreat from conventional gardening

The New Naturalist

A Biodiversity Gardener's Wildlife Overview

Garden wildlife classification

Flowering plant life histories, structure and tips for identification

Terrestrial Invertebrate classification and identification

Introducing Arthropods

A Closer Look at Garden Wildlife

Butterflies

Moths

Bees, wasps and allied insects

Beetles

True bugs and allies

True flies

Orthoptera

Terrestrial insect also-rans

Spiders and allies

Invertebrates of the underworld

Pond life

Amphibians and reptiles

Birds

Mammals

Pets and domesticated animals

Plants: a botanical overview

Fungi

Monitoring and Recording Wildlife

Making the Most of Your Garden, Both for Biodiversity and for You

Nets

Pond-dipping

Binoculars

Photography

Foes become friends

Botanical survey and study

Fieldcraft

Keeping and submitting records

Freshwater pollution

A Call to Action

Troubling developments

Is resistance futile?

Escape to what was the country

Plan of action

Challenging planning

Protected and notable species

Statutory nature conservation bodies

The moral of the story

I Am Not Alone

Manor Farm by Adam Rattray and Jenna Burlingham

The Hughes Family Wilding Project by Karl Hughes and Nicola Hughes

An oak wood on the edge of Dartmoor by Mic Cady

Ask Not What Nature Can Do for You, Ask What You Can Do for Nature

Historical perspective

Synergy

What's to be done

References

List of species

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780691245560

0691245568

OCLC:

1371752389