Hertfordshire encompasses a wide variety of habitats, which we share with wildlife. Its geographical position, between East Anglia, the Midlands plain, the Thames Valley and the Chiltern Hills in the west make it a meeting place of natural communities. White chalk is its bedrock; it has clay and gravels which support woodlands, wetlands and grasslands, as well as open country and townscapes created by the human inhabitants.

These pages examine some of the enormous variety of wildlife that is rarely far away from us, although of the 10,000 or more wild species which live in the county, only a fraction can be shown here.

Hertfordshire's wildlife has been studied, mainly by enthusiasts, for over 150 years. Hertfordshire Natural History Society was founded in 1875, and has recorded the county's species in detail ever since. Now the county also has a Wildlife Trust (HMWT), and a Biological Records Centre (HBRC), which maintains information on its plants, animals and habitats in collaboration with others. The gathering of information about our wildlife is essential for the conservation of Hertfordshire's natural environment.

Links to websites are incorporated in this natural history tour.