As you can see, our programme carries on in September with a field visit and the first of our winter indoor meetings at Worsbrough Common Community Centre.
Our next field visits … April to September 2026
Author: Barnsley Nats
Fungi at Wortley in January 2026
We had a great walk yesterday at Wortley Hall gardens and parkland; there were quite a few colourful fungi to spot
Chris Tomson on Rivers, Waterways and Wetlands : November 19th 2025
Our next indoor meeting is on Wednesday 19 November : Chris Tomson is giving an illustrated presentation on ‘Rivers, Waterways and Wetlands – a Natural History’.
Chris’ talks are always informative and enjoyable. And everyone is welcome, so do tell anyone that may be interested.
Wednesday 19 November, 7pm, at Worsbrough Common Community Centre, Warren Quarry Lane, Barnsley S70 4ND.
Wortley Hall Fungi : November 8th 2025
On Saturday morning, 8th November, Barnsley Nats are visiting Wortley Hall grounds, looking for a variety of fungi species, and comparing them with our previous visits.
For details of meeting place and time please email: [email protected]
For those who receive the email, please note the special arrangements.
‘Watching Mars’ an illustrated talk : Wednesday October 22nd 2025
A special illustrated talk about watching Mars
The first Barnsley Nats indoor meeting this winter season is this coming Wednesday, with a special presentation about Mars —the planet.
Guy Gunson, from Mexborough & Swinton Astronomical Society (MSAS), is giving an illustrated talk on “Watching Mars”, a topic that he is enthusiastic about. It promises to be a really interesting evening.
It’s at 7pm at Worsbrough Common Community Centre (The Vera Mawby Centre) on Warren Quarry Road Barnsley S70 4ND. What3words: ///daring.medium.weds. Parking is available at the side of Warren Quarry Road, as well as limited parking in the Centre’s grounds.
Everyone is welcome for this fascinating subject. If you have friends interested in astronomy, then do invite them.
For those of you who wish to support Barnsley Nats by being a member, we are collecting subscriptions for the coming year. Printed Nats programmes –up to March– will be given out at the meeting. Of course, the programme is available on this website too. Just look under this post!
Nats programme Sept 25 – March 26
Our Barnsley Nats programme from September 2025 to March 2026 has now been published. Lots of interest!
Details of each meeting will be sent out by email about a week before each event. Make sure you’re on the email list!
Walk around Oxspring : Wednesday August 20th 2025
We had a pleasant and interesting walk around the TPT and River Don in Oxspring, ending at Willow Bridge, an ancient packhorse bridge over the river Don, where we observed at least three species of bats: Daubenton, Pipestrelle and Soprano Pipestrelle.
Alderman’s Head SSSI meadows : June 28th 2025
Our additional Barnsley Nats field visit this Saturday morning [28 June] is to Spring Meadows, Alderman’s Head and Cox Croft Meadows, to the south of Penistone.
These are traditionally managed hay meadows designated as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI). They are adjacent to the ancient woodlands of Hollin Wood and Spring Wood. The visit has been arranged by Mitch Greenhalgh and is by courtesy of the farm owner.
For details email: [email protected]
The Programme for our up and coming Field Visits : Summer 2025
Whitwell Moor field visit, Saturday morning : April 12th 2025
Whitwell Moor above Stocksbridge was the place for our field visit on Saturday morning, 12th April. We were looking for the wildlife on this former grouse moor and saw breeding lapwings, curlews, stonechats, and lots of others.
With the end of management of this site, it’s becoming better for wildlife. The views are fantastic too! Thanks Chris for taking us again to this fantastic place and pointing out the highlights!
‘Costa Rica by bike’ and AGM : January 22nd 2025
On Wednesday 22nd January, we can look forward to a talk on ‘Costa Rica by bike’ by Graham Shepherd, followed by our AGM: 7pm at Worsbrough Common Community Centre, Warren Quarry Lane, S70 4ND.
Christmas Social : December 18th 2024
Wednesday, 18th December is our Nats Christmas Social when our members can enjoy a natural history quiz, music and time to get together and chat. If any of you has something of natural history interest to show and tell us about, there will be time for this too.
Worsbrough Common Community Centre, 7pm, Wednesday 18 December
Ingbirchworth Reservoir Walk : December 7th 2024
Field visit information update
Due to the extreme wind conditions and incessant rain, the field visit to Ingbirchworth Reservoir on Saturday 7 December has been cancelled.
Our next field visit is on Saturday January 11 for winter birds at Adwick Washlands.
Bees, Beekeeping and the Asian Hornet : November 20th 2024
Asian Hornet. Photo: Creative Commons (BY 2.0 UK) -Jean Haxaire
Our Barnsley Nats talk on Wednesday 20th November had Gordon Madden, secretary of Barnsley Beekeepers Association and a Barnsley Nats member, gave an illustrated presentation on ‘Bees, beekeeping and the Asian Hornet’.
Gordon had brought along various items of beekeeping equipment and his talk provoked a lot of interesting discussion.
YNU AGM in Barnsley on Saturday 16 November with blue plaque unveiling and presentation by Jeff Lunn
A special meeting was held on Saturday 16 November at the Library@the Lightbox. Barnsley Nats hosted the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union (YNU) Annual General Meeting and naturalists gathered from most of the areas of Yorkshire.
As part of the event a Blue Plaque was unveiled by the Mayor of Barnsley opposite Barnsley Town Hall.
The photograph shows the Mayor, Mayoress and Young Mayor together with Linda Burgess, Chair of Barnsley Civic Trust, and Jeff Lunn, President of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union.
The blue plaque commemorates Thomas Lister, Quaker, Poet and Naturalist, who was Barnsley Postmaster on the site from 1839 to 1870. As well as being President of Barnsley Naturalist and Scientific Society for 20 years, he was a prominent member of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union. Thomas Lister attended the first YNU AGM held in Barnsley in 1884, 140 years ago! A good reason for welcoming the YNU back!
Before the blue plaque unveiling Peter Roberts gave a presentation covering highlights of the history of Barnsley Nats and the story of Thomas Lister: his bird reports in the Barnsley Chronicle and the stories of the Barnsley Nats’ Museum have been celebrated in Eldon Street Heritage Action Zone, not least by Simon Armitage, the Poet Laureate, and his band LYR.
In the afternoon, Jeff Lunn, 2024 YNU President, gave a stunning presentation with the title: ‘A Sense of Place, A Sense of Purpose’, covering his life in conservation and full of anecdote, humour and interest.
