Shotover Hill is one of the most significant habitat complexes in southern Europe. This book attractively summarises two decades of recording and research across Shotover's rich variety of habitats and is a lasting tribute to the hard work of a team of specialists working for the sheer love of their subject.
It will remain the reference work on the area for the foreseeable future. The work of Shotover Wildlife could serve as a model for other wildlife groups to put on record our biodiversity in the 21st century to guide us towards safeguarding its future for generations to come.
"At a time when biodiversity loss in Britain is becoming a major concern it is more important than ever to know what species still thrive in outstanding wildlife sites. Shotover Hill is one of the most significant habitat complexes in southern England and, thanks to a devoted team of naturalists, it is also one of the most intensively studied. This book attractively summarises two decades of recording and research across Shotover's rich variety of habitats and is a lasting tribute to the hard work of team of specialists working for the sheer love of their subject. It will remain the reference work on the area for the foreseeable future. The work of Shotover Wildlife could serve as a model for other wildlife groups to put on record our biodiversity in the 21st century to guide us towards safeguarding its future for generations to come." - Richard Fortey FRS
"[...] The bulk of this attractively illustrated and written book is about some of those 5,900 species. It is, in effect, a smaller-scale version of the excellent volumes published by NatureBureau on the Wyre Forest and The Malverns (with more to come). It is obviously aimed at naturalists, with only a brief history, but a fairly detailed and surprisingly critical account of how the place is managed, with special reference to the stated deficiencies of Oxford City Council and cash-strapped Natural England. [...] Shotover is produced and packaged to NatureBureau's usual high standards: decent colour on every glossy page, and an earnest, reliable, occasionally beguiling text. It's dedicated to the late David Steele, who looked after the place with rare dedication over many years. It was he who introduced me to the Black Hairstreak and the wonderful detail of small-scale habitats in the heart of England." – Peter Marren, British Wildlife
