Tristan : A FIELD GUIDE TO THE ANIMALS AND PLANTS OF TRISTAN DA CUNHA AND GOUGH ISLAND
Submitted by Tristan Times (Sarah Glass) 21.07.2007 (Article Archived on 04.08.2007)

Sarah Saunders has produced an excellent field guide to Tristan and Gough's animals and plants.

A FIELD GUIDE TO THE ANIMALS AND PLANTS OF TRISTAN DA CUNHA AND GOUGH ISLAND

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has recently published A field guide to the animals and plants of Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island in collaboration with the Tristan Island Government and University of Cape Town.  The book has been an ambition of the editor, Peter Ryan an honorary conservation officer for Tristan, since he spent a summer on Inaccessible in 1989.

The colourful guide aims to be a compact reference to the animals and plants found on the territory. It is illustrated throughout with more than 400 colour photographs. In addition to the wealth of information on the wildlife found in the islands it includes a chapter on visiting Tristan so will be a valuable resource for tourists. It is an outstanding contribution to efforts to conserve Tristan’s unique and threatened biodiversity. 

The book is an enormous achievement as specialists who have visited and undertaken research on the islands contributed chapters voluntarily. It would not have been possible without the support provided by the Tristan Agriculture and Natural Resources Department, the Darwin Team and Tristan community. We are also grateful to the UK Government’s Overseas Territories and Environment Programme for providing some of the funding.

All proceeds from the sale of the guide will go to support conservation activities on Tristan.  We hope the guide will encourage readers to learn more about the island and to share the enjoyable experience of watching birds and wildlife in a remote and pristine setting.

Copies are on sale at the Supermarket and Museum on Tristan, and in the UK.

Sarah Sanders, RSPB, 04/06/07