The countryside is changing faster than ever. Fifty years ofconservation achievements in the UK are now being confronted by a newcomplexion of economic forces that are driving change in thecountryside. At the same time new ideas in conservation are alteringthe role that conservation is being asked to play in negotiating thetransition from past to future.


This revised edition of Bill Adams classic work FutureNature tackles the new challenges in the countryside and wildlifeconservation head-on through a new Introduction and Postscript withupdated arguments about naturalness and our social engagement withnature, and complemented by a new Foreword by Adrian Phillips.


Concepts such as biodiversity and sustainability, and changes in ourunderstanding, appreciation and concern for nature, offer unprecedentedopportunities. Bill Adams explores the scientific, cultural andeconomic significance of conservation. He argues that conservation mustmove beyond the boundaries of parks and reserves to embrace the wholecountryside.


The importance of conservation for the future is enormous. It holdsthe potential to create new spaces for nature, both in the landscapeand in our lives and imaginations. This factual, beautifully writtenand thought-provoking book offers a fundamental reassessment ofconservation, its importance, and how to achieve it.