United States
£ GBP
The first comprehensive book on natural history in the nine-county province of Ulster - a subject that has been remarkably overlooked in such an otherwise well-exposed region. Nature in Ulster is uniquely varied and reveals much about how humanity relates to the natural world.
The book takes a broad view of natural history. People are a recurrent theme, as well as geology, habitats, and wildlife. The heart of the book deals with the biodiversity and habitats that characterize Ulster's landscapes. Chapters cover farmland and woodland, bogs, mountains and lakes, the coast, the sea and urban habitats. It is shown how successive generations have shaped the landscape and modified the environment to the extent that people are now the dominant force in nature. Conversely, it is also shown how nature has played a large part in determining Ulster's history and its scientific and literary traditions.
The Natural History of Ulster will appeal to anyone with an interest in the province, whether resident, visitor or expatriate. Contributions from some of Ulster's most experienced naturalists have been carefully woven together to produce an engaging narrative.
JOHN FAULKNER is a botanist who worked for the then Ministry of Agriculture for Northern Ireland and for Queen's University Belfast as a lecturer in agricultural genetics, before going on to become Director of Natural Heritage for the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. He has lived in County Armagh for forty years, and has explored many of the wilder nooks and crannies of Ulster with the County Armagh Wildlife Society. He retired in 2005.
ROBERT THOMPSON was born in County Armagh where he lived for most of his early life. He is an accomplished wildlife photographer - one of Britain and Ireland's foremost specialists on insect and macro photography - and author of several books including The Natural History of Ireland's Dragonflies and The Butterflies and Moths of Northern Ireland. He is a frequent contributor to natural history publications and the photographic press. He regularly lectures on photography and other natural history subjects in addition to conducting photographic workshops, tours and field trips.
