Grasslands (the hidden life of Britain’s habitats)

Grasslands is a book to uncover the beauty and rich diversity of Britain’s natural heritage, bursting with mushrooms, lichens and wildflowers – and home to butterflies, bees and beetles. All vital to foxes and birds alike.

Out walking? Follow the Countryside Code to keep all creatures safe. Keep dogs away from steep banks, mushrooms (and other toxic plants/trees) and on leads during nesting season (and near barnyard friends and wild ponies). At the coast, read how to keep dogs safe by the seaside.

A sparkling green field? Or a dull and scrubby patch of grass? The first is the sanitised evidence of monoculture. The second is a world teeming with more life, than you could ever imagine.

In this book, the author introduces you to meadows to mires to heathlands, and the history of how our grasslands came to be. And what we risk with their loss due to industrial farming and town planning decisions that does not know or respect the natural world. Because grasslands are never just patches of grass.

What a pair of eyes John Wright has! Eyes for tiny things and the big picture. And he is wise. A walk through a field with him can transform you. You should go. Charles Foster

A wise guide into the green we thought we knew. Tristan Gooley

About the author

John Wright is a naturalist and one of our leading experts on fungi (not just mushrooms!) He has written books on hedgerows and seashores, and how to make your own booze! He lives in Dorset, where he regularly goes on long walks in nature.