Sappi treespotting Cape

There are dozens of titles that focus on specific areas of the Cape, or on specific types of plants that occur there. None of the simpler publications for the general public have tackled the integration of vegetation regions and the distribution of woody plants of this diverse area. Sappi tree spotting Cape successfully explores the wonder of trees and shrubs from the rocky dry Richtersveld in the west, through the Kalahari sands and the spiky survivors of the arid Karoo. It includes the Proteas and the towering giants of the forests of the south. The series, and now this last title, can make a difference on so many levels: They keep the terminology simple; they show you the right place to look for the right tree. They ID the striking features. These trees do not need a complex system of "keying" because they are instantly recognisable. The other four books are Sappi tree spotting Lowveld, Bushveld, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape and Highveld.

Val Thomas is the cofounder of Jacana Media and the managing director of High Branching, a company that specializes in wildlife and nature-conservation projects. Eugene Moll is the chairman of the council of the Botanical Society of South Africa. Rina Grant is an ecologist working for the SANParks Systems.