Natural History in Barnsley
Barnsley Nats posts on both twitter [and more occasionally facebook]. You can see what we post, ‘retweet’ and ‘like’ on our social media page.
A twitter post tagged @Barnsley_Nats with an image to identify recently had us thinking. Kent and Doug agreed it was a type of ichneumon wasp. However these are notoriously difficult to id at species level without using a microscope …
Later this year, the exhibition ‘International Garden Photographer of the Year’, is due at Cannon Hall. Hopefully all open by late August when it arrives here!
The photo competition ‘Beautiful Barnsley’ is a good opportunity to celebrate the landscapes, green spaces and biodiversity of Barnsley, from the moors to the Dearne valley. The competition is now closed so we will now wait to see the results.
Barnsley Nats AGM in March 2020 unfortunately had to be cancelled due to the covid-19 pandemic restriction.
It has been agreed that the committee elected in 2019 will continue until the restrictions have ended.
The papers for the meeting are available here:
[Just click on the link to read online]
Notes of Annual General Meeting 2019
2019-2020 Report
Records Report
2019-2020 accounts
May we take this opportunity to wishing everybody a Happy New Year.
You are more than welcome to come along and join us for any of our meeting or field visits.
We kick start 2020 with an indoor meeting on January 8th.
This will be a presentation by Alwyn Timms; entitled The Discreet World of Barnsley’s Small Blue Butterfly
We also have a field visit on January 11th. Details to be confirmed.
And on January 22nd our indoor meeting is a members short presentations. This is very much a nature wide array of topics.
Our updated 2020 Spring Summer Programme will be available for viewing shortly.
Recommended by the Wharncliffe Heath Trust at their presentation on April 3rd
Ferel; G Monbiot
Grazing Ecology and Forest History; F Vera
Wilding: I Tree
“Sedges have edges, rushes are round, grasses have knees that bend to the ground.”
This little witty rhyme may be used to separate these three plants into there correct category.
The stems of sedges and rushes are solid; in cross-section the stems of rushes are round, while those of sedges are triangular and so have edges.
Wednesday 2nd October
We are looking forward to seeing you all at the first indoor meeting of our Autumn and Winter Programme. As usual, we start with a members evening sharing knowledge and observations. This of a less formal structure than the meetings with guest speakers. Very much a catch up and news of what everyone has spotted over the break; multi-topic and hopefully with some interesting finds, images and stories. Please take part: it’s always really interesting to hear from a variety of people.
Our printed Autumn and Winter Programme will also be available.
Our Autumn and Winter Programme starts with an indoor meeting on Wednesday October 2nd; Presentation by Members. A chance to have a catch-up on what our members have been doing over our summer recess.
We are having to change to date of the field visit that was planned for this Saturday, July 13th. The new date for the Dearne Valley Meadows field visit is Saturday July 20th. Sorry for the late information on this.
Planning for our Autumn Winter programme is taking place. If anybody would like us to include something please drop us a line. As usual we are aiming for an array of field visits and indoor meetings. Nature inspired along with the many scientific processes behind them.
We are working on our next round of programme events for our indoor meetings and field visits.
If there is anything you would like us to try and arrange please contact us. We are always open to ideas.
While our outdoor field visits tend to concentrate on the plant and animals we come across; and many are based on a specific topic; our indoor meetings often include a wide range of topics that takes into account the very diverse aspect that influence the nature we experience. With site history, human activities and planning being just the tip of the iceberg.
There are two activities that we have the option of attending on this date. South Yorkshire Natural History Day or Your Woods Your Future
South Yorkshire Natural History Day.
This event is taking place at the Treeton Miners Welfare, Arundel Street, Treeton, S60 5PW; OS grid Ref SK430876. The meeting will start at 10:00 am and finish at approximately 15:20 pm. Off street parking is available for visitors travelling by car. Buses run from, both, Sheffield and Rotherham; please check www.travelsouthyorkshire.com for up to date information.
There are planned intervals throughout the day; with refreshments available from the bar; prices reasonable.
There will be a number of talks, presentations and displays on many natural history topics of South Yorkshire. Ornothology, Sundew Plume Moth, crayfish and flies are among the topics being covered; full details on the Sorby website.
Booking a place at this event is free and can be done via email to Peter Clegg [email protected]. Further / changed information can be obtained from the Sorby website
Your Woods Your Future
This event will take place in The Ironworks building in the Elsecar Heritage Centre, Wath Road, Elsecar, S74 8HJ, OS Grid Ref SK384999. This meeting will start at 10:00 am and finish at 16:00 pm approximately. There is a large car park at the Heritage Centre to which is on Wentworth Road (SK384998). From there it is a short walk into the Heritage Centre grounds; which consist of a number of building with good signposting enabling you to get to the correct one. Elsecar Train Station is a short walk away; with trains from both Barnsley and Sheffield. Please check times and be aware that some trains do not stop at Elsecar. Buses run from Barnsley; please check on times and services; www.travelsouthyorkshire.com. Tea and Coffee are mentioned on the itinerary, but no there is no mention of cost. There is a cafe in the Heritage Centre and a pub on the edge of the car park.
This presentation is organised by the Dearne Valley Landscape Partnership (DVLP). Some of the topics being covered are woodland archaeology, biological recording and Willow Tits; all of the topics are related to the woodland environment.
To book to attend this event please go to www.eventbrite.com/e/your-woods-your-future where there is a link to the Register page
Gordon Bristowe, Barnsley Naturalist and Scientific Society President for over 15 years, passed away early on the morning of Wednesday 6th February following time in hospital and a care home.
We remembered Gordon at our Barnsley Nats meeting on that Wednesday evening.
He was our President for many years, a fount of knowledge on all aspects of natural history, and always ready to share his knowledge.
Originally a ‘birder’ he developed a keen interest in all forms of plants. He surveyed a number of kilometre squares in Barnsley for the South Yorkshire Plant Atlas and contributed his extensive plant records to the Barnsley Biological Record Centre.
Gordon was a keen and expert photographer and was instrumental in bringing the Society – and its members – into the digital age. He launched the society’s website, took care of all of the society’s equipment, and supported their use for digital presentations at meetings.
We have many memories of Gordon and he will be much missed.
A good crowd of people heard Ron Marshall talking about Chile yesterday evening at a Barnsley Nats meeting.
Lots of fantastic images of the landscape and wildlife with some great shots of a family group of pumas. Well done Ron.
The first indoor meeting in 2019 is a talk by Ron Marshall on Chile. Come along to Barnsley Town Hall on Wednesday 9 January at 7 pm.
The first outdoor meeting in 2019 on Saturday 12 January is a field visit to RSPB Old Moor, meeting in the Old Moor car park at 10.00 am. We are joining up with the local birdwatchers group led by Colin and Linda Graham.
The full programme will be posted on the programme page soon.
