Everyone is
welcome to join the field meetings, you don't have to be a member and no prior
experience of botanising is necessary!
Just contact the leader first to check the arrangements. Bring outdoor clothing, boots, packed lunch
and a drink. Unless stated we meet at 11:00 am.
We are also
affiliated with the Northwestern Naturalists' Union and warmly welcome members
and affiliated recording groups.
Sunday 14th
April. Prees Heath. Meet at 11:00 am in the car park at SJ 5573 3627. https://w3w.co/mimics.thundered.pointer.
This initial meeting is being led by John Martin who, along with Mags Cousins,
is our Vice County Recorder. The aim of this meeting is to collect data ahead
of the AGM on the 28th April where John and Mags will demonstrate
how to use iRecord to submit data. This promises to be an interesting site as
much work has been done in recent decades to improve the site for nature.
Hopefully we shall see some of the spring ephemerals which makes Prees Heath
such a joy in the spring. For
further information about the meeting please contact John Handley, 07507
054695, johnhandley11@gmail.com.
Sunday 26th
May. Rhos Fiddle Nature Reserve,
managed by the Shropshire Wildlife Trust. Parking is limited and car sharing is
advised, meet at SO 2052 8576. https://w3w.co/gathers.hammocks.folk.
A meeting with the Site Warden John
Lydon. For those that know John, they will be aware of his extensive interest
in many groups from invertebrates, plants and birds. We are timing the visit in
order to hopefully see Viola lutea Mountain Pansies in flower. John
Handley is co-leading this walk: for
further information about the meeting please contact John Handley, 07507
054695, johnhandley11@gmail.com.
Saturday 15th
June. Blackbridge Quarry in Llynclys,
SJ 2781 2417. https://w3w.co/like.clearcut.watch.
This is another site managed by the Shropshire Wildlife Trust. The site of an
old limestone quarry, there are many lovely plants to see here including Anacamptis
pyramidalis Pyramidal Orchid, Arabis hirsuta Hairy Rock-cress and Platanthera
chlorantha Greater Butterfly-orchid. For further information about the meeting please contact John Handley,
07507 054695, johnhandley11@gmail.com.
Sunday 7th
July. Minsterley Meadows SSSI, Callow Lane, Minsterley, meet at 11am at the gates into the
site SJ 37885 04961. Safe parking is nearby along Callow Lane in the
village. The two fields (approx 13.5
acres) are old semi-natural hay meadows, floristically rich and supporting
Shropshire's largest population of Green-winged Orchids Orchis morio,
which number in their thousands. At time
of writing the fields are for sale with Roger Parry, with various parties
interested including the Middle Marches Community Land Trust concerned to
protect the meadows, but also potentially developers who may have other things
in mind. We will make a species list, so at least all concerned will have an up-to-date
record of what the site supports. Leader
Mags Cousins; mags@bagbatch.co.uk,
07873 532681.
Sunday 28th
July. Shrawardine Millenium Green and churchyard of St Mary the Virgin, Shrawardine, meet at 11am at the gate
onto the Green SJ 40074 15507, where we can park neatly, just inside the
gate. We will record in the Green and then move to the churchyard in the
village, neither of which have comprehensive species lists. For those feeling
intrepid we can proceed after lunch to the nearby Shrawardine Pool SSSI, for
which we have permission from the owners to look for Cowbane Cicuta virosa,
Royal Fern Osmunda regalis, Skullcap Scutellaria galericulata and
other goodies of marsh, swamp and fen.
We will have to do battle with nettles, brambles, mosquitos and boggy
ground and a tangle of Willow and Alder roots, so unlike the morning it will be
no walk in the park! Leader Mags
Cousins; mags@bagbatch.co.uk, 07873
532681.
Saturday 24th
August. Wem Moss a Shropshire
Wildlife Trust owned site. Martin Godfrey will be providing a guiding hand in
identifying Sphagnum. Thirteen different species of Sphagnum have
been recorded here in the past, making it an interesting site to botanise. Parking
at SJ 46883 33387, https://w3w.co/heightens.kipper.seaside.
Other rarities include Wood Small-reed Calamagrostis epigejos, Bog
Myrtle Myrica gale, Royal Fern Osmunda regalis and Rhynchospora
alba White Beak-sedge. Leaders Martin Godfrey and
John Handley, 07507 054695, johnhandley11@gmail.com.
31st August. Coppice Leasowes Nature Reserve, which belongs
to the Church Stretton Town Council and a neighbouring site: High Leasowes a 16 acre meadow purchased in 2022 by
the local community. Coppice Leasowes is wetland site; the stream, Ashbrook from
Cardingmill Valley, has recently been re-meandered. Parking and meeting on the
east side of the A49, on Helmeth Road, SO 46038 93846, https://w3w.co/special.dentures.expensive.
Mike Carter and John Handley to lead 07507 054695, johnhandley11@gmail.com.
