Happy New Year

We would like to wish all our members a Happy New Year and to thank you for sending in your botanical records during 2024.

We have had another busy year with seven field outings, four of them to sites managed by the Shropshire Wildlife Trust. As well as two indoor meetings and a microscopy session generously provided by Martin Godfrey. Whilst your committee are busy organising next years field meetings we would like to bring your attention to some things we think will be of interest at this time of the year.

Shropshire Botanical Society winter social and talk

Sunday 12th January 2025 2pm-4pm,  Field Studies Centre, Preston Montford, Montford Bridge, Shrewsbury SY4 1DX.

Everyone is welcome to the friendly winter social - involving tea and cakes as usual!

We are blessed to receive as a talk from one of our own members, Mr. Richard Gulliver, with the title: “The Legacy of Oliver Rackham – The Cambridge Scholar who Enhanced Our Understanding of Woodlands Forever”. Richard writes: “My well-illustrated talk will provide insights into the genius of the man in advance of the 50th anniversary of the publication of his pioneer work ‘Trees and Woodland in the British Landscape’ in 1976.

Microscopy Workshop provided by Martin Godfrey

Sunday 9th February 2025, 1030am-3.30pm Microscopy Workshop Field Studies Centre, Preston Montford, Montford Bridge, Shrewsbury, SY4 1DX

Martin Godfrey will be running a workshop on microscope techniques. All microscopy kit and specimens will be provided - attendees should bring their favourite ID guides and their own lens and forceps if they have them. They are encouraged to bring any specimens which may be puzzling them. Please email mfgodfrey49@gmail.com to book a place on this workshop.

Take part in a Mistletoe abundance survey

Mistletoe (Viscum album) is thought to be spreading in Britain and Ireland, but where will the mistletoe go? With a changing climate, an evolving treescape and shifts in distributions of seed-dispersing birds, the future of this Christmassy parasitic plant is unclear. To predict mistletoe distribution, we are collecting data on local mistletoe abundance, and you can help!

After a successful season of 1,250 records last year, the Tree Council want more data on where mistletoe is today to forecast where it is going to be. You can submit your photos and locations of mistletoe to the “MistleGO!” survey via the Survey123 app, and record how much mistletoe you see – it’s the perfect addition to your winter walks! You can still help the Tree Council if there is no mistletoe in your area by submitting a valuable absence record. Follow this link to download the app or use in browser. For more information, check out the Tree Council’s website.

Ollie Spacey, University of Oxford and the Tree Council

Webinars from the Northern Ireland Botanical Skills Project

Under the banner of the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland DAERA-funded Botanical Skills Project in Northern Ireland, the BSBI have organised a webinar series running through to February. The webinars cater to botanists across the skill spectrum. Each webinar is on a Tuesday evening at 7pm and lasts for around an hour, and we intend to record them for the BSBI YouTube channel so they can be viewed by anyone who couldn’t join them live. The talk series, and links to book, are:

14th January - Grasses, Sedges and Rushes for Absolute Beginners

21st January - Grasses and grassland habitats

28th January - Getting started with Cotoneasters

4th February - Rubus (Brambles) in Northern Ireland

James Harding-Morris, BSBI Countries Manager

That is all for now folks - we shall look forward to seeing you in just over a weeks time!

Minsterley Meadows secured for the community

We have received some exciting news from the Middle Marches Community Land Trust - following a 10-month campaign by local people and nature conservationists, Minsterley Meadows has been purchased by MMCLT:

"Thanks are due to The National Lottery Heritage Fund, 367 donors (including Shropshire Botanical Society), Morris & Co ,100+ supporters and a hard-working group of volunteers on the Steering Group.

The Meadows are nationally important and are amongst the best flowery grasslands in Shropshire. They support over 5,000 Green-winged orchids. This is a species which has severely declined over the last 100 years and over 90% of Shropshire’s Green-winged orchids are in these two hay meadows.

The meadows will be owned by the Middle Marches Community Land Trust, a local community-led Trust dedicated to helping to create an ecologically healthy and sustainable countryside. The Marches Meadow Group will help manage and look after the meadows and there are also funds to support local people to care for them and engage with young people to learn about them. This includes a local art project, activities and events as well as working closely with local primary and secondary schools."

For further information see the MMCLT website:

https://middlemarchescommunitylandtrust.org.uk/minsterley-meadows/

Botany Events and Indoor Meetings

23rd November 2024, British & Irish Botanical Conference 2024, London - fully booked but all talks will be recorded and posted on YouTube.

The BSBI returns to the Natural History Museum, London, for the main indoor event of the year. A day of talks, exhibits, posters, a behind-the-scenes tour of the world-famous herbarium, a chance to catch up with botanical friends old and new.  

29th December 2024 – 1st January 2025, New Year Plant Hunt 2025 

Join thousands of fellow plant-hunters across Britain and Ireland in our annual quest to find out which wild or naturalised plants are able to bloom in midwinter. Your data are helping us learn more about how our plants are responding to a changing climate. The New Year Plant Hunt is also a great way to shake off the winter blues and get outdoors with friends, family, solo or joining a group hunt. Find out more from the New Year Plant Hunt Support Team, email: nyplanthunt@bsbi.org 

Sunday 12th January 2025 2pm-4pm, Shropshire Botanical Society winter social and talk. Field Studies Centre, Preston Montford, Montford Bridge, Shrewsbury SY4 1DX 

Everyone is welcome to the friendly winter social (involving tea and cakes as usual!), and a talk by Richard Gulliver with the title: 

“The Legacy of Oliver Rackham – The Cambridge Scholar who Enhanced Our Understanding of Woodlands Forever”. 

Richard writes: “My well-illustrated talk will provide insights into the genius of the man in advance of the 50th anniversary of the publication of his pioneer work ‘Trees and Woodland in the British Landscape’ in 1976. One may consider ecology to be the interactions between man, plant and animal communities, and the physical environment e.g. soil type and climate. Oliver Rackham’s unique contribution was that by identifying with the activities of woodmen, investigating coppice and pollard structure, decoding medieval manuscripts, and studying both individual plant species and plant communities, he brought woodland interactions to life in a way no one had done before. His lively, often iconoclastic, writing was always well illustrated with his informative and powerful line drawings. His immaculate scholarship gave woodland conservation a sound historical dimension and a scientific basis - along with the equally illustrious activities of George Peterken. His impact will endure for many decades to come. If you have not yet read ‘Trees and Woodland in the British Landscape’, I suggest you do so soon; it is as relevant today as when it was first published, especially as a clarion call to explore, interpret and enjoy.” 

Richard and Mavis Gulliver were fortunate to be able to move to the Hebrides in 1991 where they both studied the ecology and conservation of Irish Lady’s-tresses orchid, a species which until recently was known only from Ireland and the West of Scotland, but latterly has been found near Borth. During this period Richard was BSBI vicecounty recorder for VC102 - Southern Hebrides - for many years.  Also at this time he tutored the Ecology Course for The Open University, which periodically brought him to Preston Montford Field Centre for the fieldwork component of the course. Richard and Mavis are co-authors of three Aidgap guides featuring woodland plants, orchids and grassland plants (other than those of chalk and limestone). Since moving to Shropshire in 2017 Richard has continued his studies on woodland history and grassland plant communities, topics on which he had published previously. Currently he is studying and communicating new and correct information on English Elm - Ulmus procera - including fruit production which he has observed in the county in 2022, 2023 and 2024. 

Sunday 9th February 2025, 1030am-3.30pm Microscopy Workshop, Field Studies Centre, Preston Montford, Montford Bridge, Shrewsbury, SY4 1DX. 

Martin Godfrey will be running a workshop on microscope techniques. All microscopy kit and specimens will be provided - attendees should bring their favourite ID guides and their own lens and forceps if they have them. They are encouraged to bring any specimens which may be puzzling them. Please email mfgodfrey49@gmail.com to book a place on this workshop. 

Friday 4th Apr 2025 1:00pm to Sunday 6th Apr 2025 2:00pm, BSBI England Recorders’ Meeting 2025, Field Studies Centre, Juniper Hall, RH5 6DA. 

The 2025 Recorders’ Meeting is based at the Field Studies Council Juniper Hall Centre near Dorking. The meeting is aimed at all those who record plants, ranging over all skills levels from beginner to expert. You don’t have to be a vice county recorder as it is about skill sharing and learning but VCRs will be there. It is intended that workshops will include plant id sessions, practical recording, the Distribution Database, recording apps, talks, excursions to Box Hill Country Park and a group discussion. The timing is leisurely and may change at short notice in order to accommodate a weather window for group excursions. Juniper Hall offers the standard FSC centre accommodation, with cooked breakfast, DIY packed lunch and a two course evening meal. The centre is licensed. Half the rooms are en suite, and there are some for multiple occupancy. Non-residents are welcome to join the group during the day and for meals. Total numbers will be capped at 40, with priority given to those who are residential. Contact Jonathan Shanklin email: fieldmeetings@bsbi.org 

Sunday 13th April 2025 2pm-4pm, Shropshire Botanical Society AGM and talk, Field Studies Centre, Preston Montford, Montford Bridge, Shrewsbury SY4 1DX 

AGM and talk by Peter Carty titled: “Saving Minsterley Meadows and Other Grassland Projects”. 

The AGM business is minimal as we prefer to focus on flora! There will be refreshments after Peter’s talk and time to chat and plan a year of botanising.

Autumn Newsletter 2024 - coming soon!

The formal field meetings program may be over, but never fear, the Shropshire Botanical Society Autumn 2024 newsletter will be out soon!  

It is packed full of features, with articles by new contributors, field visit accounts, plus a rundown of this year's plant finds.  

Sorry it has been a while, but we didn't have an Editor for a Spring 2024 edition, which is why this Autumn's is a chunker.

The newsletter will be emailed to members as a pdf just as soon as it is ready.

Non members will have to wait a seemly amount of time before the latest edition will become available via the website newsletter archive:  https://www.shropshirebotany.org.uk/p/newsletter-archive.html 

Enjoy!

Meandering in Church Stretton

The final field meeting of the season is at Coppice Leasowes Nature Reserve on the 31^st August. The reserve belongs to the Church Stretton Town Council and a neighbouring site: High Leasowes a 16 acre meadow was purchased in 2022 by the local community.

Greater Butterfly Orchid Platanthera chlorantha recorded at Coppice Leasowes in 1995.

Coppice Leasowes is a wetland site; the stream, Ashbrook from Cardingmill Valley, has recently been re-meandered so there will be plenty for us to look at. 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.We look forward to seeing you next Saturday.

We look forward to seeing you next Saturday.

Messing about at Wem Moss

The next society meeting is Saturday 24^th August at 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.

 

White Beak-sedge Rhynchospora alba

Other rarities include Wood Small-reed Calamagrostis epigejos, Bog Myrtle Myrica gale, Royal Fern Osmunda regalis and White Beak-sedge Rhynchospora alba. Leaders Martin Godfrey and John Handley, 07507 054695, johnhandley11@gmail.com.

We look forward to seeing you next Saturday.

Recording in Shrawardine

We shall be meeting next Sunday 28th July at Shrawardine Millenium Green and churchyard of St Mary the Virgin, Shrawardine.

We will meet at 11am at the gate onto the Green SJ 40074 15507, https://w3w.co/perfected.drifter.smashes, where we can park neatly, just inside the gate. The aim is to record in the Green and then move to the churchyard in the village, neither of which have comprehensive species lists.

Cowbane, Cicuta virosa a scarce plant in Shropshire.​

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!  For further details contact leader Mags Cousins; mags@bagbatch.co.uk, 07873 532681.

We look forward to seeing you next Sunday.

Messing about with Mags in Minsterley

The next field outing will be to Minsterley Meadows SSSI, Callow Lane, Minsterley, at 1pm on Sunday 7^th July. 

Park and meet at Minsterley Parish Hall, SY50EH; 
Grid Ref SJ37520483; What3words:marketing.eggshell.opposites.

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 Anacamptis (Orchis) morio, which number in their thousands.

The Middle Marches Community Land Trust have made an offer on these meadows and are currently fund raising: https://middlemarchescommunitylandtrust.org.uk/minsterley-meadows-appeal/

The Shropshire Botanical Society has made a pledge of £500 and on Sunday 7th will make a species list, to create an up-to-date record of what the site supports. 

There is a fund raiser event in the morning which is why we are starting the survey after lunch at 1pm to enable anyone to attend the fundraiser talk at the Hall first: Minsterley Meadows Fundraiser Event: The Natural Garden Sunday 7th July, Minsterley Parish Hall

10.00  – 12 noon: Nancy Lowe, The Natural Gardener (thenaturalgardener.org.uk) (donations to the Appeal), picnic lunch if required. To attend you must book your place through: conference@middlemarchescommunitylandtrust.org.uk

For attendance on the Shropshire Botanical Society survey, contact leader Mags Cousins for further details; mags@bagbatch.co.uk, 07873 532681.

We look forward to seeing you next week.

Limestone Lovelies!

 We will be meeting at Blackbridge Quarry in Llynclys, SJ 2781 2417 on Saturday 15^th June at 11:00 AM. 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.

Platanthera chlorantha Greater Butterfly-orchid 

For further information about the meeting please contact John Handley, 07507 054695, johnhandley11@gmail.com.

Minsterley Meadows Update

The Middle Marches Community Land Trust are fundraising in order to buy and manage two flower-rich Meadows at Minsterley. Amongst many other species, the meadows support the largest population of green-winged orchids, Anacamptis (Orchis) morio, (below) in Shropshire. This has led to their designation as a Site of Special Scientific Interest by Natural England.

The appeal to buy the meadows is now live and will be officially launched on Sunday 9^th June at 10:30 am at Minsterley Parish Hall, all are welcome to this event:

https://middlemarchescommunitylandtrust.org.uk/minsterley-meadows-appeal/

The Shropshire Botanical Society is supporting the campaign by pledging £500 and raising awareness through blog articles and writing to Minsterley Parish Council.  Mags Cousins, one of our Vice County Recorders, will be attending the launch which comprises talks and slide show, followed by a walk around the meadows.

You can make personal pledges by email to: info@middlemarchescommunitylandtrust.org.uk 

or by post to:

Middle Marches Community Land Trust
Enterprise House
Bishops Castle
SY9 5AQ

On the Fiddle

We will be visiting Rhos Fiddle Nature Reserve at 11:00 AM on Sunday 26^th May. The reserve is managed by the Shropshire Wildlife Trust and parking is limited therefore car sharing is advised.

Meet at SO 2052 8576. https://w3w.co/gathers.hammocks.folk where we will meet society member, and 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 (below).

 

John Handley is co-leading this walk: for further information about the meeting please contact John Handley, 07507 054695, johnhandley11@gmail.com.

Minsterley Meadows appeal

Many of you will be aware that two flower-rich hay-meadows on the eastern outskirts of Minsterley designated by Natural England as a Site of Special Scientific Interest have been offered for sale.

Following a public meeting on the 6th January a Minsterley Meadows working group was established and has successfully caught the eye of the Middle Marches Community Land Trust who have made an offer which was accepted. They now have until October 19th to raise the funds.

This is wonderful news as the Trust have quickly developed a reputation, over recent years, for successfully purchasing and managing areas for conservation.

This is the largest site for Green-winged Orchids, Anacamptis (Orchis) morio (below) in Shropshire and we would like to know if you as members who like to support this purchase and, if so, to what extent.

Your committee would like to know if you think the Shropshire Botanical Society should support this appeal. If you could complete this very short poll before Sunday 26th May we will take members views into account when we make our decision: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/89ZTXF5

Further details of the appeal can be found here.  

Thank you for your help.

Society spring indoor meeting

The Society AGM is taking place next Sunday 29th April at 2:00 PM at Preston Montford. As ever, we will try and ensure that the formal part of the meeting will be succinct. Once the business has been completed we can look forward to a meeting where our Vice County Recorders, Mags Cousins and John Martin, demonstrate how to use iRecord – the favoured method to ensure your records are verified and end up forming part of our wonderful database. They will be using records that were collected last weekend at Prees Heath, a well-attended meeting where some lovely plants recorded including the Heath Dog-violet Viola canina below:

 

If there is time, there will also be a demonstration of how the records from the Botanical Society database can be downloaded and displayed in QGIS.

We are having a book sale so please donate any books that you think others would enjoy and please bring along a cake - the tea and coffee are provided.

We look forward to seeing you at the AGM.

A putative hybrid between G. lucidum and G. robertianum in Shropshire

Spring is definitely stirring despite the rain rain rain and it is about now when Shining Crane's-bill Geranium lucidum becomes very obvious on the hedge banks.  The photo below was beside a lane in All Stretton two weeks ago, and occupying the same space was Herb-Robert Geranium robertianum (centre, more finely divided leaves), and herein lies the reason for this posting: 

Shining Crane's-bill Geranium lucidum and Herb-Robert G. robertianum

In the past a hybrid between G. lucidum and G. robertianum was said to have been found at 'Mill in the Hole', Bridgnorth, Salop (Daniels Mill). This hybrid is not mentioned in the Hybrid Flora of the British Isles (Stace, 2015), but was mentioned in Stace 1975 by McClintock when it was said to be in a couple of places. There is some uncertainty around the validity of the record due to the lack of a convincing herbarium specimen. 

Michael Wilcox, BSBI member has been researching Geranium lucidum and has asked Shropshire botanists to keep an eye out for unusual looking specimens that could indicate hybridisation. Michael would welcome flowering specimens of G. lucidum to look at pollen and stomata, and would want to receive live specimens of plants with flowers/flower buds and some root (they are shallow rooted so should be possible). Please exercise the usual protocol for collecting specimens (BSBI Code of Conduct), and contact Michael beforehand: Michaelpw22@hotmail.com 

So this is your mission, keep an eye out for odd looking G.lucidum whilst you are out and about, and especially if you are visiting the rather fine looking Daniels Mill near Bridgnorth as it is now known:

From Daniels Mill webpage 

We don't really know what constitutes odd but if you have a suspect, contact Michael Wilcox: Michaelpw22@hotmail.com 

Mags Cousins (Joint Recorder VC40, BSBI)

Willow Emerald Damselfly

 

Photograph of a Willow Emerald Damselfly by Steve Cham

This time of year - when you are out and about looking for the early signs of spring - there is a frustrating lack of leaves and flowers - but you would be doing a huge service if, on your botanical jaunts, you might look out for signs of a potential new arrival in Shropshire the Willow Emerald Damselfly.  These insects lay their eggs in late summer directly into branches of willows and alders and similar that hang over slow flowing rivers or sheltered standing waters. The plant in response produces these patterns of galls known as scars which are so distinctive they are actually accepted as species records for this imminent new arrival- as yet unrecorded in Shropshire! Sue Rees Evans would love to know if you see these scars, or indeed the adults later this summer...or if you're very lucky you may see the eggs hatch and the young larvae emerging from the twigs in spring!   Just take a look at these pictures and if you see any signs of Willow Emerald Damselfly please contact Sue at info@shropshiredragonflies.co.uk

Additional photographs below provided by Steve Cham.

Thank you

Microscopy Workshop 10th February

 

Martin Godfrey has very kindly offered to run a general microscopy techniques workshop for anyone interested in using microscopes. Martin is an experienced Associate Tutor for the Field Studies Council and past President of the British Bryological Society, and has tutored microscopy courses for different organisations.

Microscopes can be used for many different purposes including finding and measuring stomata and looking at pollen and spore fertility, as well as being used to identify bryophytes. As a general workshop Martin will cover the basics as well as providing samples for more experienced individuals.

Microscopes are being provided by the FSC, but please bring your own if you prefer, as well as your lunch! Tuition and samples are kindly being provided by Martin and it looks to be an excellent day. It is due to take place on the 10th February at Preston Montford field study centre at 10AM. Booking is required, please contact Martin Godfrey as places are limited: mfgodfrey49@gmail.com

We look forward to seeing you then.   

Winter Social Sunday 21st Jan: "More than Meets the Eye – the wildlife of Grace Dieu, Leicestershire", a talk by Steve Woodward

Please join us for the Winter Social Indoor meeting, coming soon on Sunday 21st January 2024 - at 14:00 at Preston Montford Field Studies Centre, Montford Bridge, Shrewsbury SY4 1DX.  We can look forward to an interesting talk see below and share a cuppa and a piece of cake. 

"More than Meets the Eye – the wildlife of Grace Dieu, Leicestershire, by Steve Woodward."

Steve Woodward is the joint BSBI recorder for Leicestershire & Rutland and is also the local co-ordinator for six invertebrate groups.

 

His talk will be about his most recent project which has involved a wonderful in-depth study of Grace Dieu Priory grounds. The resulting report is a little like Sinker’s wonderful flora where the soils, and geology are covered in depth to illustrate the relationship between species and place.

The report has been published and is available to buy:

https://www.summerfieldbooks.com/product/more-than-meets-the-eye-the-wildlife-of-grace-dieu-leicestershire/

Steve’s photographs, knowledge and holistic approach will have something for everyone - and we can look forward to his accounts of vascular plants that were rediscovered such as Moschatel Adoxa moschatellina and Toothwort Lathraea squamaria and some rarities such as Bog Pimpernel Lysimachia tenella.  

Members and non members are welcome, no need to book.  The event is free, but donations from non members are welcome to help cover venue hire and refreshments.  There is usually ample parking on site and lifts can be arranged from Shrewsbury railway station if required.

Look forward to seeing you there.

Bot Soc Committee