NATURE lovers can track down the best wildlife Gwent has to offer with the help of a comprehensive new guidebook.
Gwent Wildlife Trust is showcasing its 30 nature reserves to highlight the delights of the countryside - and of areas once ravaged by industry - to a wider audience.
TV naturalist Iolo Williams unveiled the full-colour guide at the trust's Silent Valley nature reserve, between Cwm and Ebbw Vale.
It is an ancient woodland, home to the United Kingdom's highest naturally occurring beech woods - and was once dominated by coal tips and slag heaps.
Nature is reclaiming the landscape, and birds such as green woodpeckers, siskins and redpolls are thriving. Other sites featured in the book include:
* Wetlands at Henllys Bog and Magor Marsh.
* Limestone grassland at Rogiet Poorland and Brockwells Meadows.
* Woodlands at Croes Robert and Allt -yr-Yn.
* Traditional hay meadows at Pentwyn and Springdale Farms.
* Coastal reserves including Peterstone Wentlooge.
"Despite the industrial history of South Wales there are still many jewels of nature conservation sites," said Mr Williams.
Julian Branscombe, chief executive of Gwent Wildlife Trust, hopes the guide will encourage more people to discover hidden, natural treasures.
"Our countryside, from the Wye Valley to the coalfield, from the Black Mountains to the Severn Estuary, holds many treasures," he said.
The guide is priced £5.97 (£3 for Gwent Wildlife Trust members), is ring-bound and showerproof. It will be available from the trust and selected bookshops. Ring 01600 715501 for details.
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