Maybe a word on the guidebook 'the nature guide to the Andalusian Sierras', which is after all the topic of this thread (thank you for posting it Clive). The guidebook was just released this March and is the sixth title in the series 'Crossbill Guides', which in turn is the product of the NGO (non-profit) 'Crossbill Guides Foundation', of which I am the founder. The Crossbill Guides Series should, in time, cover the major natural areas in Europe. We are currently writing books on the Cevennes in France, The Danube Delta in Romania and the Hortobagy in Hungary. In Spain, we currently have books on Extremadura and Coto Donana. We work closely together with local organisations and people (like in the case of this book, with Clive and Sue of Wildsideholidays, a.o.).
The guidebooks are a bit different from other guidebooks. Without going into it too deeply, here is the idea. We wanted to create a book that explains why the area in question is such a magnificent area. Obviously this is because of the birds, plants, reptiles, butterflies and great habitats that occur, so these are described in detail. But there is more then just a listing of species and habitats. Just as fascinating is the coherent system of ecology, geology and natural and cultural history that has created the landscape. The 'functioning of the landscape' is awe-inspiring and brings forth fascinating stories, which we implement in the book, and in the routes we describe in it. I think this ecology / landscape approach is the most distinctive element of the books.
There is a lot more to the set up of the book, particularly from a nature communication perspective, but I won't bore you with that. If you are interested in it, send me an email on info@crossbillguides.org.
All questions, remarks and constructive criticism on the books is more than welcome. For new books, suggestions are welcome as well.
Dirk
