Wales is home to a large number of abandoned lead, copper and zinc mines and many of these are of exceptional importance for their metallophyte lichen flora. This has been recognised by some of the sites being notified as SSSI by the Countryside Council for Wales and by the listing of the metallophyte community under Section 42 ot the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act (2006) as being of principal importance for the conservation of biodiversity in Wales. In order to promote wider awareness of the importance of these communities and their management needs, Plantlife Cymru have just launched a new illustrated guide. For more details and to download a free copy of the guide visit the Plantlife website at http://www.plantlife.org.uk/about_us/news_press/plants_from_our_industrial_past/