Hidden wonders: The small 5005 of Southern Africa: Insects, spiders, frogs, reptiles - Rael Loon (Photos by Dan Lieberman)

Rael Loon aims to promote the connections between ecotourism, conservation and community development by demonstrating in his writing how people and wildlife can benefit from each other, and by writing on related environmental issues. He believes that the best chance of conserving nature and our biodiversity is by learning as much as possible about them – especially the little-known and often overlooked creatures, such as spiders, scorpions, insects, reptiles and frogs. In this book, he takes the reader on a journey of discovery of the “Small 5005”, and into the hidden world of some of these smaller denizens of southern Africa’s rich and diverse habitats. Rael lives in the Lowveld with his wife, Hélène, and their two children, Asha and Benjamin.

Dan Lieberman was an intrepid explorer and photographer. An ethnobotanist whose passion for the natural world, and particularly the microcosmos within it, led him on many explorations into his environment – snow, jungle, desert and sea – and finally his camera and his eye favoured insects and other tiny creatures. He took thousands of photos all over Africa, including Madagascar, Gabon and southern Africa – and many of these colourful characters are captured in this book. His animated comprehension of this minute world inspired and educated all who were fortunate enough to share his experience with him. When you were with Dan, you knew you were in the presence of something wild – a true legend. Dan died in a car accident in 2000 at the age of 33.