Mike Alexander

Skomer is a captivating Welsh island and one of Britain's most spectacular National Nature Reserves. It has internationally important populations of seabirds, including puffins and Manx shearwaters, and large numbers of grey seal pups are born on the island's beaches. The breathtaking displays of spring flowers, including coast-to-coast bluebells, give the island an almost unrivalled beauty, and it is also one of the best-preserved prehistoric landscapes in Britain. The author's years of meticulous research have resulted in the most complete account of the island's history and natural history ever produced, beautifully illustrated throughout with his own exquisite photographs of species and habitats. Through close co-operation with descendants of the island's former farming families, Mike Alexander has compiled a collection of important and previously unpublished photographs, which inform and enhance the historical sections. The book is written with a level of detail that would make it relevant to professional conservationists, but is presented in a style that is also accessible to amateur naturalists and anyone with an interest in the countryside - given the enormous and enduring popularity of TV programmes such as the BBC's 'Countryfile' and 'Springwatch', the potential audience for the book is huge. In addition, tens of thousands of people visit Skomer and the surrounding cliffs of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park every year, and many of them will be inspired to learn more about its history and natural history. Skomer is extremely popular, receiving regular media attention from magazines, radio and television wildlife programmes. At the heart of this book is the relationship between people and place: how Skomer has been moulded over the centuries to meet the needs of a succession of inhabitants. This is a universal theme that transcends the boundaries of this tiny fragment of land, and would be relevant to anyone who is curious about the environment we have created.

This book is a travelogue with short descriptions of chance interviews of folks, ranging in scope from North Cape to the Cape of Good Hope (105 deg. of latitude) and from Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA to Tokyo, Japan (225 deg. of longitude).

Consisting primarily of expanded or revised versions, 'vault' material and "stray bastards", the 'posthumous' Contemporary Ghazals No. 7 (in the words of magazine founder and original editor R. W. Watkins) "represents the furthest one can take the ghazal form while still preserving the fundamental dynamics of its structure, if not always some semblance of its basic self". Hence the inclusion of such cutting-edge and often lengthy treatments of the form at the hands of such seasoned practitioners as Steffen Horstmann, Mike Alexander, David Raphael Israel and R. W. Watkins himself. Other familiar names found in this issue include Denver Butson, William Dennis, Barbara Little, Daniel Hales, Bill West and Red Slider. There is even a 'cut-up' of Agha Shahid Ali (1949-2001) ghazals as assembled and embellished by Watkins and Eugene Melino. The groundbreaking Contemporary Ghazals was discontinued as a regular publication in 2016, when Watkins chose to replace it with Eastern Structures, a magazine more inclusive of various other Asian poetic forms. But this double-length special issue-the second in a series of CG-related archival publications from Nocturnal Iris-is a not-so-subtle reminder of the earlier mag's devotion to form and a testament to its continued appeal.

The first edition of Mike Alexander’s Management Planning for Nature Conservation, brought a new dimension to the modern literature on conservation management. This second edition, a significant enhancement of the original, deals with the development both, conceptual and practical, of adaptive management planning for nature conservation. It is about preparing management plans, and guides the reader through the entire process. Case-studies, including a conservation and access plan, demonstrate the planning process in action. This approach to planning can be applied to any place which is managed entirely, or in part, for wildlife. It can be applied to the management of species or habitats in any circumstance, regardless of site designation. The process is fully compatible with the Convention on Biological Diversity’s ‘ecosystem approach’ to conservation management. Mike Alexander has long been at the forefront of developing management planning for conservation, with experience ranging from Uganda to Estonia, and from Costa Rica to Wales. He is the General Secretary of the Conservation Management System Consortium, a group of organisations with a common aim of raising standards and developing best practice in conservation management and planning. In 2012 Mike Alexander was elected a Fellow of the Society of Biology in recognition of his contribution to nature conservation and in particular management planning. This book has drawn on the experiences and expertise of the CMS consortium and other leaders in both conservation research and wildlife management from around the world. It is essential reading for professional conservation managers and any student studying management planning for conservation within a range of degree and postgraduate courses.

An essential handbook for churchwardens, PCC's and all with responsibility during this crucial time in the life of a church. This comprehensive guide offers practical advice on preparing for an interregnum, arranging for continuing worship and pastoral care, keeping church administration going, meeting legal responsibilities, finding a new priest and laying a good foundation for future ministry between priest and people.