Nature artist Jane Smith has been fascinated by wildlife communities and ecosystems her whole adult life.

Starting from her own garden in Argyll, she travels to ten locations in the west of Scotland - from the towering cliffs of St Kilda and the peatlands of Lewis to the Solway estuary and the urban sprawl of Glasgow - to explore the interaction of people and wildlife in a variety of diverse settings. On her journey she discovers a number of communities who are taking on the job of regenerating their own landscapes and meets a host of fascinating people whose lives are inextricably bound up with questions of sustainability, conservation and landownership.

Contents Includes: Western Isles (peatlands) * North Uist (machair) * Islay (farmland) * Loch Arkaig (woodland) * Knapdale (wetland) * Dumfries and Galloway (river and estuary) * Jura (coast) * St Kilda archipelago (sea) * Glasgow (urban landscapes) *Eigg (community ownership)

"

'A marvellous book that leaps out as something very special from the moment you pick it up. The production values are simply outstanding. Something approaching half the book is made up of full page prints of the author's beautiful artworks of Scottish wildlife in the places she visits and discusses in the accompanying text. It's a joy to look at, even before you begin to read'