This is a very personal account of the author's experiences in the field of conservation. The book is divided into two distinct but related parts. In the first, he describes how some 40 years ago he acquired a bare field adjacent to his home in Cambridgeshire and transformed part of it into a private nature reserve with a wood, a large pond and rough grassland. He details his successes in trying to attract the wildlife which has subsequently colonized it as well as his failures. In his words: “many people wish to encourage wildlife on their land but do not know exactly what to do or what they can expect to achieve.” In the second part, he relates his own local experiences to the wider conservation scene. Most people are still unaware of the fundamental importance of wildlife or its connection with our own survival and they are also unaware of the urgency of the measures our generation can and must take. He considers how the failures of democratic governments to carry out crucial long-term measures might be overcome. The author's aims are to encourage farmers and owners of large gardens to create nature reserves by describing the pleasures which flow from such a project, as well as to stimulate debate on conservation policy and on the role of governments, nationally and internationally, in furthering the conservation of our own species as well as that of wildlife – currently a red-hot topic.

The countryside is changing faster than ever. Fifty years of conservation achievements in the UK are now being confronted by a new complexion of economic forces that are driving change in the countryside. At the same time new ideas in conservation are altering the role that conservation is being asked to play in negotiating the transition from past to future. This revised edition of Bill Adams classic work Future Nature tackles the new challenges in the countryside and wildlife conservation head-on through a new Introduction and Postscript with updated arguments about naturalness and our social engagement with nature, and complemented by a new Foreword by Adrian Phillips. Concepts such as biodiversity and sustainability, and changes in our understanding, appreciation and concern for nature, offer unprecedented opportunities. Bill Adams explores the scientific, cultural and economic significance of conservation. He argues that conservation must move beyond the boundaries of parks and reserves to embrace the whole countryside. The importance of conservation for the future is enormous. It holds the potential to create new spaces for nature, both in the landscape and in our lives and imaginations. This factual, beautifully written and thought-provoking book offers a fundamental reassessment of conservation, its importance, and how to achieve it. Published with BANC