The Isle of Wight is not just beaches and white cliffs, it is a microcosm of the British lowland landscape; it is an unspoilt area one tenth the size of Hampshire. Consequently a wide variety of wildlife is available very much within walking distances on the 500 miles of footpaths and bridleways. Perhaps, if you are very lucky, you may spot a wood calamint or a Glanville fritillary butterfly, sights you would not see anywhere else in the British Isles.

All the habitats found on the Island have been shaped over many years by interaction between the weather, the various soil types, geological structure, animals and plants and of course us, humans.

The following is an outline to the main landscape types and some of the species to keep an eye out for, we are still writing the main bulk of this section and the full guide to Island wildlife should be online soon. Checkout Mike Waterhouse's new Shalfleet Manor Estuary Safaris for a initial taste of what the Island has to offer.

Woodlands : You will always find something of interest to see in an Isle of Wight wood. Well-managed woodlands allow in the light and increase the woodland edge to the benefit of other woodland species. Rare creatures are aplenty; the native red squirrel is found in most woods. 13 of the 16 species of native bats have been recorded, including 3 separate records of the very rare Bechstein's bat, a woodland species. You will also possibly spot evidence of both fox and badger, in most of the woodland locations. Key sites to explore: Parkhurst Forest, Brighstone Forest, Borthwood Copse, Mill Copse, Bouldner Forest and Alverstone Mead.

Coasts : There is approximately 60 miles of coastline around the Island. Within this there are many varieties shaped by their aspect, exposure to the prevailing wind and the substrata in which they feature. The north coast tends to produce well-sheltered and consequently muddy shores and the south is mostly sand or shingle. Due to its location the Isle of Wight's coasts are home to not only English Channel species, but also Atlantic species and many inadvertently brought in by boats from further a field. Key sites to checkout: Gore Cliff, Tennyson Downs, southwest coast and the Undercliff.

Rivers & Wetlands : The Island's main rivers all flow in a northerly direction into the Solent. The Medina and Eastern Yar rise in the southern downs and the Western Yar near Freshwater Bay. A number of smaller streams combine to form the tidal creeks at Wootton and Newtown. You can spot dragonflies at the freshwater marshes of Alverstone, Brading, Bembridge and Afton Nature Reserve. There are also stretches of river at Alverstone, Gatcombe, Carisbrooke and Calbourne Mill. Key sites: Newtown National Nature Reserve, East Yar Trail and West Yar Trail.

Grass & Heathlands : The downland grass coverage is probably the best in England, which is strangely enough maintained by the thousands of walkers that trek over the downs every year. Not only is it grass, but also if you look closely there are many small plants such as wild thyme and clustered bellflower. The majority of the chalk downland is owned by the National Trust and is open to the public, who can see many fine examples of the varieties of grassland and heathland mentioned in this section. Key sites to explore: Tennyson Down, Compton Down, Brighstone Down, Culver Down and St Catherine's Down.