A BOOK of revelations dropped through my letterbox this week.

Lavishly illustrated and forensically detailed, this is however, no instruction manual for the end of the world.

Rather, it is a guidebook describing a whole series of worlds, fascinating, unique, delicate, and - should you be willing to consider Gwent as your front garden - right on your doorstep.

If the above reads rather hyperbolically, I make no apology - and there’s more. Quite simply, if you love nature and the great outdoors, then the new Nature Reserves Guide from Gwent Wildlife Trust is indispensable.

I like to think that I get out and about a good deal. As the owner of a hyperactive spaniel I have little choice, but being outdoors in all weathers and all seasons, with or without a dog, has been pretty much my preferred state since childhood.

Resident in south Wales for almost 30 years, I know many of the region’s nooks and crannies well - but now, I’ve more hidden corners to discover. Many more.

When it comes to the wonders of nature, of wildlife, Gwent can deal the explorer a very good hand.

From the Gwent Levels, to the rolling countryside and woodland of Monmouthshire, to contrasting landscapes such of those of the Ebbw Fawr and Wye Valleys, the spectrum is varied.

This is mirrored in the wildlife one can find. Just when you think you know of most of the animals, birds and insects it is possible to encounter in these parts, ignorance taps you on the shoulder.

So I marvel at the wonderfully marked water rail, a bird the guide tells me I may be lucky enough to spot if I brave a winter wander around Magor Marsh.

A trip to New Grove Meadows, near Trellech, might reward me with a view of the spectacular vermilion waxcap fungi.

Brockwells Meadows, between Caldicot and Caerwent, meanwhile plays host to the hornet robberfly, though the guide helpfully indicates that Britain’s largest fly is pretty dependent on cowpats, so I’ll have to be careful where I tread.

If such examples aren’t enough to whet the appetite, then there is plenty more - the guide contains the details of 23 Gwent nature reserves and the species to be found there.

I harbour a special fascination for Silent Valley, near Ebbw Vale, a magical place I visited on several occasions many years ago and where, depending on the time of year, you might be lucky enough to see the olive earthtongue fungi, which sounds like something out of Tolkien, and has the looks to match.

It is right to point out that a copy of the Nature Reserves Guide is only obtainable with membership of Gwent Wildlife Trust. But that needn’t be a barrier - it’s a worthwhile investment.

A bizarre accident earlier this week has left me with torn shoulder muscles and little more than a sling and some strong painkillers for company.

But when I’m fully active again, this book is going to get very dog-eared, very quickly.

Due to the sheer quality of the information, maps and images it contains, I know exactly where I’m going.

Yet paradoxically, wonderfully - and the essence of exploration - I don’t really know where I’m going at all.

For more information, visit gwentwildlife.org