Publications

The Society has its own publications and in addition some of our members are authors.

Our main publication is The Wharfedale Naturalist, the annual review of wildlife in Wharfedale. The current issue (Volume 60, for 2005) has 108 pages, with a series of articles, reports on reserves and outings, and by recorders, including a look back at how local butterfly populations have changed over the last 25 years. Copies are available for £5.

There is also a separate Annual Review for Otley Wetland Nature Reserve, with weather, historical and archaeological articles and sitings.

To celebrate our sixtieth anniversary, we published 'Wild Wharfedale', a pocketable guide to the best wildlife sites in Wharfedale, Littondale and Washburndale. Attractively priced at just £1, it is a mine of information, listing 43 readily accessible places to enjoy birds, wild flowers, fungi and geology - and more. Grid references and access details ensure an enjoyable visit.

Among other publications, the Society has produced the following leaflets:

•  Nature Trail on Ilkley Moor - 40p
  
•  Geology Trail on Ilkley Moor - 40p
  
•  Birds on Ilkley Moor - 40p
  
•  Riverside Trail - 60p
  
•  Wildlife of Middleton Woods - 60p
  
•  Golden Curlew (the curlew is the emblem of the Society and this  is a collection of  reminiscences on its golden anniversary) - £1. An introduction to this, on a  different web site, is here .

Society publications are available via the Tourist Information office in Ilkley, or from David Leather, Woodlands, Panorama Drive, Ilkley LS29 9RA.

David Leather has produced a series of Walkers Guides , to Wharfedale, Mid-Wharfedale, Wensleydale, Swaledale and Nidderdale. He has also written the official Ilkley Guide, and the recent Collins Ramblers Guide to the Yorkshire Dales.

David Alred wrote the books Washburn Valley Yesterday, Washburn Valley Yesterday II and Nidderdale Yesterday, which are collections of historic photos, illustrating local life over the last 150 years.

John Ward is the author of a guide to the hidden parts of, among others, Wharfedale - Discovering the Yorkshire Dales.

Amanda and Brin Best have written Wild flower walks of the Yorkshire Dales (Southern Region), a walk from which appears on the Walks: Grassington page of this web site. It is available from their publishers at www.railwayvideo.com . Brin has also written a series of articles on Dales Nature, listed here.

A Guide to the Birds of the Washburn Valley, has been written by our President, Peter Riley. It is a personal perspective, with habitat and species accounts and a check list. It is not generally available - contact Peter direct 0n 01943-862916.

Perhaps our best-known author-member is Alan Titchmarsh, the gardener and natural history broadcaster. There is a list of his books here.

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