The South Downs National Park

Robin Crane

The South Downs National Park was designated in November 2009. This article traces the epic struggle of the South Downs Campaign to protect this very special area of England, which began in the 1920s. Covering an area of 632 square miles, it is an area whose varied underlying geology has given rise to many different habitats, making it a paradise for naturalists, with its chalk downs, coombes and denes, dramatic scarp slopes, the Hampshire Hangers, the wild heaths of the greensands, river valleys and extensive woodlands, all with very special associated flora and fauna.

Origin and evolution of the Ancient Woodland Inventory

Emma Goldberg, George Peterken and Keith Kirby

The Ancient Woodland Inventory has become a key reference document in forestry planning and conservation since it was initiated in 1981, and there are now three separate inventories for England, Scotland and Wales. Their origin, the original hopes, the way in which they developed and the form which they presently take are explored here.

Reserve Focus: Flanders Moss NNR, Stirlinghsire

Michael Scott

Flanders Moss, a hauntingly wild and impressive expanse nestling in the busy heart of central Scotland, represents the largest remaining area of near-natural lowland raised bog in the UK. Michael Scott outlines its origins and history, the management of the site and the extraordinary range of wildlife found on these peat bogs.

Life on the links – a perspective on biodiversity

Gordon Corbet

Volunteer manager of Dumbarnie Links Wildlife Reserve, Gordon Corbet, provides a unique and unusual perspective of this dune grassland reserve on the south coast of Fife, an insight into the intimate and detailed knowledge he has gained over the years of the microbiology of the site and its wildlife.

Why museums matter

Martin Godfrey

Regional museum collections hold important collections, not only of specimens but also additional documents such as the journals, diaries, maps and correspondence of collectors, and local natural history journals, photos and so on, all of which are a valuable resource. Sadly, the economics of storage, curating and maintaining these collections means that their future is threatened, especially in an increasingly digitised age. Martin Godfrey speaks out for the value and importance of preserving and using such museum collections, and encourages us to use them (or lose them!)