Last year, I was browsing the natural history section of the very impressive Leakey's Bookshop in Inverness, when I spotted a copy of 'The Naturalist in the Isle of Man' by Larch S. Garrad. This 1972 publication details the flora, fauna and habitats of the Isle of Man and remains a fascinating read, despite it being over 50 years old. I wasn't expecting to spend my time in Scotland reading about the Isle of Man, but I bought the book and spent the next few days gaining insights into Manx natural history as I travelled around the Highlands. That's the thing about the Isle of Man, it tends to stay with you no matter where you are! Read on and find out more about this wonderful book.
The Naturalist in the Isle of Man is written in an engaging and flowing style, as exemplified by the following section of the first chapter:
...the Isle of Man still has much to offer the discerning naturalist. Its shores still resound to the cries of seabirds and the chough, 'the red-legged king of crows', still tumbles about its cliffs. The same cliffs are blue with spring squill and bluebell in spring and blaze in the gold and purple of gorse and heath in late summer. Great clumps of royal fern flourish in the Curraghs and the diminutive least willow clings obstinately to the much-visited summit of Snaefell.
(Garrad, 1972, p.11)
The author, Larch S. Garrad, was Assistant Keeper in the Manx Museum from 1964 to 1996 and has contributed to many publications over the years, including the 'New History of the Isle of Man' series. 'The Naturalist in the Isle of Man' is a particular achievement as it gives a description of the state of Manx natural history knowledge at the time, across the many different habitats to be found on the Island. The chapters give a good indication of the coverage of the book as seen in the image below:
One of my first impressions of the book was that it's a great way to investigate how the Isle of Man's flora and fauna has changed over time. Not only does it give an account of the state of such things at the time the book was written, and can therefore be compared to the situation today, but the author herself looked back and gave comparisons of certain species distributions in different years. There are images showing the change in location and distribution of rookeries and orange-tip butterflies over time, as well as single maps of distribution as they occurred in the late 60s / early 70s of: curragh and garey; oak trees; peregrine eyries and known heronries; and various species of ant. I fully intend on taking a print out of the maps with me when I'm out walking this spring, to see if I can find evidence of similar distributions today.
The book also features several black and white photos of geological features, animals, plants and fungi. Some of these photos are a little low in contrast and hard to make out, although many are clear and feature trees and rock formations that would be interesting to find today to see how they've changed.
The Neotinea intacta or dense-flowered orchid, was only recently discovered on the Isle of Man when this book was written (1972). This flower is now known as Neotinea maculata and I couldn't find evidence of it having been discovered since on the Isle of Man when I searched online, although this may say more about my research skills than the flower's occurrence on the Island!
I love a good map, and this book has several describing the geology of the Island. I find these so interesting as I enjoy learning about the geological features, but I also love to see the place names. Many were new to me or may be ones I've heard, but I wasn't sure where they were located. I was very happy to see a map of the Calf of Man too, as it's not somewhere I'm familiar with and it's reminded me that I really do need to book an excursion there this year.
The book also described the lack of organised conservation efforts that were in place in the Isle of Man at the time. It gave some hope for the future with mention of the then, newly formed Conservation Council, but commented that although the Manx Government owned and preserved the wooded glens and extensive areas of hill and coastal health, much of its property was subject to greater threats than it would have been in private hands. With all the current focus on threats to the environment, it can seem quite bleak nowadays too, but as the Isle of Man is now a UNESCO Biosphere and with the work of organisations such as the Manx Wildlife Trust and the Isle of Man Woodland Trust there is now even more hope for the future of our beautiful island.
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