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!

Credit: Photo by SIMON LEE on Unsplash

Rabbit Ings: Flowers and Insects : July 12th 2025

Our field visit on the 12th July is to Rabbit Ings in Royston; details have been emailed out already, please drop us an email if you request this information.

While we intend to look at flowers and insects; there are plenty of other species groups that we never miss. And this site, which we do visit occasionally, offers an array of species for a young Country Park, so there should be plenty to see. The sites that we visit regularly allow for comparison data to be collected, which is an added benefit; having said this we always manage to spot something different. Hopefully the return of water voles, as the reed beds have had some extensive clearing work done to aid their habitat requirements

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]

Darfield Church : June 18th 2025

Darfield Church is the starting point for our next walk; on 18th June . This is an evening walk, to an area that some of our members visited on a morning walk from our programme last year. So providing an opportunity to do a comparison of species. On last year’s list we had goldcrest, a good number of interesting invertebrates, like the Volucella pellucens – Hoverfly which is a bee mimic, and marsh willowherb.

Further information can be email out on request to [email protected]

The Dawn Chorus : May 10th 2025

On May the 10th we will be heading to Worsbrough Reservoir, we have yet to confirm the meeting point. As the saying goes ” the early bird catches the worm”. This walk is a 5am start to listen and see the birds as they start their day, and hopefully spot other animals that are not usually about later in the day.


There are activities at the Mill later in the day, starting at 10am; to celebrate the Mills 400 years history. If anybody wants to make a longer day of their visit.

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!

Up and coming events : March 2025

This Saturday our walk take us to Burton Bank; on the look out for signs of Spring. Meeting at 10am the walk will be around two hours. We have already emailed members of the meeting point, along with some background information on the area. Drop us an email if you want to join us.

And on Wednesday the 19th, for our last indoor meeting, we have a presentation entitled Yorkshire’s Birds & Wildlife; by our guest speaker John Gardner.
Everybody is welcome.

Spring is in the air – Our next field visit : March 15th 2025

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Pictures of wood anemone which will soon be flowering and a hoverfly on its own little bit of sun. These are just two of the many finds for spring: Which is the aim of our next outdoor field visit. There is a change of date from the programme and now will be on 15th March.

If you want to join us please drop us an email for the meeting time and place. [email protected].