Category: Meetings

An Evening with Ron Marshall : March 18th 2026

Join us for this presentation by Ron for our last over-winter indoor meeting of our 2025/2026 season. Ron is a very keen bird watcher and photographer who, in the past, has taken us on a photographic journey covering his and his wife’s travels around the world. We have some of Ron’s previous photos in the “Category”. section, many of which have been taken in the Barnsley area. Ron is also planning a Dawn Chorus walk for us later in the year. This will be an extrat to our summer programme

This presentation will start at 7pm and run for around 2 hours at the WorsbroughCommon Centre on Warren Quarry Lane.

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.

‘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!

Credit: Photo by SIMON LEE on Unsplash

Indoor Meeting; Garganey Trust : February 19th 2025

Sorry for the late posting regarding our next indoor meeting.

This will take place this Wednesday (19th Feb) at Worsbrough Common Community Centre, on Warren Quarry Lane. Starting at 7pm and to finish at approx 9pm.
The presentation is by Jeff Lunn on his work on ‘The Garganey Trust’, which is close to the RSPB site Wombwell Ings, which we paid a visit to recently. While there we spotted thirty nine species of birds.
Jeff has done a few talks for us in the past and our regular members know these to be entertaining.

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

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.

Gardening for Wildlife talk : October 23rd 2024

Interested in attracting butterflies and other pollinators to your garden? Hedgehogs and other wildlife too? Then this talk by Will Tomson was for you!

Will Tomson, a professional gardener and garden designer, gave an illustrated talk –Gardening for Wildlife– on Wednesday 23rd October. It was very interesting and informative, and provoked a great deal of discussion and question.

Wildflower meadows – Chris Tomson : March 20th 2024


Our next indoor meeting is on Wednesday 20 March: Chris Tomson is giving a talk on Wildflower Meadows.

There are fewer traditional meadows today, affecting the numbers and diversity of insects and other wildlife. Chris has worked for many years with farmers on nature-friendly farming and we are looking forward to an informative and interesting presentation.

Wednesday 20 March, 7pm, at Worsbrough Common Community Centre, Warren Quarry Lane, Barnsley S70 4ND. Everyone welcome.

This will be our last indoor meeting until the Autumn; we look forward to seeing you there. During the summer we have our regular programme of field visits.

Ancient Woodland Inventory Review : February 24th 2024

Worsbrough Common Community Centre, 7.00pm

Signs of Ancient Woodland?

England’s Ancient Woodland Inventory is being updated countrywide. David and Nick, from Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust, will be telling us how they are looking for woodland older than 400 years across South Yorkshire, including, of course, Barnsley. What are the signs? How can we be sure?

David and Nick are using previous research, historical maps & documents, mapping technologies (GIS), and field surveys of botanical & archaeological features. “It’s a big job but we’re excited to be involved in creating such a useful planning tool to protect these unique habitats.”

On Wednesday they will be sharing their enthusiasm. It should be a really informative session and no doubt will stimulate questions and discussion. And perhaps we can join in!

Wednesday 21 February, 7pm, at Worsbrough Common Community Centre, Warren Quarry Lane, Barnsley S70 4ND. Everyone welcome if you have an interest in our local ancient woodland. Just come along.