John Wilkinson is an amphibian biodiversity specialist, lecturer and writer who has spent most of the last twenty years carrying out, organising or writing about amphibian (and sometimes reptile) surveying, and trying to find ways the information generated can aid in the fight against amphibian declines. He currently works for the UK charity Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust and coordinates the National Amphibian and Reptile Recording Scheme (NARRS). He lives in north Dorset, near a toad pond.
In my darker moments, I wonder if there is still a role for books in the modern screen-obsessed world. Then one comes across a book like this, where an expert with a lifetime's experience provides a guide to everything that someone aiming to carry out amphibian survey and monitoring needs to think about. Splendid. -- Alan Crowden * BES Bulletin * Evidence bases for conservation are becoming increasingly important to convince landowners and politicians of the need to take action in defence of species and habitats all around the world. A valuable feature of this book is its emphasis on collecting and analysing such essential information. -- Trevor Beebee * Pyllomedusa * As I read Wilkinson's book I was struck by two things: 1) Wilkinson is a first-rate writer and 2) his considerable experience surveying amphibians in the United Kingdom is conveyed throughout the entire text. This is obviously a man who has spent a lot of time planning, conducting, and summarizing the results of amphibian surveys. -- John Palis * Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society *