A History of Nature Conservation in Britain Book

Attitudes to 'nature' and the countryside are fickle. The conservation movement has achieved limited success in one hundred years of campaigning, yet membership has never been greater. Can conservationists now shake off their insular, disunited and negative image and attain an influence which matches the size of their movement? A History of Nature Conservation in Britain charts the conservation movement from its beginnings in Victorian coffee houses to its current societies which boast memberships in the millions. The first complete history of the British movement, the oldest in the world, this book offers invaluable insights into the campaign for countryside access and protection, from battles against pesticides, pollution, genetic engineering, farming and forestry, to legislation for the protection of birds, fish stocks, and freedom to walk the mountains. This 2nd Edition is fully revised and updated. Topical concerns are considered afresh. New chapters examine rapid changes in the 1990s within countryside organizations, legislation and funding, in social attitudes, and in conservation techniques and practices. In the light of recent developments, Evans examines some unwelcome choices for the future and questions how the Conservation movement in Britain will fare on the new global stage.Read More