Programme

Barnsley Nats has a programme of meetings and field visits throughout the year. We have monthly indoor meetings from October to March on Wednesday evenings at Worsbrough Common Community Centre.

We have field visits on the second Saturday morning of each month throughout the year and on Wednesday evenings, replacing indoor meetings from April to August. There are extra field visits sometimes too.

September 2026 to August 2027 : Please look through these dates occasionally for updates and changes; as some events are still being planned. If you want to lead a walk, do a talk or have a suggestion for an area to visit please drop an email to us. The limitations at some events that are due to restrictions imposed by the venues, these are for safety and security.

September 2026
Saturday 5th : Field Visit
Hoverflies and General Insects with Mark Dudley as our Lead
Rabbit Ings Country Park, Royston

Wednesday 23rd : Indoor Meeting
An Introduction to Fungi; Caroline Hobart is Presenting

October 2026
Saturday 10th : Field Visit
Fungi Foray with Doug Brown as our Lead
(venue to be confirmed)

Wednesday 21st : Indoor Meeting
The Masters of the Masquerade; Mark Dudley is our Speaker

Wednesday 28th : Venue Visit
Sheffield Museum Collection
(please note that there is a 12 person maximum at this venue. An alternative date is in the pipe-line; probably March 2027)

November 2026
Wednesday 11th : Venue Visit
Manvers Recycling Plant
(please note that there is a 12 person maximum at this venue. An alternative date is in the pipe-line)

Saturday 14th : Field Visit
Winter in the Park with Michele Winder as our Lead
Worsborough Country Park

Wednesday 25th : Indoor Meeting
Henry Seebohm -Ornithologist, Steelmaker and Traveller;
Paul Hobson is our Speaker

December 2026
Saturday 12th : Field Visit
Elsecar Reservoir with Jill Hayler as our Lead

Wednesday 16th : Indoor Meeting
Barnsley Nats Christmas Social
Our light-hearted Christmas gathering

January 2027
Friday 1st : Field Visit
New Years Day Plant Hunt, Mitch Greenhalgh is our Lead and partaking in the national
Botanical Survey of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) survey event

Saturday 9th : Field Visit
with Chris Tomson as our Lead
(venue to be confirmed)

Wednesday 20th : Indoor Meeting
AGM
& Learn About Nature Video

February 2027
Saturday 13th : Field Visit
Trees in Winter with Doug Brown as our Lead
(venue to be confirmed)

Saturday 20th :
South Yorkshire Study Day at Treeton Working Men’s Club

Wednesday 24th : Indoor Meeting
Members Evening, Sharing your Finds

March 2027
Saturday 13th : Field Visit
Agden General Natural History Walk, with Colin and Linda Graham as our Leads

Wednesday 24th : Indoor Meeting
Carboniferous Woodland Ecology in Barnsley (from 321 million years ago), Rick Ramsdale is our Speaker

April 2027
Saturday 10th : Field Visit
Spring at Rabbit Ings with Michele Winder as our Lead

Saturday 14th : Field Visit
Birds, Birds, Birds; Spring Migration with Lesley Bassett as our lead
(venue to be confirmed)

May 2027
Saturday 1st : Field Visit
Barnsley Geo Walk with Rick Ramsdale as our Lead

Wednesday 19th : Field Visit
Spring Flowers at Wortley Hall with Jill Hayler as our Lead

June 2027
Saturday 12th : Field Visit
Coumes Brook, Barry Tylee is our Lead

Wednesday 23rd : Field Visit
Glowworms, Bats and Moths with Doug Brown as our Lead
+
Thursday 24th :
Moth Morning with Jill Hayler and Doug Brown

July 2027
Saturday 10th : Field Visit
Carlton Marsh Bio Blitz with Mark Dudley as our Lead

Wednesday 21st : Field Visit
(Leader Required)

August 2027
Saturday 14th : Field Visit
Hazelhead Reclamation Site, Trevor Mayne is our Lead

Wednesday 18th : Field Visit
(leader Required)

Our October 2026 to September 2027 Programme is nicely taking shape and will be available soon

Here is the programme from September 2025 to March 2026 …



Here is an updated 2025 summer programme:

Worsbrough Common Community Centre –The Vera Mawby Centre– is on Warren Quarry Lane, S70 4ND. Ample street-side parking.

2024–25 Barnsley Nats Programme
Saturday September 7: Farm hedges – Catherine Artindale.
Tuesday September 18: Denaby Ings – Doug Brown.
Saturday October 12: A Stairfoot nature reserve – Peter Roberts.

Wednesday October 23:’Gardening for Wildlife’.
7pm, Worsbrough CCC: a presentation by Will Tomson.

Saturday November 9 Looking for Fungi, Wortley Hall.
10am, Field Visit Leader: Doug Brown.

Saturday November 16: Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union AGM
Library @ the Lightbox, hosted by Barnsley Nats.
10.30am, Presentation: Barnsley Nats historical highlights.
11.30am, Ceremony: Unveiling of Thomas Lister Blue Plaque.
1.15pm YNU AGM, Business session.
2.30pm, Presentation: Presidential address by Jeff Lunn:
‘A Sense of Place, A Sense of Purpose.’

Wednesday November 20: ‘Bees, beekeeping and the Asian Hornet’,
7pm, Worsbrough CCC, a presentation by Gordon Maddan.

Saturday December 7: Upland Reservoir walk.
10am, Field Visit Leader: Peter and Annefie Roberts.

Wednesday December 18 Christmas Social.
7pm, Worsbrough CCC Members and Jill’s Christmas Quiz.

Saturday January 11 Winter birds at Adwick Washlands.
10am, Field Visit Leader: Lesley Bassett.

Wednesday January 22, Nats Annual General Meeting and
‘Costa Rica by bike’: Graham Shepherd, 7pm, Worsbrough CCC .

Saturday February 8 Broomhill Flash and Wombwell Ings.
10am, Field Visit Leader: Ron Marshall.

Wednesday February 19: Garganey Trust – local wildlife
7pm, Worsbrough CCC conservation in action,
a presentation by Jeff Lunn.

Saturday February 22           South Yorkshire Natural History Day,
10.30am – 4.00pm                 a programme of talks in Treeto

New date Saturday March 1                Out with Catherine and Mark,
10am, Field Visit                     topic and venue to be confirmed.

Wednesday March 19           Yorkshire’s birds & wildlife,
7pm, Worsbrough CCC        a presentation by John Gardner.

Saturday April 12                    Whitwell Moor –lapwings, curlews & views.
10am, Field Visit                     Leader: Chris Tomson.

Saturday May 10                    Dawn Chorus at Worsbrough Country Park
5.00am, Field Visit               Leader: Ron Marshall.

Wednesday May 21                Spring flowers, Silkstone Waggonway.
7pm, Field Visit                       Leader to be confirmed.

Saturday June 7                     Exploring Green Moor.
10am, Field Visit                   Leader: Barry Tylee.

Wednesday June 18               Darfield Churchyard.
7pm, Field Visit                      Leader: Doug Brown.

Saturday July 12                     Flowers & insects at Rabbit Ings.
10am, Field Visit                    Leader: Michele Winder.

Wednesday July 23                Field visit –suggestions from members?

Saturday August 9                  Carlton Marsh.
10am, Field Visit                     Leader: Jill Hayler & Cliff Gorman.

Wednesday August 20          Wall Brown butterflies on Royd Moor.
10am, Field Visit                     Leaders: Peter and Annefie Roberts
.

Saturday September 6: A new season.
Suggestions for the programme are welcome

Our previous programmes back to 2017, our 150th anniversary year, can be found on another page. www.barnsleynats.org.uk/programme/older-programmes/