This is a beautiful collection of enlightening and heart-warming stories about some of the last remaining wild places and species on earth, and the people who know them well, love them and care for them.

Irreplaceable by Julioan Hoffman presents a collection of remarkable stories that flow from the pages of eleven chapters, taking you on a journey through some of our last remaining wild places with detailed descriptions, explanations and conversations about the natural world here in the British Isles and overseas.

Community love

The stories are made all the more poignant by the fact that these habitats and the species who thrive there are increasingly in danger of being destroyed. You cannot feel anything but respect and love for the people and communities who are fighting for them. Their knowledge of the land, the history and how to work successfully with nature is nothing but inspiring. Their tenacity, creativity and commitment to nurture and protect nature is heart-warming, with many hours invested for no more reward than to see nature thrive. It is a sad reality that despite being respected by locals, specialists and visitors alike - as areas of outstanding natural beauty with long histories of local husbandry - the struggle to maintain wild places and keep the (many) threats at bay is relentless.

While this theme runs true throughout the book, it does not detract from the rich and informative descriptions of habitats, ecosystems and people who are championing wild places and wild things here and overseas. With delightful narrative, Julian invites us to fall in love with the beauty of nature in collective unison and acknowledge that our treasured wild places deserve the right to flourish unhindered. This is unavoidable as you learn about the magical connections forged between people, animals, wildlife, micro-organisms and the natural seasons, and when you understand that it is these connections that make natural environments so richly diverse, bountiful and beautiful.

Natural heritage

Wild places are part of our collective natural heritage and Julian eloquently described this as the transformational power of place or 'what grounds us, holding us close to the Earth.' There is a name for this connection which is 'topophilia' or 'the love of place' which is 'a desire to forge attachments to landscapes that impart personal meaning, value and identity as they intertwine with our lives and communities.'

Irreplaceable brings to light many focal points of wonder, a dynamic lens into natural worlds where humans live in harmony with nature and everyone reaps the benefits. In these pages you will discover treasures to be found in nature and how connections are made and horizons expanded. I love the cited quote by Dara McAnulty, a fourteen-year-old Northern Ireland naturalist and writer who says: 'My roots are shaped by place and the freedom to explore. My mind is expanded by the sparks and connections which follow.'

Mesmerising murmuration

It can take a special wild place or a show-stopping natural event to bring the beauty and ingenuity of nature to our notice. Nature's ability to attract attention with her immaculate colours, scents, shapes and designs is not only for the benefit of wildlife but for us too. We are an intrinsic part of nature and our health and well-being depends on being able to connect to nature's energy on a mental, physical, spiritual and emotional level. As Julian says: 'The wild places we hold dear instil feelings of joy, calm, peace, rejuvenation, security and belonging in those who frequent them.'

And so we are awakened in the introduction by one such show-stopping natural event that had the power to attract everyone's attention on Brighton Pier one afternoon in late Winter. Not one person in a sea of small crowds, day-trippers and city residents failed to look up and watch the stunning murmeration of several hundred starlings sweeping across the skies in a fast-moving display that looked like a 'fusing into a mass of rippling black felt ... [a] growing assembly in an endless process of self-replication.'

Natural connection

Moments like these demonstrate the transforming effect nature has on every one of us and, as a perfect introduction, sets the scene for the stories that unfold. Julian takes you on a journey through peninsulas and marshes, woodlands and National Parks, coral reefs and meadows, moorlands and prairie, mountains and fens to experience the beauty of such places. You will be lulled into the gentle rhythm of nature, and warm to those who work in harmony with nature, often carrying forward ancient traditions, wisdom and knowledge to ensure its ongoing health and survival. Such wisdom can only be of benefit as we seek ways to live with and look after the wild places and things we so adore and depend on. In fact, we would all do well to think about the wild places we hold close to our hearts and what we can do to appreciate them more and protect them.

By doing so, we not only play a part in helping nature to flourish but we also discover new things about ourselves and the natural world around us, learning about wild things and making friends in the process. As Julian so rightly says: 'What matters, as always, is the quality of our connections, honouring wonder, relationships and community in the face of potentially immense loss, the sustaining ties forged between people, nature and place.'

Closer to Nature

In essence, Irreplaceable opens our minds to the invaluable and lasting benefit of living closer to nature; it opens our hearts to the enriching connections that can be nurtured between people, animals, wildlife and the natural world around us; and it reminds us that we have an individual and collective duty to protect the wild places and living things we love so dearly (both near and far), that we must stand up for them and, above all, experience them to the full and enjoy them.

Sue Cartwright AInstAM

Community Assembly of the British Isles

Editor