Edited by Derek Whiteley
| Foreword | Austin Brackenbury | |
| Geology | Richard Porter | |
| Fossils | Richard Porter | |
| Flowering Plants and Ferns | Margaret Shaw | |
| Larger Fungi | Tony Lyon | |
| The Lichen Flora | Oliver Gilbert | |
| Mosses and Liverworts | Steve Furness & Jeremy Lee | |
| Mammals | Valerie Clinging & Derek Whiteley | |
| Birds | Harold Smith | |
| Reptiles, Amphibians and Fishes | Derek Whiteley | |
| Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) | Steve Garland | |
| Beetles (Coleoptera) | Eric Smith, Jeremy Lee & Alan Lazenby | |
| Flies (Diptera) | Derek Whiteley & Bill Ely | |
| Bees, Wasps, Ants and Allies (Hymenoptera) | Bill Ely | |
| Bugs (Hemiptera) | Bill Ely & David Budworth | |
| Grasshoppers, Crickets and Allies (Orthoptera) | Derek Whiteley | |
| Dragonflies (Odonata) | John Coldwell | |
| Other Insects: Lacewing flies (Neuroptera) | Steve Garland | |
Snakeflies and Alderflies (Megaloptera) |
Steve Garland | |
| Freshwater Invertebrates | Krys Zasada | |
| Spiders | Debbie & Mike Roberts | |
| Molluscs | Bob Clinging | |
| Other Invertebrates: Millipedes, Centipedes | Steve Garland | |
Woodlice |
Bill Ely, Steve Garland, Derek Whiteley | |
| Climate | Steve Garland | |
| An Introduction to Nature Conservation in the Sheffield Area | Ian Rotherham | |
| Local and National Organisations Involved in Nature Conservation | Ian Rotherham |
by Austin Brackenbury
The unique topography, geology and diversity of habitats of the Sheffield area and Peak District, together with access to an active Natural History Society membership, collectively capable of working the wide range of disciplines exemplified in the following pages, must be very near a Utopian ideal for local naturalists.
The habitats range from high moors, through wooded valleys to low lying marsh, from 'agribusiness' production units to subsistence hill farming. The valleys and rivers within the City boundary yield important freshwater sites, a legacy of past water powered industrial activity.
The recent industrial and housing dereliction is developing into new habitats; the so called 'urban fields', probably only transient but proving to have their own unique flora and fauna, and the 'green' suburbs and preponderance of garden ponds are well known assets.
So it is no coincidence that the area abounds with active naturalists. Sheffield and its environs is a good place to be and this book brings many together, writing expertly and with local knowledge about their particular field of natural history.
When I am away from the area it is a temptation to measure natural history values against the yardstick of our own richness and diversity. If you are a naturalist, you could paraphrase lyrics from long ago, 'Sheffield is so nice to come home to'!