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.
