CNHS Publications

Colchester Natural History Society, and its members, have published a number of superb field guides, books and reports which are either available direct from the Authors, or through the Society. Most are also available from a variety of retail outlets such as Red Lion Books in Colchester, and local Nature Reserves.

Nature in North-East Essex 2008 - In full colour

This edition of Nature in North-East Essex again focuses on the practical conservation achievements and important species recording by our members which is playing a growing and increasingly important role. The well-illustrated, informative articles and papers cover a broad spectrum of subjects and activities ranging from the aquatic life of the Roman River Valley by Pam and Peter Wilson, which is a model of intensive and accurate recording in a specific habitat, to a new look at the grasshoppers, bush crickets and their allies by our award-winning chairman Professor Ted Benton, who has a national reputation both as an author and photographer.

Fully illustrated throughout in full colour it is delivered free to members, but additional copies can be ordered at a cost of £7.50. from our Publications Officer. Alternatively it is also available from the Colchester Natural History Museum shop.

Nature Boy in the Flower Fields

Nature Boy is the first of two publications from CNHS President, Joe Firmin, this year.

In this little book he transports us back to a vanished era, before the spread of urbanisation, universal car ownership and the mechanisation and intensification of agriculture. It is the story of the people and wildlife that lived side by side on an Essex seed production farm in the middle of the 20th century - a happy hunting ground for a boy with a passion for nature in the years when sturdy horses provided the power for cultivation and harvesting.

Butterfly Days in High Provence

Butterfly Days describes his butterfly adventures and the many colourful personalities of this mountainous region of southern France in the 1960s and 70s. It is a must for butterfly enthusiasts but can be enjoyed by anyone with it's rich tales of this wonderful time. Not satisified with publishing his own books (Dragonflies of Essex and the Collins New Naturalist Bumblebees), Ted Benton provides a chapter with dozens of striking photographs of the different species commonly observed in the area. Malcolm Simpson also has a chapter describing what Provence is like now.

Order your copies direct from Joe Firmin, 55 Chapel Road, West Bergholt, Colchester, CO6 3HZ.

Nature Boy is available at a special price to CNHS members of £3.50, (£7.50 for non members) while Butterfly Days is £10.50. Please include £1.50 postage and packing. Also available at Colchester Natural History Museum and selected local wildlife centres and bookshops, or at CNHS events.

The Dragonflies of Essex

The new hardback publication from CNHS Chairman Ted Benton and Essex Field Club Recorder John Dobson - The Dragonflies of Essex (price £20) received a glowing review in the October 2007 issue of British Wildlife magazine.

Described by Peter Marren as "A model of its kind", this fully illustrated book is the most up to date field guide for our county's dragonflies and damselflies currently available. There are distribution maps, habitat and behavious guides, as well as the superb photographs we have come to expect from Ted Benton.

Copies are available from a wide variety of bookshops and wildlife outlets or contact John Dobson direct at 148 Main Road, Danbury, Essex, CM3 4DT (tel 01245 224408).

The Butterflies of Colchester and North East Essex

This book features all the butterflies found in the area in the last fifty years and includes at least one colour photo of each. It tells the story of what has happened to our butterfly population over the period. Populations often vary from one year to the next, but here is an authoritative account of their distribution over five decades, based on scientifically collected records.

A few species have expanded their range in the last decade and there is an exciting programme of re-introducing some of the species which formerly lived here, the first of which is especially featured, having survived its fifth year since it was brought back to one of its old haunts.

The guide also includes useful tips on the best places to see all of the butterflies in the area, and stresses the fragility of some of their habitats. The authors, Ted Benton and Joe Firmin, have both been deeply involved in recording local wildlife for most of their lives.

The book is for sale in the local nature reserve and country park visitors' centres and at selected independent bookshops locally, including Red Lion Books in Colchester and the Wivenhoe Bookshop, priced £7.50.

Alternatively, you may order by post direct from CNHS for the special price of £5 (+£1 p&p) from:-

Pete Hewitt, 121 Mile End Road, Colchester, CO4 5DA
Tel: 01206 853942
email: pete.h@colchesternaturalhistorysociety.org.uk

Nature in North-East Essex 2006 - The last few copies left!

The 'Edition of Discovery', this 100 page issue of NNEE contains articles about dozens of different species and habitats in our region. It provides a fascinating glimpse into the world of CNHS recorders and members and the wildlife they strive to record and preserve.

There are seperate sections on nature reserves, mammals, birds, plants and fungi, invertebrates and climate change. A number of the species described are either newly discovered or previously extinct species to Essex.

Fully illustrated throughout and with an additional 9 full colour plates there are just a few remaining copies that can be ordered at a cost of £7.50. from our publications officer.

'Cervus' - Free to members

Cervus is our newsletter published six monthly for CNHS members and includes news, reports, details of future Events and other information about the Society and its activities.

If you would like to submit an article for Cervus the copy dates are 30th June and 31st December. Please either email your submission to cervus@colchesternaturalhistorysociety.org.uk or contact the editor below:-

Darren Tansley - 18 Royal Hospital School, Holbrook, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP9 2RT

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