Patrick Watson is currently South Africa’s most innovative and versatile landscape architect. Known for designing extensive mega-sites, such as Sun City and an entire Indian Ocean Island, he is also the creator of exquisite small gardens in private homes and quiet spaces for reflection, such as the Apartheid Museum and the Garden of Hope at St George’s Anglican Church in Parktown, Johannesburg.

In all he does, he combines artistic intuition with extensive botanical knowledge and a deep concern for the conservation and restoration of nature. His projects are creative, fresh with inspiration, and often bold, and he uses plants, colours, landforms and space to create visual and emotional experiences.

Covering 23 gardens and landscapes, and richly supported by sensitive photography and some specially commissioned artworks, the book is a beautiful record of a remarkable local talent, a visionary whose art is informed by nature. It recognises and celebrates the combination of knowledge, skill and instinct that make up the man, and the radical influence he has had on his profession.

’n Regstreekse, voor die hand liggende en effektiewe gids tot boom-identifikasie.

Dié boek se titel sê dit alles! Hierdie bygewerkte tweede uitgawe verskaf ’n duidelike uiteensetting van hoe bome saamgestel is en waarna om op te let wanneer ’n boom geïdentifiseer word. Die boek bestaan uit twee dele:

- Deel 1 beskryf en illustreer duidelik die verskillende dele van ’n boom en hul rol in boomidentifikasie.

- Deel 2 bevat ’n sleutel tot 43 boomgroepe, gebaseer op maklik waarneembare stingel- en blaarkenmerke. Dit gee ’n duidelike oorsig van elke groep, sowel as die Suider-Afrikaanse boomfamilies wat in die onderskeie groepe verteenwoordig word. Talle kleurfoto’s en verduidelikende illustrasies ondersteun die teks wat dié handleiding toeganklik en gebruikersvriendelik maak.

Identifiseer die Bome van Suider-Afrika sal lesers toerus met ’n goeie begrip van die bou van bome en waarna hulle moet oplet om dit korrek te kan identifiseer.

Also available in English as How to Identify Trees in Southern Africa .

An enduring and popular resource, this handy publication lists all the birds to be seen in the region and provides a simple way of recording where and when you have spotted them.

Pocket-sized for ease of use, it offers:

• Cross-referencing to the new Sasol Birds of Southern Africa (fifth edition)
• Six columns for multiple recordings at six different localities
• Up-to-date names for all southern African birds
• Endemic and threat status for all birds

This revised, updated checklist will be sought after by the region’s twitchers at all levels.

Ontmoet 36 van Suider-Afrika se mees algemene en interessante slange in hierdie lewendige en boeiende kindergids.

Ontdek die besondere kenmerkende gewoontes van slange – waar hulle woon, hoe hulle jag, watter gevare hulle bedreig, en hoe hulle hulself beskerm. Meer as 250 bekoorlike foto’s ondersteun die teks.

’n Volledige inleiding tot heelwat kenmerke van die gedrag van slange ontsluit die betowerende wêreld van hierdie wydverspreide reptiele.

In this short but informative guide, trusted authors Chris and Mathilde Stuart turn mammal ID on its head – literally. The identification of mammal skulls is the subject of this latest addition to the quirky ‘Quick Guide’ series, and covers the most common skulls readers are likely to encounter in the wild – from easily recognisable species such as elephant, hippo, rhino, baboons, antelope, whales and dolphins, to the more challenging family groups: dogs, cats, hyaenas, equids, pigs, civets and genets, mongooses, rats and mice, bats, sengis, shrews, moles, hares and rabbits, hyrax, and squirrels.
 
Each entry features:

• Close-up photographs showing the entire skull, teeth and, where available, upper and lower jaws
• Pointers to diagnostic features
• Average measurement for skull length
• Short description highlighting main features of each skull and tooth structure
• Dental formula for teeth in upper and lower jaws

Hierdie lewendige boek stel kinders voor aan meer as 60 van die voëlgroepe wat in suider-Afrika te vind is: grasieuse flaminke, vinnige valke, juweel-agtige suikerbekkies, kordate neushoringvoëls en vele meer.

Leer hoe om verskillende voëls te identifiseer en ontdek meer oor hul gedrag – hoe hulle kos soek, ’n maat kies, ’n nes bou, kuikens grootmaak en roofdiere vermy. ’n Volledige inleiding verduidelik konsepte soos hofmakery, migrasie en ververing.

Meer as 500 treffende foto’s is ingesluit, waarvan baie aantekeninge het om interessante eienskappe aan te toon.

Well-known geologist Nick Norman leads young readers into the absorbing world of geology. Budding rock collectors will find out all about the rocks that they’ll encounter in southern Africa, with a view to building their own rock collections.

Box of Rocks is packed with fascinating information about:

- how rocks form

- how to identify the different rock types

- what rocks are made of

- what different rocks are used for

- where to go to collect each rock type.

Readers will also learn about Stone Age tools, fossils and some of our best-known geological sites.

In this sequel to the popular A Hippo Love Story, author Karen Paolillo takes us deeper into her courageous but perilous life among Africa’s wildlife.

Hippos, a Mongoose and Me is a collection of vivid stories reflecting the decades that Karen has lived and worked in the wilds of southeast Zimbabwe. The tales encompass a wide variety of animals and experiences, including Karen’s extraordinary affinity with hippos, life with her beloved mongoose, characterful baboons and rescued birds, close encounters with lions and an injured buffalo, and her heart-stopping flight from an enraged elephant. To add to the drama, Karen and her husband Jean-Roger must face off against the drumbeat of political subterfuge and poaching of wildlife, sometimes at great personal risk.

Inspiring, surprising and sometimes sad, this heartfelt anthology is testament to the courage and resilience of its intrepid author.

Written with the non-specialist in mind, this guide is a must-have for flower lovers, hikers, tour guides and tourists – anyone interested in identifying the wild flowers that grace the Cape Peninsula.

Wild Flowers of the Cape Peninsula covers the most remarkable and commonly seen wild flowers of Table Mountain, Silvermine and Cape Point. The book was originally published as Common Wild Flowers of Table Mountain in 2007, then revised in 2013 to include the flowers of Silvermine.

This new edition offers:

• 360 (previously 208) of the region’s most remarkable and commonly seen wild flowers
• Clear photographs of all featured flowers and concise, informative text
• Flowers grouped according to colour, to help with quick ID
• Walking routes in the Peninsula’s famed reserves, plotted on 3 clear maps
• Illustrated glossary of terms

Butterflies are among the most familiar and popular of all the insects, and butterfly watching makes an absorbing hobby. This handy, compact guide serves as an introduction to the amazing butterfly diversity of East Africa. It introduces 246 of the more common, spectacular and interesting species found in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi.

Each species account features:

- concise text describing key identification features, habits,habitat and larval food plants;

- full-colour photographs;

- distribution maps showing the butterfly’s range.

This handy guide should prove invaluable to beginners andmore experienced butterfly enthusiasts alike.

Of all the animal groups, none looms larger in the imagination than the carnivores. Adapted for hunting and killing other animals, they represent the most powerful predators on Earth.

This compact guide covers both the mighty and ferocious - big cats, wolves, foxes and hyaenas - and a variety of smaller but equally formidable hunters - otters, polecats, weasels, mongooses and civets.

A celebration of the rich diversity and beauty of indigenous trees, The Ways and Wonders of South African Trees uncovers the fascinating world of trees and how they function.

Presented in two parts, the first explores the physiology and behaviour of trees and the second the grandeur of a select number of species, richly supported by photographs.

A comprehensive introduction focuses on the complex life of trees, uncovering how they grow, compete for water, defend themselves and make use of photosynthesis to survive; their role in pollination; and the symbiotic relationships they have with each other and other life forms. Record-breakers such as the oldest, tallest and biggest trees are also featured.

The second half of the book showcases some 160 conspicuous species, including the iconic baobab, sausage tree and mopane tree, as well as lesser-known but interesting trees such as baboon’s breakfast. These accounts describe the unique traits of different trees and their various parts, and discusses how they are used by animals and birds, and by humans.

Hierdie langverwagte derde uitgawe van ’n Volledige Gids tot die Slange van Suider- Afrika is ten volle opgedateer. Nuwe inligting gebasseer op wetenskaplike navorsing is ingesluit, en hou verband met gedrag, identifikasie, voortplanting en gif.

Kenmere van hierdie boek:

• Dek al die noodsaaklike aspekte van biologie en slang gedrag.
• Spesies se beskrywings word vergesel van volkleur fotos en verspreidingskaarte.
• Eenvoudige simbole maak belangrike inligting dadelik beskikbaar.
• ’n Aparte ‘Kyk uit vir’ blokkie help om spesies in die veld gou te identifiseer.
• Hoofstukke oor klassifikasie en identifikasie, aanhou van slange, en die behandeling van slangbyte vul die inligting aan.

Hierdie omvattende gids sal van onskatbare waarde wees vir herpeteloë, slangversamelaars, voetslaners, tuiniers en enigeen wat meer van slange wil weet.

Pocket Guide Fynbos features over 300 of the most spectacular and commonly seen species
from South Africa’s renowned floral kingdom – all in one handy, easy-to-use guide.

The species are presented in detail, with each entry featuring:

• succinct descriptions of the plant and its habitat, comparisons with similar species
• and fl owering times
• full-colour photographs and distribution maps
• floral key, using symbols to denote main identifying features
• interesting facts about species.

Concise, all-in-one guide to the mammals, birds, reptiles and frogs of the Fynbos Biome, featuring over 400 species

South Africa’s Fynbos Biome, which spans the country’s Western and Eastern Cape provinces, is one of the richest floras in the world. In addition to its spectacular botanical diversity, the region is also famous for its remarkable variety of fauna, with some species occurring nowhere else – from the tiny Micro Frog to the brightly coloured Orange-breasted Sunbird and the large, strikingly marked Bontebok.

The first of its kind, this concise field guide covers more than 400 species in four animal groups: mammals, birds, reptiles and frogs. The species accounts include key identification features and are paired with full-colour photographs and distribution maps. This guide encompasses popular tourist destinations such as the Cape Peninsula, the Kogelberg, the Cederberg, the Agulhas Plain, the West Coast and Baviaanskloof.

South Africa has a unique set of characteristics that make walking safaris in big game areas one of the safest and most rewarding outdoor experiences: a huge expanse of protected habitat richly populated with wildlife; excellent tourism facilities; a favourable climate; and expertly trained trail guides.

Seasoned hikers, Hlengiwe Magagula and Denis Costello cover more than 50 guided walks across 21 parks and reserves in South Africa (including two in eSwatini and one in Botswana). They unpack the options available in each park, from short dawn and dusk walks and multi-day wilderness trails to backpacking trails that span several days. Facilities range from ultra-luxurious to ‘wild camping’, either in tents or under the stars. Also included is a series of first-hand accounts that vividly illustrate the magical experience of exploring the bush on foot.

An advisory section gives a rundown of when to go, what to pack, what to wear, and the dos and don’ts of walking in areas with big game.

Southern Africa boasts a rich variety of tree species, both indigenous and exotic. Pocket Guide Trees of Southern Africa is an authoritative introduction to the region’s trees, describing and illustrating 132 species.

This publication has its origins in Van Wyk’s A Photographic Guide to Trees of Southern Africa and has been fully revised and updated by well-known authority Braam van Wyk.

Each species account highlights the key identification features, and also touches on the medicinal and commercial uses of the trees.

This compact, easy-to-use guide makes an ideal travelling companion and will help readers to become more knowledgeable about trees.

SASOL First Field Guide to Common Birds of Southern Africa provides fascinating insight into the birdlife of the region.

With the help of full-colour photo graphs and distribution maps, and easy-to-read text, the young adult and budding naturalist will be able to identify the more common bird species found in southern Africa, discover where they live, and learn about their unique feeding and nesting habits.

This lively, jam-packed book introduces kids to more than 60 bird groups found in southern Africa: long-legged flamingos, speedy falcons, jewel-like sunbirds, plucky hornbills and many more.

Learn to identify different birds, and discover their intriguing behaviours – how they find food, choose a mate, build a nest, raise their young and avoid predators. A detailed introduction explains birding concepts such as courtship, migration, mobbing and moulting.

More than 500 stunning photographs are included, with many annotated to highlight interesting features and traits.

This checklist of 50 fascinating animals, including mammals, reptiles, birds and insects, will liven up any trip to East Africa's national parks. Children will have great fun ticking off these creatures as they discover them, reading about each one and studying the beautiful, full-colour illustrations.

New in Struik Nature’s Pocket Guide series, this book covers an astonishing 500 southern African birds yet is small enough to fit in your pocket.

It is loaded with information that makes for quick and easy bird identification:

• Colour photographs show each bird, giving both male and female images where there's a difference.
• Concise text pinpoints key identification features.
• Distribution maps locate each species in the region.
• Calendar bars show the months when the birds are more likely to be seen.
• Bird size and breeding months are indicated.
• For use at home or when travelling to new climes, this handy pocket guide will be an indispensable companion.

These natural history guides have been developed to encourage young people and anyone with a budding interest in natural history to learn about the wonders of southern Africa's fascinating fauna and flora. They are an invaluable resource for the beginner, providing information at a glance: each of the species presented is described in easy-to-read text, with a photograph and distribution map. A short introduction gives context to the topic.