Endemic Exploring the Wildlife Unique to Britain

About this book

Around 70,000 species call Britain home, but how many of them can be found here and only here? Join conservationist James Harding-Morris as he uncovers the stories of our endemic wildlife – the plants, animals and fungi that are unique to these islands.

Determined to give these irreplaceable species their moment in the spotlight, James goes in search of them across the length and breadth of Britain, from wild and rugged Orkney, the only known location for the Orkney vole, down to suburban Plymouth where the horrid ground-weaver spider faces global extinction at the hands of developers. He explores Devon's depths on the hunt for ghostly cave shrimp, seeks out alien fungi on Norfolk roadsides, and traces the tribulations of interrupted brome, the grass that has gone extinct not once, but twice.

Along the way, he meets the experts devoted to the study and survival of these vanishingly rare creatures and plants, determined to save them from the brink of global extinction, often single-handedly. Because many of these species are at risk of disappearing forever, before most of us even realise they exist.

A tapestry of wonder and weirdness, tragedies and triumphs, Endemic celebrates what makes our natural history so special and calls on us all to cherish and protect it.

Contents

Introduction

1. Northern February Red
2. Birds
3. Celtic Woodlouse
4. Dandelions
5. Goldilocks Buttercups
6. Interrupted Brome
7. British Cave Shrimp
8. Lundy Cabbage
9. Purple Ramping-fumitory
10. York Groundsel
11. No Parking and Menai Strait Whitebeams
12. Great Orme Berry and South Stack Fleawort
13. False-toothed Lady's Mantle
14. Elms
15. Baker's Hawkweed
16. British Earthstar
17. Derbyshire Feather-moss
18. Scottish Primrose and Orkney Vole
19. Arran Whitebeam
20. Horrid Ground-weaver and the British False Flat-backed Millipede

Epilogue

Acknowledgements
References and Bibliography

Customer Reviews

Biography

James Harding-Morris is a passionate nature enthusiast with a lifelong love for exploring the natural world. Whether trekking up mountains in search of rare flowers, scouring fens for elusive moths, or investigating exotic invertebrates in hothouses, James's fascination with wildlife is unwavering. In his professional life, James specialises in communications and public engagement within the conservation sector. He has played a key role in delivering high-impact campaigns such as the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch and the BSBI's New Year Plant Hunt. His work on the Back from the Brink project has inspired many to care deeply about some of England's rarest and most obscure species. Currently, James is on a mission to ensure that everyone in Britain and Ireland has the opportunity to fall in love with plants through his work with the BSBI.