tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12907238854281928412024-03-16T09:07:54.437+00:00BSBI News & ViewsLouise Marsh, BSBIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853015015164789727noreply@blogger.comBlogger1053125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290723885428192841.post-35740061116592408692024-01-30T14:53:00.002+00:002024-01-30T15:08:27.083+00:00Interview with BSBI President Micheline Sheehy Skeffington: Part One<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIEXU_yiJVoPCgoBZLAxiwC0KaO0bOdQ1Y05bjXBI4pBkTMm-zGS6aLHpauWb3TlhxQ4VGAtJr-cLEWN5iWBkCETt9dj-Rqlt8papQr6N4tbLm0xbVwYiAU_4fY9nhwR2C_E1bYJLFM0OvsOaSqvUaTAmuHRetTWI_eylKZtwdkNsPnpXDKAH2QPpsAmP/s1381/MSS%20SQUARE%20CROP.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1131" data-original-width="1381" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIEXU_yiJVoPCgoBZLAxiwC0KaO0bOdQ1Y05bjXBI4pBkTMm-zGS6aLHpauWb3TlhxQ4VGAtJr-cLEWN5iWBkCETt9dj-Rqlt8papQr6N4tbLm0xbVwYiAU_4fY9nhwR2C_E1bYJLFM0OvsOaSqvUaTAmuHRetTWI_eylKZtwdkNsPnpXDKAH2QPpsAmP/s320/MSS%20SQUARE%20CROP.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">BSBI President Micheline Sheehy Skeffington</span></td></tr></tbody></table>BSBI has welcomed female members since <a href="https://bsbi.org/download/31159/">its inception in 1836</a>, although
this hasn’t always been reflected in the choice of President – there have only been
three women Presidents so far: Mary Briggs, from 1998 to 2000; Lynne Farrell,
from 2019 to 2022 – here is the <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2019/11/interview-with-incoming-bsbi-president.html">interview
with Lynne</a>, whose <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2022/12/december-brings-final-blogpost-from.html">monthly
blogposts</a> helped botanists stay in touch while we couldn’t meet in person
because of the lockdowns; and then in November 2022, Lynne handed over to
Micheline Sheehy Skeffington.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Micheline is both the third female BSBI President and the
second from the Republic of Ireland (David Webb was the first, from 1989 to
1991). At the 2023 </span><a href="https://bsbi.org/british-irish-botanical-conference-2023" style="font-family: helvetica;">British &
Irish Botanical Conference</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">, Micheline delivered the keynote presentation on
‘Ireland’s Lusitanian Flora – mining, smuggling, pilgrimages and the Ericaceae’.
If you were unable to attend the Conference, you </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">can watch </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f15DwKgqLGg&list=PL1PYIj03XG4DAE0dO8rrSVE1gDC96lEVb&index=7&pp=iAQB" style="font-family: helvetica;">this
video</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> of Micheline’s presentation.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg95YmPA3m6v65-C8YpM_MWYziYvtbCCSVtCdKNLRKJpBcB1-aq_RLj6T5cBexjcq3_f3aH9USUnJNI6yavvMuicmgSE82rm-GHf0B9Fo9FF-AYETLCRtFbfZEqus46aPFTi05_ptH3kY_8FfLPsIAh-M8iWePQPNVAW7YB3N2G3h3ExOySpZ_AIAc8QzOH/s1024/miche%20talk%20IMG-20231202-WA0041.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg95YmPA3m6v65-C8YpM_MWYziYvtbCCSVtCdKNLRKJpBcB1-aq_RLj6T5cBexjcq3_f3aH9USUnJNI6yavvMuicmgSE82rm-GHf0B9Fo9FF-AYETLCRtFbfZEqus46aPFTi05_ptH3kY_8FfLPsIAh-M8iWePQPNVAW7YB3N2G3h3ExOySpZ_AIAc8QzOH/s320/miche%20talk%20IMG-20231202-WA0041.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Micheline's presentation at the <br />2023 British & Irish Botanical Conference<br />Image: J. Common </span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I caught up with Micheline to find out more about her back
story and to hear what she’s been up to in her first year at the helm of the <a href="http://bsbi.org/about-bsbi">leading botanical society in Britain and
Ireland</a>. Here is the first instalment of my interview with our President.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">LM: So Micheline, before you tell us about your Presidency, could
we go right back to the beginning and ask how you first got interested in
botany – has it been a lifelong passion? How did you get started?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">MSS: Well I grew up in a converted gardener’s cottage and
garden behind a big house and grounds. So as kids, myself and my brothers were
always sent outdoors, where we climbed trees and explored hidden corners. I
always retained that enjoyment of being outdoors. We were also members of the
Dublin Naturalists’ Field Club and would go on outings exploring the habitats,
flora and fauna of County Dublin.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">LM: That sounds like the ideal childhood for a future BSBI President!
How about indoors, at school and later at university?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3y42Mxtcoy-P4OaRYtjCyvSJR6OuoJK3R-_hWrV6uanDG4H1SmRVgWlFsmH0iVKijaVZgHlFzgLXThfy4ENMjct46k76oEdufx7XIaoG6fj6v7nc1ZfT5E90NBB0NkCnyUW20Bf6HauKhx3x10IM3mOs7cvirsm4hVPJkUnN4hVl9ucQLHo1cSd4LEVPY/s3840/MSS%20in%20tree%20after%20canoeing%20on%20L%20derg_.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3y42Mxtcoy-P4OaRYtjCyvSJR6OuoJK3R-_hWrV6uanDG4H1SmRVgWlFsmH0iVKijaVZgHlFzgLXThfy4ENMjct46k76oEdufx7XIaoG6fj6v7nc1ZfT5E90NBB0NkCnyUW20Bf6HauKhx3x10IM3mOs7cvirsm4hVPJkUnN4hVl9ucQLHo1cSd4LEVPY/s320/MSS%20in%20tree%20after%20canoeing%20on%20L%20derg_.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Micheline in a tree after canoeing on Lough Derg<br />Image: N. Scott</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">MSS: Yes, I enjoyed science in school and studied Natural
Science in Trinity College Dublin (TCD), where I was lucky to be able to study
Geography/ Geology, as well as Botany and Zoology. In the final years, Botany
seemed to offer the more interesting courses, so I chose that as my main
subject. My fourth-year project was on the contribution of the lichen <i>Peltigera
polydactyla</i> to sand dune nitrogen budgets on N Bull Island, Dublin Bay.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In my final year, I became interested in studying in France,
since my mother was French. I won a bursary and spent a year in Montpellier
studying plant ecology and living for a while in the Camargue, working on
lagoonal flora alongside the flamingos. With friends, I explored the
countryside around Montpellier and learned the local flora -and birdlife. At
some point, I realised I wanted to do more for conservation and that I probably
needed a PhD for that. So, I returned to TCD to take up my last years as a TCD
Scholar and continued my interest in coastal systems with the study of nitrogen
budgets in salt marsh plants, publishing several papers and enjoying giving
talks at conferences.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">LM: Ok so that’s you back in Ireland, studying and you mentioned
the legendary Dublin Naturalists’ Field Club earlier – so did you get involved
with them again?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAuwC3KLMaaNr64PYqZlDami7C_WSK7UcLf4G0dKrGV1tatRKG7Bd5_Qor1c1UP536n6UJZ9TFZ_eeokRCJ954DAx3fpgXCPwcwurEf1X4wojL7fgO3_boBB_HJipnhAoPGSsxoNYIlL7_kntvvanxbto3P-i7wvlZUfRfm98xSqW1UrwaUw_SMJoxPsgf/s964/Screenshot%20DNFC%20walkabout%20north%20inner%20Dublin%20photo%208.8.81%20-%20clean%20copy.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="742" data-original-width="964" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAuwC3KLMaaNr64PYqZlDami7C_WSK7UcLf4G0dKrGV1tatRKG7Bd5_Qor1c1UP536n6UJZ9TFZ_eeokRCJ954DAx3fpgXCPwcwurEf1X4wojL7fgO3_boBB_HJipnhAoPGSsxoNYIlL7_kntvvanxbto3P-i7wvlZUfRfm98xSqW1UrwaUw_SMJoxPsgf/s320/Screenshot%20DNFC%20walkabout%20north%20inner%20Dublin%20photo%208.8.81%20-%20clean%20copy.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Screenshot of a<br />Dublin Naturalists' Field Club<br />walkabout, inner north Dublin, 1981:<br />as reported in the <i>Irish Times </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">MSS: Yes, when I returned from Montpellier in autumn 1977, I
met up with some Field Club members who encouraged me to join their committee,
which I did. Not long after, while planning future field excursions, we
realised that the on-going petrol crisis could seriously affect our ability to
travel outside the city. Maura Scannell, Head of the National Herbarium at
Glasnevin, suggested we work on the flora of inner Dublin. This caught our
imagination and a small group came together, dividing the inner city, conveniently
bounded by its two canals, into 14 districts overseen by a range of botanists,
notably Jonathan Shackleton, a classmate of mine in TCD and later one-time County
Recorder for Cavan; Peter Wyse Jackson, now President of the Missouri Botanical
Garden; John Parnell, TCD lecturer in plant taxonomy; and contributions from
Maura Scannell, Paddy Reilly, Declan Doogue, John Akeroyd and many more. It was
great fun and eventually Peter and I put all the data together and the <i>Flora of
Inner Dublin</i> was published in 1984. I’ve never lost my interest in ruderals and
wasteland since those heady days when the latter were a blight on Dublin’s
streetscape for all but us keen botanists.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDydhTix-D1dxdCC1-iHFQqCylJLer9QihSoWfOOhtRPctgPzIOJoSIpSM-ZvHck4g190tMCM1CXBojdqgJz2u0HWqNRhaO9Y1vF6zOz9eUfdRHe18YX3t9-djwUY9c_QftD45aFCFEhhqIVnZ1Tyz8MvJ7mJbSotp3eKORUJp5nrzD0k4OElm6ve4Z3dN/s3840/MSS%20plant%20recording%20Connemara%20Nat%20Pk%2014th%20Sept%202016.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="2160" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDydhTix-D1dxdCC1-iHFQqCylJLer9QihSoWfOOhtRPctgPzIOJoSIpSM-ZvHck4g190tMCM1CXBojdqgJz2u0HWqNRhaO9Y1vF6zOz9eUfdRHe18YX3t9-djwUY9c_QftD45aFCFEhhqIVnZ1Tyz8MvJ7mJbSotp3eKORUJp5nrzD0k4OElm6ve4Z3dN/s320/MSS%20plant%20recording%20Connemara%20Nat%20Pk%2014th%20Sept%202016.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Micheline plant recording in <br />Connemara National Park,<br />September 2016</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">LM: Ah that explains why you are always so great at flying
the flag for urban botany and the so-called weeds that turn up on our city
streets! So, you were out with the Field Club members, publishing the Flora,
still working towards your PhD… were you also job-hunting?</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">MSS: As postgrads, we regularly scoured the pages of the New
Scientist for jobs and, having travelled throughout Europe on interrail, I was
keen to explore even wider, applying for jobs inter alia in Wales, Mauritania
and Zambia, as well as in Ireland. Incredibly, in 1980, I landed a lectureship
in plant ecology in the Botany Department of then-named University College
Galway (UCG). Luckily, academia was less pressurised then and I spent two
summers analysing my data and writing up my PhD, awarded in early 1983. The
next week I was taking my colleague Michael O’Connell’s palaeoecology and
bryology courses as well as mine, while he took a year’s sabbatical! On his
return, I promptly handed him my lecture notes and took up my side of the
exchange, choosing to go to Indonesia for a year. I was very lucky to be able
to do this, as neither of us had to raise funds for our respective sabbaticals.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Having attended famous French tropical botanist Francis
Hallé’s lectures in Montpellier, I was bitten by the bug to see tropical rainforest
first-hand. Based in the SE Asian Regional Centre for Tropical Biology in
Bogor, Java, I chose to work on the programme to find sustainable ways of using
the rattan <i>Calamus manan</i>, prized for its high-quality cane for furniture. This
took me with the team to Kalimantan in Borneo and to Sumatra, learning even
then of the tragic destruction of the rainforest by timber loggers. Tropical
rainforest is an incredibly rich, fascinating and valuable habitat. The
clearing out of the rattan vine by local villagers was but a small part of that
destruction. On returning to Ireland in 1985, I vowed to raise awareness as best
I could about our role in the west in using unsustainable tropical timbers.
Sadly now, the ubiquitous palm oil is playing equal havoc, with seas of oil
palms replacing the diverse canopies of the rainforest. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">LM: It certainly is. For any readers who aren’t up to speed
with how palm oil is contributing to deforestation, <a href="https://www.wwf.org.uk/updates/8-things-know-about-palm-oil">this page</a>
on the World Wildlife Fund website will be very useful. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Micheline, you’ve had
such a fascinating life in botany and conservation, and travelled so widely! Here we are still in 1985, you’re back in Ireland, a passionate conservationist
and there’s a huge but ultimately successful struggle ahead of you – one so
important that you recently published a book all about it! Let’s pause here and pick up on the next instalment in a few
days – watch this space, readers!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Louise Marsh, BSBIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853015015164789727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290723885428192841.post-57989049417468874742024-01-01T22:06:00.001+00:002024-01-03T21:30:55.668+00:00New Year Plant Hunt 2024: Day Three<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8PLU78kMmIHOjimsIZniyOXjzL4q9kZkL6TsYaSSs9A1PaVaoNj-JbsTxMJnN75Im2WBB6whyphenhyphenJLx2jPeEPqV-5GN-qUWW7o1S8Cv7MBBJGdKqgieGLOX6L1ZZsP8LNyV6Njt9CHE3n6s6ajQDnwYzUpA9KV9b-Zr-A007Fe_b4GGXiRkUPUMBSD7UIIl/s900/GCweFx1WMAAVxmV.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8PLU78kMmIHOjimsIZniyOXjzL4q9kZkL6TsYaSSs9A1PaVaoNj-JbsTxMJnN75Im2WBB6whyphenhyphenJLx2jPeEPqV-5GN-qUWW7o1S8Cv7MBBJGdKqgieGLOX6L1ZZsP8LNyV6Njt9CHE3n6s6ajQDnwYzUpA9KV9b-Zr-A007Fe_b4GGXiRkUPUMBSD7UIIl/s320/GCweFx1WMAAVxmV.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Hello plant hunters, James Harding-Morris here, <a href="https://twitter.com/BSBICountries">BSBI Countries Support Manager</a>, taking over from Louise who's been out leading a <a href="https://bsbi.org/new-year-plant-hunt/group-hunts">group hunt</a> in <a href="https://bsbi.org/leicestershire">her vice-county</a> today. Here's the <a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/survey.php?surveyid=b5684b81-a888-4026-b04c-d15bd8a28ec8">list</a> of 36 species they found in bloom.</span><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">My impression of day three is that we’ve generally had
better weather than on Days <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2023/12/new-year-plant-hunt-2024-day-one.html?_gl=1*2khvn2*_ga*MzA1MDA3OTguMTY1NDQzNzE0OA..*_ga_8X6K0G85NT*MTcwNDMxNjQ0Ni4yMzg4LjEuMTcwNDMxNzM4Ni42MC4wLjA.">One</a> and <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2023/12/new-year-plant-hunt-2024-day-two.html">Two</a>. Certainly, Sarah Watts was greeted by </span><a href="https://x.com/Watts_SH/status/1741800803524891096?s=20" style="font-family: helvetica;">flowering Gorse,
blue skies and a rainbow at the head of Loch Tay</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> on her New Year Plant
Hunt (image on right). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Here in Lincolnshire I had blue skies (with a cold wind) as I explored
the banks of the Humber estuary. If you saw </span><a href="https://x.com/BSBICountries/status/1732501369767006595?s=20" style="font-family: helvetica;">my post about
Ox-eye Daisies</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> from a few weeks ago then I can confirm that they were still
in flower today (if looking a little worse for wear).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM0jTFmcBaofoGguUq-qfoUWyk3VMnr2uNal6vRRestC-7b__ZO2TY9KHKN3wOhjO7tRFfOKLgohY5YWkV9CXOLEtdhDUtAa2GMnpG3bSF863UPlf9VOt-SGgjm-Dt01N7q-8Fv5HrPicbX45iKph7EixWGyX0KIYVruwYuiFzY50JQ1qI5Up4tkWd9ZoM/s2048/Lucy%20Jones'%20first%20Hunt,%20c.%20Lucy%20Jones.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1538" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM0jTFmcBaofoGguUq-qfoUWyk3VMnr2uNal6vRRestC-7b__ZO2TY9KHKN3wOhjO7tRFfOKLgohY5YWkV9CXOLEtdhDUtAa2GMnpG3bSF863UPlf9VOt-SGgjm-Dt01N7q-8Fv5HrPicbX45iKph7EixWGyX0KIYVruwYuiFzY50JQ1qI5Up4tkWd9ZoM/s320/Lucy%20Jones'%20first%20Hunt,%20c.%20Lucy%20Jones.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It just goes to show that going for a recce ahead of your
Hunt can pay dividends. Oisín had a quick look today and <a href="https://x.com/OshDuffy/status/1741192201810350563?s=20">spotted six
species in flower ahead</a> of their walk tomorrow, and Stuart found four – all
of which were <a href="https://x.com/stuart_milligan/status/1741599991594951160?s=20">non-native
naturalised shrubs</a>. Does this tell us something interesting about the types
of plants seen in flower at this time of year?<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It’s been great to see brand new botanists taking part in
the Hunt. Lucy Jones took part for the first time (image on left) and found a <a href="https://x.com/LucyFaulkes/status/1741808465025114527?s=20">great spread
of New Year Plant Hunt favourites</a>, plus an early Daffodil. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Podling also took part for the first time and recorded a
whopping 19 species including, from what I can see </span><a href="https://x.com/Podling1/status/1741831420203376886?s=20" style="font-family: helvetica;">on this beautiful
photo collage</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">, several species that I didn’t manage to find today!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtz6WmDN2kd1ir1s1bistasFaYd9rwCg_LHXaCZ2D4ss_JZUwIA32kDZLTFph2C9Hmv5lMNKhqrQ5AVMy0mdDj6ZTm917NAaFSadWxU9e5QfJu5mQhT179fAEgOvKNIbDUjmDD1o6F7GWEMw04sFrsjY09CCcIC_erLR1Ey7xrHWd87kDnTSXo_kAv08R/s2048/Group%20Hunt%20in%20Gloucestershire,%20c.%20Julia%20Hanmer.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtz6WmDN2kd1ir1s1bistasFaYd9rwCg_LHXaCZ2D4ss_JZUwIA32kDZLTFph2C9Hmv5lMNKhqrQ5AVMy0mdDj6ZTm917NAaFSadWxU9e5QfJu5mQhT179fAEgOvKNIbDUjmDD1o6F7GWEMw04sFrsjY09CCcIC_erLR1Ey7xrHWd87kDnTSXo_kAv08R/s320/Group%20Hunt%20in%20Gloucestershire,%20c.%20Julia%20Hanmer.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Speaking of firsts, our CEO <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2021/04/interview-with-julia-hanmer-bsbis-new.html">Julia Hanmer</a> took part in her
first group hunt, organised by the Gloucestershire Natural History Society.
They found <a href="https://twitter.com/JuliaHanmer/status/1741859656677355725">an
astounding 42 species in flower</a> which must say something about the value of
a lot of keen eyes. Image on right taken by Julia.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Some solo Hunts racked up big numbers. Alex Prendergast
found </span><a href="https://x.com/BrambleBotanist/status/1741821171543265520?s=20" style="font-family: helvetica;">34
species flowering in Norfolk, including a currently unnamed elm taxon</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">. Jon
Holt reached 40 species around Bicester which feature a </span><a href="https://twitter.com/BirdingCalvert/status/1741862962384560506" style="font-family: helvetica;">very showy
Musk Mallow</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">. Steve Coates got to the heady heights of 52 species in Kent,
including the marvellous </span><a href="https://x.com/Kingsdowner1/status/1741912878699913709?s=20" style="font-family: helvetica;">Toothed
Medick</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">. However, in terms of pace, perhaps </span><a href="https://x.com/mandy_forde/status/1741908674396737792?s=20" style="font-family: helvetica;">Mandy Forde’s
28 species in 20 minutes</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> by Bangor Pier is a record count?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HEIjhUeozSz8q2k3LD5UjZQwxq7uT3BjcZ7NeCOT5RNTjKFwfB_KBCMZcFb_EwZbLI0OQ2a_TjkNBysJ2qBosOTP3AEppSxQTOsr_IWDVOCWUNHDo_pBfXgoFfs9RsMI07v0rzds27FS5JkkqXwp_oS7r2-nZOgmFIcwQJttRnDVMS6ASgtQI0Gj_qbq/s2272/Crimson%20Flax,%20c.%20Sarah%20Lambert.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2272" data-original-width="2272" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HEIjhUeozSz8q2k3LD5UjZQwxq7uT3BjcZ7NeCOT5RNTjKFwfB_KBCMZcFb_EwZbLI0OQ2a_TjkNBysJ2qBosOTP3AEppSxQTOsr_IWDVOCWUNHDo_pBfXgoFfs9RsMI07v0rzds27FS5JkkqXwp_oS7r2-nZOgmFIcwQJttRnDVMS6ASgtQI0Gj_qbq/s320/Crimson%20Flax,%20c.%20Sarah%20Lambert.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I always enjoy hearing about the oddities still in flower. I
wouldn’t have expected Harebell to be <a href="https://x.com/RPBotany/status/1741903670990475404?s=20">hanging on in
London</a>, or <a href="https://x.com/BrianLaney2/status/1741901375129473277?s=20">Fine-leaved
Sandwort in Cambridge</a>. However, I’m always the most impressed (and a little
envious!) when someone manages to find something on their New Year Plant Hunt
that I’ve never seen, like <a href="https://x.com/sarah_lambert7/status/1741881383381770469?s=20">Sarah
Lambert’s Crimson Flax in Peterborough</a>. Beautiful! Image on left.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">As I’m writing this – around 8.30pm on the 1st January – the
number of lists we’ve had submitted has skyrocketed to </span><a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/results.php" style="font-family: helvetica;">over 1400 and the number of species
seen in flower has shot-up to 579</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">. We look to be on track for our biggest
New Year Plant Hunt ever, so if you haven’t <a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/take-part/">taken part</a> yet, or submitted your
records yet, please do! Info and links <a href="https://bsbi.org/new-year-plant-hunt">here</a> in case you need them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">All the best to anyone out hunting tomorrow on our final
day.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Louise Marsh, BSBIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853015015164789727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290723885428192841.post-41557905555513494592023-12-31T22:37:00.003+00:002023-12-31T23:13:21.786+00:00New Year Plant Hunt 2024: Day Two<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The second day of the New Year Plant Hunt dawned and it was still miserable weather for many of us. But there were <a href="https://bsbi.org/new-year-plant-hunt/group-hunts">group hunts</a> planned in many locations; a glance at the <a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/results.php">Results board</a> this morning showed that only c300 species had been recorded on Day One, so there was obviously more to find; and botanists are a hardy bunch so.... a-hunting we went!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEm42uSCnBVqjZt8_csMXTDpBD_YqzS875l8GqTr67LDhA9xzprGq8cQro6hZVn5UwZ2YazupNoajl6nUvWqWWuUv-V4YjeuoJ1_bM2UIGDA33Xp254g9TC8p0SlLoK1f_sOaiLZefo49_NCP_nR49WxaX8lOvTZUBRQDreoro1dnkqv9rB7SCEKl03cZN/s900/Michael%20Jones%20&%20daughter.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEm42uSCnBVqjZt8_csMXTDpBD_YqzS875l8GqTr67LDhA9xzprGq8cQro6hZVn5UwZ2YazupNoajl6nUvWqWWuUv-V4YjeuoJ1_bM2UIGDA33Xp254g9TC8p0SlLoK1f_sOaiLZefo49_NCP_nR49WxaX8lOvTZUBRQDreoro1dnkqv9rB7SCEKl03cZN/s320/Michael%20Jones%20&%20daughter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Botanising with friends and family, or in organised groups, is always a real theme of the Hunt and today was no exception. Michael Jones' 8-month old daughter was wrapped up warmly and (judging by the image on right taken by Michael) seems to have really enjoyed using our <a href="https://bsbi.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2023/12/NYPH-Top-20-Spotter-Sheet.pdf">spotter sheet of Top 20 plants</a> to check what to look for during the Hunt! The spotter sheets were new this year and first-time plant hunters of all ages have found them very useful.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">On the <a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/results.php">Results page</a>, where you'll find the list of most frequently recorded plants (the ones we used when compiling the spotter sheets), a new feature for this year is that our IT wizard Tom Humphrey has put little arrows in to show whether a species is being recorded in bloom more or less frequently than last year. So it looks as though Hazel, Winter Heliotrope and White Dead-nettle are going 'up the charts' </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">but Red Dead-nettle, </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Shepherd's-purse and Hogweed are going down. Is that what you're finding in your area? Daisy retains it's supreme position as number one on the list. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBuB_QEOOO7aQjORjG0TEig_SFrE_yjbgppoNBDBx5rveq08hGmU4-iGgRlgXmiJkRTbtwZ_xeQD6_BefMpgVx0tmMc50uVZgD9gvFXd0bEBojXs3AlzILbdJRxHuJQdkAMAbdiRESOzBOVb8CZ57KM4PQFOrU6KJAMLIWsG-mLqdELUieTRC0pl00kdK/s1600/musk%20mallow%20bus%20stop%20james%20common.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBuB_QEOOO7aQjORjG0TEig_SFrE_yjbgppoNBDBx5rveq08hGmU4-iGgRlgXmiJkRTbtwZ_xeQD6_BefMpgVx0tmMc50uVZgD9gvFXd0bEBojXs3AlzILbdJRxHuJQdkAMAbdiRESOzBOVb8CZ57KM4PQFOrU6KJAMLIWsG-mLqdELUieTRC0pl00kdK/s320/musk%20mallow%20bus%20stop%20james%20common.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So who else was out hunting with friends and family? In Co. Cork, the Glengarriff team notched up <a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/survey.php?surveyid=93ec227f-0873-4cd7-a92c-05d241c08317">35 species</a> in bloom, more than the Sligo team yesterday - but Sligo botanists had <a href="https://twitter.com/BSBI_Ireland/status/1741449630133452901">a rainbow for compensation</a>! The Cornish botanists had a great day out in Mevagissey today and found 76 species in bloom. Their list is <a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/survey.php?surveyid=c23bb883-0f03-4c41-94dd-de07621fcf54">here</a>, at the top of the list of longest lists (for now!) Fewer species to be found up in in Newcastle, where <a href="https://twitter.com/CommonByNature/status/1741476747910992220">J</a></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://twitter.com/CommonByNature/status/1741476747910992220">ames Common was out again</a> - it's only Day Two but he was on his third Hunt, this time with partner Matt and they found musk mallow blooming by a bus stop (image on left). Urban and suburban habitats like this often yield the most interesting plant finds. </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn3qNvtmcWkKaB2m0txdOusBw0J3SuId4rQQJHFLe9RJvq21rQF42z1t61vSkeHW4iIeDQW68yI_lofPRqALWfL0g6i1A521tX2ZQXfckqGVITd8wLM3g06UoikLWW9mbzvVY67xUInz4AXRKtRBlsEG5eWqIfWfd3PkFiiXlQ_sIFFOEmAAA-KVo-lZ2n/s3558/Members%20of%20Grow%20Community%20-%20Sopwell'.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3558" data-original-width="2668" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn3qNvtmcWkKaB2m0txdOusBw0J3SuId4rQQJHFLe9RJvq21rQF42z1t61vSkeHW4iIeDQW68yI_lofPRqALWfL0g6i1A521tX2ZQXfckqGVITd8wLM3g06UoikLWW9mbzvVY67xUInz4AXRKtRBlsEG5eWqIfWfd3PkFiiXlQ_sIFFOEmAAA-KVo-lZ2n/s320/Members%20of%20Grow%20Community%20-%20Sopwell'.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Community is an important part of botanising - to enjoy great company and also for sharing ID tips. In Hertfordshire, the <a href="https://growsopwell.org/">Grow Community - Sopwell</a> team (image on right) enjoyed botanising together on <a href="https://bsbi.org/nyphevents/st-albans-plant-hunt">their group hunt</a>. There are still quite a few <a href="https://bsbi.org/new-year-plant-hunt/group-hunts">group hunts</a> scheduled for the next two days so do check them out if you'd like some company on your hunt. </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But many of us also enjoy a solo Hunt - a bit of quiet time to recharge our batteries. I</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">n Lancashire, Rose Edmondson did her </span><a href="https://twitter.com/Snotlady5/status/1741460470844850344" style="font-family: helvetica;">first ever New Year Plant Hunt</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">, inspired by </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JJywDDmgR8" style="font-family: helvetica;">Leif Bersweden's book</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> and armed with the </span><a href="https://bsbi.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2023/12/NYPH-Top-20-Spotter-Sheet.pdf" style="font-family: helvetica;">Top 20 spotter sheet</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Neil Forbes was out in Arnside and found </span><a href="https://twitter.com/Treebeard_793/status/1741550473428005129" style="font-family: helvetica;">Spring Sandwort</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> (image below left). With a handlens, he could see </span><a href="https://www.amnh.org/learn-teach/curriculum-collections/biodiversity-counts/plant-identification/plant-morphology/parts-of-a-flower" style="font-family: helvetica;">anthers sticking out</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> so that counted as 'flowering' and was therefore eligible for the Hunt. Neil also noticed the impact of both microclimate and proximity to the coast on the abundance and status (native or non-native) of the species blooming in the various locations he visited. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Southern locations tend to have more species in bloom - for example, </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Kate Gold found <a href="https://twitter.com/KateGold24/status/1741198462555693386">31 species in bloom</a> in East Sussex yesterday, following the same route she's been going since 2016 - whereas further north today, <a href="https://twitter.com/MargaretCahill_/status/1741441946810204484">Margaret Cahill in Offaly</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/joaniemac17/status/1741206517733368101">Joanie McNaughton in Edinburgh</a> both found slimmer pickings. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOWC1p4F5feyRHjANOU0XsibrV7oeVcFiwUZW4e6GWtSI_aDBLaWRgswH9ASW4vEyDHEmB-ziMr5BmzibdyI30N0LNnRXlySIax7jnejgMFEDnnfesm-OziABHHLK0hbfJMt1upIYpbukngEM4jUWS5ulkBpv4zMnB0bjKT72Y0Uee0j5EkXgE419yj7S/s900/spring%20sandwort%20in%20arnside%20-%20neil%20forbes.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOWC1p4F5feyRHjANOU0XsibrV7oeVcFiwUZW4e6GWtSI_aDBLaWRgswH9ASW4vEyDHEmB-ziMr5BmzibdyI30N0LNnRXlySIax7jnejgMFEDnnfesm-OziABHHLK0hbfJMt1upIYpbukngEM4jUWS5ulkBpv4zMnB0bjKT72Y0Uee0j5EkXgE419yj7S/s320/spring%20sandwort%20in%20arnside%20-%20neil%20forbes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But understanding more about which wild and naturalised plants manage to bloom where, and how this correlates with autumn and winter weather patterns, is what makes the New Year Plant Hunt so interesting. So well done to those northern plant hunters who braved the cold and went out to see what they could find in bloom. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">By 10pm, when we had just about reached the halfway point of this year's Hunt, the <a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/results.php">Results board</a> showed that plant hunters had uploaded details of more than 700 surveys and the total number of species recorded in bloom had risen to 439. Great work everyone!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">What will tomorrow bring? I'm leading a <a href="up in Newcastle, James Common was out again - it's only Day Two but he was on his third Hunt, this time with partner Matt and they found musk mallow blooming by a bus stop. These urban and suburban habitats often yield the most interesting plant finds. ">hunt around a Leicester industrial estate</a> in the afternoon and look forward to seeing how our count compares with previous years at the same location. My colleague <a href="https://twitter.com/BSBICountries">James Harding-Morris</a>, the mastermind behind those great spotter sheets, will be here in the evening to summarise Day Three findings for you. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Happy hunting and fingers crossed for decent weather!</span></p>Louise Marsh, BSBIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853015015164789727noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290723885428192841.post-44281482780539021422023-12-30T21:46:00.003+00:002023-12-30T22:15:24.168+00:00New Year Plant Hunt 2024: Day One<div style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK0IVpLHSjqN5Huqr0P_K_TgE6LM3VZwOdocNv-MZyKWaEVO-OsxflM96GVTbPZukxt63NmF1W6E8XnUW5ED0ENv3Lr7Y6d_bkwfFDGz7CLNJfMZJnhkK3AgXPFqv7CJ8rLBWX-qC2Lk-BFLumckfUujCvGm-LvHQTig93Bct6sRjy97RZ9yjtcE-BCJAx/s1600/James%20Common%20and%20hunters%20in%20Tynemouth.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK0IVpLHSjqN5Huqr0P_K_TgE6LM3VZwOdocNv-MZyKWaEVO-OsxflM96GVTbPZukxt63NmF1W6E8XnUW5ED0ENv3Lr7Y6d_bkwfFDGz7CLNJfMZJnhkK3AgXPFqv7CJ8rLBWX-qC2Lk-BFLumckfUujCvGm-LvHQTig93Bct6sRjy97RZ9yjtcE-BCJAx/s320/James%20Common%20and%20hunters%20in%20Tynemouth.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Our thirteenth <a href="https://bsbi.org/new-year-plant-hunt">New Year Plant Hunt</a> kicked off today and at just a few minutes past midnight, the first record pinged in: the inimitable <a href="https://twitter.com/GerScollard/status/1740886158408831320">Ger Scollard recorded Ivy-leaved Toadflax </a>in southwest Ireland by flashlight and that became the first record to light up our <a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/results.php">interactive results map</a>! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2022/12/new-year-plant-hunt-2023-day-one.html" style="font-family: helvetica;">Last year</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Ger did the same thing but with Red Dead-nettle. There's no stopping this man! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSOFO16OQNevJIv-D-ZblFmEhkSUjPvbd5TEaWnFu5qiwG6K3X2b3id4yixX-ICKrvwHauUARYaSwXrz5_IvUtVu-uGbukdU6oizD1AhLXQLEw_-QqPf0CvlENtvHvGfHuCDT_Upq_u0r-G9l9i0oIYHmQkYXMYViy3915Rgu2cyNoCcbieMrDezFzB6ZK/s2048/Senec%20ang%20Carlisle%20Charlotte%20R.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSOFO16OQNevJIv-D-ZblFmEhkSUjPvbd5TEaWnFu5qiwG6K3X2b3id4yixX-ICKrvwHauUARYaSwXrz5_IvUtVu-uGbukdU6oizD1AhLXQLEw_-QqPf0CvlENtvHvGfHuCDT_Upq_u0r-G9l9i0oIYHmQkYXMYViy3915Rgu2cyNoCcbieMrDezFzB6ZK/s320/Senec%20ang%20Carlisle%20Charlotte%20R.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Most other people waited until the sun was up and then the records started to flood in, despite wet and windy weather in many places. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">James Common led fellow Tyneside botanists on two Hunts, </span><a href="https://twitter.com/CommonByNature/status/1741074801039405134" style="font-family: helvetica;">one in "soggy" Tynemouth</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> (image above right) and </span><a href="https://twitter.com/CommonByNature/status/1741127719570612378" style="font-family: helvetica;">one in Heaton</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> where, he tells us, it rained again. But James was undaunted and at least he didn't have to endure the heavy snow which </span><a href="https://twitter.com/Watts_SH/status/1741088888330805371" style="font-family: helvetica;">prevented Sarah Watts</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> from going out hunting! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Charlotte Rankin also braved unpleasant weather in Carlisle to </span><a href="https://twitter.com/bumble_being/status/1741153102965690680" style="font-family: helvetica;">notch up 20 species</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> including Narrow-leaved Ragwort (image on left) which, </span><a href="https://plantatlas2020.org/atlas/2cd4p9h.qhk" style="font-family: helvetica;">as <i>Plant Atlas 2020</i> tells us</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">, is a naturalised South African species which is spreading rapidly, especially in England and in the Dublin area. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpnG-ejnaF4xsgemsXgk-JBxPZOoWVoNtZ0Zp6ji08sOucazp1_Cpe7jhutM8wOaVaBWlVdzKHWJSKtVacL5BtmaSK_oohSDlmi-4yq_teedIAbNvgX4SMsi-hW1x0ZoLTOkyx5hd093_bwXihlnOXzaYmU3CwdtlUr1gUr9fzdZyIdgDZ5ejRBln1xaOi/s2048/Ranun%20bul%20Cardiff%20Tim%20Rich.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpnG-ejnaF4xsgemsXgk-JBxPZOoWVoNtZ0Zp6ji08sOucazp1_Cpe7jhutM8wOaVaBWlVdzKHWJSKtVacL5BtmaSK_oohSDlmi-4yq_teedIAbNvgX4SMsi-hW1x0ZoLTOkyx5hd093_bwXihlnOXzaYmU3CwdtlUr1gUr9fzdZyIdgDZ5ejRBln1xaOi/s320/Ranun%20bul%20Cardiff%20Tim%20Rich.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This is the first New Year Plant Hunt since the publication of </span><a href="https://bsbi.org/plant-atlas-2020" style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Plant Atlas 2020</i> </a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">so plant hunters have been able to access up-to-date information about the plants they are seeing and any trends driving changes in distribution, e.g. climate change, habitat loss etc. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="font-family: helvetica;">Plant Atlas 2020</i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> is such a great resource and so are the summary reports </span><a href="https://bsbi.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2023/02/BSBI-Plant-Atlas-2020-summary-report-Britain-in-English-WEB.pdf" style="font-family: helvetica;">for Britain</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> and </span><a href="https://bsbi.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2023/02/BSBI-Plant-Atlas-2020-summary-report-Ireland-WEB.pdf" style="font-family: helvetica;">for Ireland</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The weather didn't look too bad for Tim Rich who, with Sarah Whild, carried out the very first New Year Plant Hunt over a decade ago. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Little did they know that their 'hmm I wonder what we'll find in bloom around here at New Year' would turn into a citizen science activity that attracts thousands of people across Britain and Ireland! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZvuV5fEdTyrV8UYZ1RW_n2SCHRRUZp7seF8gUZW7z0M2RiF_4DT9xLadVPwydeiPlNvxDdves-GSoHOKdn8Da5kxkT_vEFbR5FLf_bu2xykUrRdVj7PUu2-2-y14OG5T4CAi7ICsRsJb84gUToKUpJDDaosEPk-BdYJ_5ZI7f4KclaypwXokp6wNo_vX/s2048/Jersey%20cudweed%20Tris%20with%20Martin%20Rand%20in%20Chandlers%20Ford.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZvuV5fEdTyrV8UYZ1RW_n2SCHRRUZp7seF8gUZW7z0M2RiF_4DT9xLadVPwydeiPlNvxDdves-GSoHOKdn8Da5kxkT_vEFbR5FLf_bu2xykUrRdVj7PUu2-2-y14OG5T4CAi7ICsRsJb84gUToKUpJDDaosEPk-BdYJ_5ZI7f4KclaypwXokp6wNo_vX/s320/Jersey%20cudweed%20Tris%20with%20Martin%20Rand%20in%20Chandlers%20Ford.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>This year Tim, one of Britain's top botanists, was out hunting in Cardiff with Julian Woodman, one of the </span><a href="https://bsbi.org/glamorgan" style="font-family: helvetica;">East Glamorgan County Recorders</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">. They notched up 54 species between them, including Bulbous Buttercup (image on right) and you can see their list </span><a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/survey.php?surveyid=8d2a77e9-1780-44bc-91dd-9abaa43f0477" style="font-family: helvetica;">here</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">As the day went on, records pinged in from locations across Britain and Ireland. In Chandler's Ford in Hampshire, Tristan Norton, Martin Rand & co <a href="https://twitter.com/TrisNorton/status/1741082622564913484">found Jersey Cudweed</a> (image on left showing it in characteristic habitat between paving stones). </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Jersey Cudweed is another species that </span><a href="https://plantatlas2020.org/atlas/2cd4p9h.cks6rf" style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Plant Atlas 2020</i> suggests</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> is spreading northwards, perhaps due to climate change.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">On the <a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/results.php">Kintyre peninsula</a> there were five species in bloom, including Herb-Robert which, surprisingly, proved elusive further south, while in Castlegregory in County Kerry, <a href="https://twitter.com/Ol_LynchEco/status/1741096880094761313">Olly Lynch and Hannah Mulcahy found 24 species in bloom</a>, including a rather nice Valerianella corn-salad (image below right). </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk4bpBjUKPVQXp-h3eEi6G974uWzfH1k-o9s4Ab0eAGqO7VHRL5S79BQNLeVbOrRzay7DE_DPP47OL3Gqnz5ehIH6fodT8cpZePa9lUvs4syzh1fYlKqqm5vyts3EPHY2_Radr-E1mMISRor-JlDkBZyLaiJ0MeKP73pTS3r_xe35ST6VI4spWhJhuzAyF/s2048/Valeri%20sp%20Castlegregory%201%20of%2024%20Olly%20LM%20and%20Hannah.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1538" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk4bpBjUKPVQXp-h3eEi6G974uWzfH1k-o9s4Ab0eAGqO7VHRL5S79BQNLeVbOrRzay7DE_DPP47OL3Gqnz5ehIH6fodT8cpZePa9lUvs4syzh1fYlKqqm5vyts3EPHY2_Radr-E1mMISRor-JlDkBZyLaiJ0MeKP73pTS3r_xe35ST6VI4spWhJhuzAyF/s320/Valeri%20sp%20Castlegregory%201%20of%2024%20Olly%20LM%20and%20Hannah.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The habitats that our intrepid plant hunters visited in their search for wildflowers ranged from a wall in Northamptonshire, where Brian Laney, Alyson Freeman and their team </span><a href="https://twitter.com/StevenW33436788/status/1741191030706262069" style="font-family: helvetica;">found Annual Mercury</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">, to a drainpipe in Uckfield, Sussex, where Plant Hunt regular Wendy Tagg </span><a href="https://twitter.com/WendyTagg/status/1741153923644145916" style="font-family: helvetica;">spotted Yellow Corydalis in bloom</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">, to school grounds in Worcestershire, where the fabulous BHA Potting Sheds team </span><a href="https://twitter.com/BHAPottingSheds/status/1741149755604873610" style="font-family: helvetica;">recorded 21 species in bloom</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> including the lovely but diminutive whitlow-grass (image below left). </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Those tiny white members of the Cabbage family can be tricky to ID but fortunately there is an excellent cribsheet by the amazing </span><a href="https://twitter.com/NatureLark" style="font-family: helvetica;">Moira (aka Nature Lark)</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> to help you - it's </span><a href="https://bsbi.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/dinkymoira-Small-White-Brassicas.pdf" style="font-family: helvetica;">free to download here</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Of course some of the longest lists came from southern and coastal areas: <a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/survey.php?surveyid=cb549fd8-abc1-4e28-9a1d-2872544936fc">67 species</a> in Alderney, <a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/survey.php?surveyid=90f33a84-e63a-4ca0-a918-3a4272c555dc">64 species</a> spotted by Jo and her team in Cromer. Jo had no sooner got back from her Cromer Hunt than she was on the Support Desk and on social media (<a href="https://twitter.com/Jo_the_botanist">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/jo-the-botanist.bsky.social">Bluesky</a>) helping with plant ID - there's dedication for you! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvbTFpZIAqM8-2n32vp8MIy1ETl8d0w6L1AfbEcV53WBBOL-PJFyoF4dM6AEU60e5lQcS4n6815CqRr5mhyphenhyphenxbWskRVzARrUkrQhLSRmDTRDwpLkpf5sH-Y0AbSdK5EgP-ZCANuzhy8927yoL41e5A0laX-jiSkPSnZcsd2z4cS-fCaWFlNE1b-F0FY5qhN/s4096/Eroph%20ver%20BHA%20Potting%20Sheds.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvbTFpZIAqM8-2n32vp8MIy1ETl8d0w6L1AfbEcV53WBBOL-PJFyoF4dM6AEU60e5lQcS4n6815CqRr5mhyphenhyphenxbWskRVzARrUkrQhLSRmDTRDwpLkpf5sH-Y0AbSdK5EgP-ZCANuzhy8927yoL41e5A0laX-jiSkPSnZcsd2z4cS-fCaWFlNE1b-F0FY5qhN/w320-h240/Eroph%20ver%20BHA%20Potting%20Sheds.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>But as ecologist <a href="https://twitter.com/CookJoniL">Joni Cook,</a> volunteering on the Support Desk for the first time this year, quite rightly <a href="https://twitter.com/CookJoniL/status/1741184288186413151">pointed out</a>, the New Year Plant Hunt isn't just about longest lists: we are also keen to hear if you hunted but found absolutely nothing. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It all helps us build up a clearer picture of how wild and naturalised plants across Britain and Ireland are responding to a changing climate. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So, on to Day Two of the Hunt - we can't wait to hear how you get on and the <a href="mailto:nyplanthunt@bsbi.org">Support Team</a> is ready to help if you run into any problems! Goodnight, we'll leave you with this lovely little whitlow-grass.</span></div>Louise Marsh, BSBIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853015015164789727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290723885428192841.post-17489944998463309412023-12-28T16:38:00.004+00:002023-12-28T16:38:43.274+00:00British & Irish Botany: issue 5.3 published<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgklpsBsdVNDrgIlSYIl5GK2i34Iydr1yRofIRPf__zgFYckYMqkUtXFTs_vm0UsSoO9fbNCmAIr9brSXUlY15t26ZpxZWr64z9UvnX_yqMPw3GqEL4PzvunGnWOWrw3hmAc6g25YxJbq3LIrNz3oql412u2oPpvY1YIfpcjNsdWE-_mqkOaH3-7zLr55tf/s2137/ian%20and%20rjg%20LTR%20pix%20to%2016%206%202015%20012%20comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2137" data-original-width="1704" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgklpsBsdVNDrgIlSYIl5GK2i34Iydr1yRofIRPf__zgFYckYMqkUtXFTs_vm0UsSoO9fbNCmAIr9brSXUlY15t26ZpxZWr64z9UvnX_yqMPw3GqEL4PzvunGnWOWrw3hmAc6g25YxJbq3LIrNz3oql412u2oPpvY1YIfpcjNsdWE-_mqkOaH3-7zLr55tf/s320/ian%20and%20rjg%20LTR%20pix%20to%2016%206%202015%20012%20comp.jpg" width="255" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Ian browsing a copy of 'Stace'<br />Image: L. Marsh</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It's been <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2023/06/british-irish-botany-issue-52-published.html">six months</a> since we published the <a href="https://britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib/issue/view/19">last issue</a> of <i>British & Irish Botany</i>, the Botanical Society's online, Open Access scientific journal. We are about to press publish on another issue and this one marks a milestone in the journal's history: this will be the final issue under the editorship of Ian Denholm.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Ian <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2015/12/what-ian-did-next.html">took over the editorship</a> of <i>British & Irish Botany</i>'s predecessor, <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2017/12/new-journal-of-botany-final-issue-now.html"><i>New Journal of Botany</i>,</a> in 2015, just weeks after <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2015/11/record-number-of-visitors-at-bsbi.html">his term as BSBI President ended</a>; he <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2019/02/british-irish-botany-first-issue.html">oversaw the setting up of <i>British & Irish Botany</i></a> and has been at the helm for the last five years. So this really is the end of an era! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Don't worry about the future of the journal - Ian has overseen the succession plans and we'll be announcing the new Editor-in-Chief very soon - but for now, I'd like to hand over to Ian to tell you about what's in this latest issue of <i>British & Irish Botany</i>:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"Publication of <a href="https://britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib/issue/view/20">Issue 5(3) of <i>British & Irish Botany</i> </a>(B&IB) completes the fifth year of the <a href="https://bsbi.org/">Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland's</a> online scientific journal. Over this period
there have been 18 issues containing 136 papers covering the taxonomy, history,
origins, ecology and conservation of the British and Irish flora. The
appearance of each issue has traditionally been accompanied by a blogpost from
Louise Marsh summarising the contents and highlighting findings of particular
significance. On this occasion, in light of my retirement as editor-in-chief,
she has graciously stepped aside and delegated this task to me!</span></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHX5M6SwrbRPDwF5ieOeJKqk_9viCjGDOgdR8GjIlj7bP9oUBobS0sxK0swpVnykRgc_YaX27hJ8JbmbMLZkkUiEF_BOJ4A4rdtGQ2H7xz_z0-nI57MtRFGXh3ubEyr-egCiHYruvV2gHi9nAN0PF477Y_UoANaX57pOYtu9ZzB-rFCwLhnTO0CI5QbkvK/s2044/Rich%20H.%20ER2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2044" data-original-width="1363" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHX5M6SwrbRPDwF5ieOeJKqk_9viCjGDOgdR8GjIlj7bP9oUBobS0sxK0swpVnykRgc_YaX27hJ8JbmbMLZkkUiEF_BOJ4A4rdtGQ2H7xz_z0-nI57MtRFGXh3ubEyr-egCiHYruvV2gHi9nAN0PF477Y_UoANaX57pOYtu9ZzB-rFCwLhnTO0CI5QbkvK/s320/Rich%20H.%20ER2.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><i>Hieracium elizabethae-reginae</i><br />Image: T. Rich</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"We commence with a paper from Tim Rich, one of B&IB’s most prolific contributors, who with co-author James Warren adds a new endemic species of hawkweed (</span><i style="font-family: helvetica;">Hieracium</i><span style="font-family: helvetica;">) to the British flora. The significance of this development is heightened by the taxon being named in honour of our late Queen Elizabeth II. Careful reading of the paper will disclose the connection! Anyone who was an active botanist in the ‘pre-Stace’ era will no doubt retain great affection for the preceding </span><i style="font-family: helvetica;">Flora of the British Isles</i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> by Clapham, Tutin and Warburg (CTW). </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">A paper by David Wilkinson and Laura Jean Cameron centres on a lunch held to launch the first edition of CTW in 1952. They speculate on the identity of the person caricatured on the cover of the lunch menu, and provide a fascinating image of the menu itself signed by most of the botanical illuminati of the day.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"Ridha El Mokni and Duilio Iamonico explore aspects of
nomenclature within the genus <i>Gypsophila</i> which, although not native to Britain
and Ireland, contains several species that have been reported as garden escapes
or casuals from other sources, and may become more frequent under changing
climatic conditions. Frank Horsman investigates in detail the contributions of
the 17th century botanist Edward Morgan, to knowledge of the Welsh flora in
particular. Morgan emerges from this account as something of an unsung hero
whose work and influence on contemporaries deserves much more recognition and
respect than it is presently accorded.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8wEmFRV444QKKFSkb2ZNdgOYxNkFevoaUG_RWuwiH2fZY9rz8ViLCPyaH5m0F8FOScCo7ccRnZR95AaeF8YYvThATCYAz_AUfz7Tj57gaKHYPOuQ2ff-N7AlWRJ4kr1W6U4n5UcA3TC-6afNtDVg9VTBVMlGezHLJK42MzQgdo-JJsDC80qE8UxVX5u4N/s1467/Artem%20cam%20ssp%20mar%20John%20Twibell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="975" data-original-width="1467" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8wEmFRV444QKKFSkb2ZNdgOYxNkFevoaUG_RWuwiH2fZY9rz8ViLCPyaH5m0F8FOScCo7ccRnZR95AaeF8YYvThATCYAz_AUfz7Tj57gaKHYPOuQ2ff-N7AlWRJ4kr1W6U4n5UcA3TC-6afNtDVg9VTBVMlGezHLJK42MzQgdo-JJsDC80qE8UxVX5u4N/s320/Artem%20cam%20ssp%20mar%20John%20Twibell.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><i>Artemisia campestris</i> subsp. <i>maritima</i><br />Image: J. Twibell</span><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"The theme of Welsh plants extends through the remaining two
papers in the issue. Field Wormwood (<i>Artemisia campestris</i>) is a rare, iconic
and native component of the Breckland flora, but also grows as a distinct
subspecies (<i>maritima</i>) on the Sefton coast in Lancashire and at Crymlin Burrows
in South Wales. Andy Jones and Fred Rumsey review evidence from various sources
that collectively tip the balance in favour of <i>maritima</i> plants being recent
arrivals on our shores, in direct contrast to their Breckland counterparts. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"Fred
Rumsey (again!) and Chris Thorogood (authors of the <a href="https://bsbi.org/bsbi-handbook-broomrapes">BSBI Broomrapes Handbook</a>)
detail the history, distribution and ecology of Picris Broomrape, <i>Orobanche
picridis</i>. This has proved a challenging taxon due to nomenclatural confusion
and morphological similarity to Common Broomrape, <i>Orobanche minor</i>. Most
botanists to date (including me) have sought it on chalk in east Kent and on
the Isle of Wight. While confirming its continued presence at these locations,
the authors also report the discovery of a huge newly-discovered (and
presumably previously overlooked) colony on private land in South Wales.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUnsOr4Igby3xn9kOLr3yux7zLAhJPoPdyjbmtzYp6UzgPta5bPqmUPN9fU0cNbKau-d6qDy9QmawK7uPnV0rgSwZTzRlch6Kxi7xW5nuj637MCGrcoa5zU6BpIV73EFoVapvY1CTODcOkrXs8mAnikNxMaLXG6LdCYUqEvlXxkGG5yrwPEuTBfArII_j/s3251/Thorogood%20col.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3251" data-original-width="2251" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUnsOr4Igby3xn9kOLr3yux7zLAhJPoPdyjbmtzYp6UzgPta5bPqmUPN9fU0cNbKau-d6qDy9QmawK7uPnV0rgSwZTzRlch6Kxi7xW5nuj637MCGrcoa5zU6BpIV73EFoVapvY1CTODcOkrXs8mAnikNxMaLXG6LdCYUqEvlXxkGG5yrwPEuTBfArII_j/s320/Thorogood%20col.png" width="222" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><i>Orobanche picridis</i><br />Images: C. Thorogood <br />& F. Rumsey</span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"Editing the journal for five years has been a fair
commitment of time, but also rewarding in that I have learned a great deal from
the contents of papers and have enjoyed stimulating and productive interactions
with authors. I thank Louise Marsh for exceptional editorial assistance,
Jonathan Shanklin for meticulous proof-reading, and all who have supported the
journal by reviewing manuscripts and contributing
papers. May <i>British & Irish Botany</i> continue to thrive under new management!"</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Huge thanks to Ian for all he has done to establish <i>British & Irish Botany</i> - it has been a delight to assist him! </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I hope he will enjoy having more time for all his other botanical interests, including being BSBI's joint <a href="https://bsbi.org/hertfordshire">County Recorder for Hertfordshire</a>, BSBI's <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2015/06/bsbi-president-orchid-referee-out-in.html">joint referee for orchids</a>, sitting on <a href="https://bsbi.org/governance">BSBI's Science & Data Committee</a>.... he's not so much retiring as re-calibrating! </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So it just remains for me to point you to the <a href="https://britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib/issue/view/20">latest issue of <i>British & Irish Botany</i></a> and say "watch this space" for news about Ian's handover to his successor. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Louise Marsh, BSBIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853015015164789727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290723885428192841.post-27700224146331508792023-10-01T19:28:00.004+01:002023-10-01T20:12:21.792+01:00BSBI membership: save money with our autumn 2024 special offer <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlMSZqT3ln5xdo6JNZxp9YoabjZaO5dAxvT1QoPFM7xLH9614hyphenhyphenKw_n5PsDOahzO-98-gtCVfeRtPqfWUheFfxDSFtYkli9CdTbNyLBoUUtsbBexb9gEfy9bkr7T_UMnEZ3lbPGq5EiIVxaHM_RUuvfTV2MVuPOD-M_MgxpXI5ibZUn8O9UzRT0gFSxF45/s3746/PIC%207.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3746" data-original-width="2885" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlMSZqT3ln5xdo6JNZxp9YoabjZaO5dAxvT1QoPFM7xLH9614hyphenhyphenKw_n5PsDOahzO-98-gtCVfeRtPqfWUheFfxDSFtYkli9CdTbNyLBoUUtsbBexb9gEfy9bkr7T_UMnEZ3lbPGq5EiIVxaHM_RUuvfTV2MVuPOD-M_MgxpXI5ibZUn8O9UzRT0gFSxF45/s320/PIC%207.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Last autumn, we launched our <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2022/10/bsbi-membership-save-money-with-our.html">membership special offer</a> by saying that 'in a rapidly changing world, our wild plants have never been more in need of the support, understanding and appreciation that BSBI is uniquely placed to provide'. In the 12 months since then, we've seen even more evidence of how our climate is changing, while <i><a href="https://bsbi.org/plant-atlas-2020">Plant Atlas 2020</a></i> and the <a href="https://bsbi.org/state-of-nature-2023">latest State of Nature report</a> flagged how British and Irish wild flowers, and the many other species of wildlife who depend on them, are increasingly threatened. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We have never been more reliant on, and grateful for, the contributions of BSBI's fabulous volunteer members. So today we are inviting you to <a href="https://bsbi.org/join-us">join our growing ranks,</a> if you haven't already, and asking our members to help us spread the word about the benefits of BSBI membership - for you and for our wonderful wild flowers. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So, at a time when we are all counting the pennies, why <a href="https://bsbi.org/join-us">join BSBI</a>? And why now?</span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrp4uHDcyl1ndRz9WnZKTZ_Eef_yRzgylsOKi6Z_2sFcCU_jIc_emLmu-6dYF9qWoBKt5gkx0Cvd9H6IexDsed3lUuqhFkIdLIEbdFRBU7u-NNysAECMBrjL8Fpxzn8COB3kVPfeLam6cew5SGzfs5AeZaQLjPQ0BuaW7B7F8DOBjCjgVw5dR4r6b9mMBO/s3125/PIC%201%20FRONT%20COVER.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3125" data-original-width="2697" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrp4uHDcyl1ndRz9WnZKTZ_Eef_yRzgylsOKi6Z_2sFcCU_jIc_emLmu-6dYF9qWoBKt5gkx0Cvd9H6IexDsed3lUuqhFkIdLIEbdFRBU7u-NNysAECMBrjL8Fpxzn8COB3kVPfeLam6cew5SGzfs5AeZaQLjPQ0BuaW7B7F8DOBjCjgVw5dR4r6b9mMBO/s320/PIC%201%20FRONT%20COVER.jpg" width="276" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Green-winged orchid in East Sussex<br />Image: Susan Greig</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">First of all, if you join BSBI in October, your membership starts at once so you could enjoy up to 15 months of membership benefits for the price of 12 months. You wouldn't need to renew your membership until January 2025.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Secondly, we've expanded our range of membership benefits in the past year and there are even more in the pipeline. As well as the three issues each year of <i><a href="https://bsbi.org/bsbi-news">BSBI News</a></i>, our colourful magazine packed with information about British and Irish wild flowers (check out the <a href="https://bsbi.org/bsbi-news-samplers">sampler page</a> and some of the <a href="https://bsbi.org/bsbi-news">free articles</a> to give you an idea of the contents), membership brings you big discounts on botany books, such as <a href="https://bsbi.org/plant-atlas-2020"><i>Plant Atlas 2020</i></a> (50% off for members buying the print copy); <a href="https://bsbi.org/bsbi-handbooks">BSBI Handbooks</a> (pre-publication offers for members, usually around a third off) and other selected botany books advertised via the password-protected members' area on our website. </span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIKSfZAnsB7mntQw-IiUEYCynK-zHOT3IhaveS6vT5kMFK0fNONzZSzkLRWjYE5zXGGUe0JDlqLKHhUDCCk83JGsaagkbsDEiuldLKiK9AYXsJUyJsQEWcolzgmheeK9okkSLkAexV7Z_n2yKZUv-CYwsDC8cUOxv9HhUpUl7PD9hhqtaDeKUAIRFNT4S4/s3948/PIC%202%20Limestone%20Bedstraw%20Galium%20sterneri%20on%20The%20Burren%20(Heather%20Kellly).jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2543" data-original-width="3948" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIKSfZAnsB7mntQw-IiUEYCynK-zHOT3IhaveS6vT5kMFK0fNONzZSzkLRWjYE5zXGGUe0JDlqLKHhUDCCk83JGsaagkbsDEiuldLKiK9AYXsJUyJsQEWcolzgmheeK9okkSLkAexV7Z_n2yKZUv-CYwsDC8cUOxv9HhUpUl7PD9hhqtaDeKUAIRFNT4S4/s320/PIC%202%20Limestone%20Bedstraw%20Galium%20sterneri%20on%20The%20Burren%20(Heather%20Kellly).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Limestone bedstraw on The Burren<br />Image: Heather Kelly</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Membership also gives you favoured status when applying for <a href="https://bsbi.org/grants">BSBI training and plant study grants</a> - if you're thinking of doing a plant ID course, such as BSBI's online <a href="https://identiplant.bsbi.org">Identiplant course</a> or one of the many <a href="https://bsbi.org/training-courses-external">courses offered by external providers</a>, you can apply for a grant of up to £250 to help you. Members also have exclusive access to 100+ expert plant referees to help you with identification, and to 100+ scientific papers free to download from our members' area. Concerned about the environmental impact of your membership? By opting for paperless membership and choosing <a href="https://bsbi.org/ebooks">eBooks</a> rather than printed <a href="https://bsbi.org/bsbi-handbooks">Handbooks</a>, you'll be minimising your carbon footprint. </span><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><span></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-family: helvetica; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2qxDmPMmYEdVCnFTcLneeE_ShcKvTvhEKxQXgyoDCNWFtFXUqI0uuTuLy3dyzSEwrIiG4x4D5YXXp4xHMnMiXvcYmcq8P18QZmub0saKPJ1N_0REdDNxCGgUbRXC6jMzpZggjNrMEAPUfEv0r_44i459DGGtnO1IyzsFY6HIok67xu1HhKMZNT7YsjL8A/s6963/Wood-sorrel%20(Oxalis%20acetosella),%20Surrey%20by%20Gillian%20Elsom.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4642" data-original-width="6963" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2qxDmPMmYEdVCnFTcLneeE_ShcKvTvhEKxQXgyoDCNWFtFXUqI0uuTuLy3dyzSEwrIiG4x4D5YXXp4xHMnMiXvcYmcq8P18QZmub0saKPJ1N_0REdDNxCGgUbRXC6jMzpZggjNrMEAPUfEv0r_44i459DGGtnO1IyzsFY6HIok67xu1HhKMZNT7YsjL8A/s320/Wood-sorrel%20(Oxalis%20acetosella),%20Surrey%20by%20Gillian%20Elsom.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Wood-sorrel in Surrey<br />Image: Gillian Elsom</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But there's a third reason for joining the growing ranks of BSBI members - it's not just about all the practical and financial benefits you'll enjoy. You'll also be helping us to support British and Irish wildflowers. How? Because while many of our almost 4,000 members carry out amazing work studying, recording, monitoring and helping to conserve wild plants across Britain and Ireland, feeding into projects such as <i><a href="https://bsbi.org/plant-atlas-2020">Plant Atlas 2020</a></i>, the <a href="https://bsbi.org/state-of-nature-2023">State of Nature 2023 report</a>, the many <a href="https://bsbi.org/county-floras">county Floras</a> and the <a href="https://www.npms.org.uk/">National Plant Monitoring Scheme</a> in which BSBI is a partner, many others are simply happy to know that their subscription helps support <a href="https://bsbi.org/about-bsbi">our work</a> to advance the understanding and appreciation of wild plants and to support their conservation across Britain and Ireland. </span></span><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4AkT8pZd1OlYNacl77LWH_wEZYArjkYhdT4plbma-uJTIvrYeN_X9lpEjD4ivVhGR6soJaaFX1fo85PAbTg1NSOnHYddZtrPtBZvKv27nM-dbJokwats-JezV3NqG-3Gz_CfUUlsWOer3U6e600TT1sStZ3H9awldqCXDqD-KW_XONUA8vSmrXD_Um9s/s4000/PIC%205%20Autumn%20colours%20from%20the%20waters%20of%20Lough%20Dan,%20Co.%20Wicklow,%20Ireland%20(Alexis%20FitzGerald).jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4AkT8pZd1OlYNacl77LWH_wEZYArjkYhdT4plbma-uJTIvrYeN_X9lpEjD4ivVhGR6soJaaFX1fo85PAbTg1NSOnHYddZtrPtBZvKv27nM-dbJokwats-JezV3NqG-3Gz_CfUUlsWOer3U6e600TT1sStZ3H9awldqCXDqD-KW_XONUA8vSmrXD_Um9s/s320/PIC%205%20Autumn%20colours%20from%20the%20waters%20of%20Lough%20Dan,%20Co.%20Wicklow,%20Ireland%20(Alexis%20FitzGerald).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Autumn colours by Lough Dan, Co. Wicklow<br />Image: Alexis Fitzgerald</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Check out our <a href="https://bsbi.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/BSBI-Policy-on-nature-conservation.pdf">nature conservation policy</a> and our <a href="https://bsbi.org/bsbi-strategy-2021">strategic plan</a> to find out more; find out how our <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2022/06/botanical-heatmaps-will-ensure-right.html">botanical heatmaps</a>, developed with Natural England, are helping ensure that we get the right tree in the right place (and not in the wrong place!); check out the members who won awards in 2022 for <a href="https://bsbi.org/bsbi-awards-for-outstanding-contributions">outstanding contributions to botany</a>; or leaf through our <a href="https://bsbi.org/download/39094/">latest Annual Review</a> to find out what the Society achieved last year thanks to all our wonderful members.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">If you are already a BSBI member, we'd like to say a huge thank you to each and every one of you for all that you do, and ask you to spread the word to friends and colleagues who you think might enjoy becoming a member - and don't forget that a gift membership of BSBI makes a great present for a loved one!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Our ranks are growing - by around 30% in the last three years - so if you haven't yet joined us, why not <a href="https://bsbi.org/join-us">head over here</a> and become our next new member? We can't wait to welcome you and send you your membership welcome pack. Together we can keep working towards a world where wild plants across Britain and Ireland thrive and are valued - and so are the thousands of amazing BSBI botanists who support them.</span></p>Louise Marsh, BSBIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853015015164789727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290723885428192841.post-44252515149715581322023-07-28T15:22:00.001+01:002023-07-28T16:32:10.253+01:00Resources for horticulturally-inclined botanists<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYtknPDWh5gG1_W4nu-Ccg-B3GfPZyymOZ3bW6me2CQhiCs-K1x5abAy3cds54pNc4LdtxFmo9HpA4bbMqgUa6nPjjqGRSgLsh21JpBJ8f0Su23AEZcRQfvD4Q4oMbXbQAICkTKO2j_nEy86F2sEMcY78xkv5HCvQmwzR8JrNbPGaxVNafilVD8wVzpe2U/s4608/50672482606_8ec1335793_o.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYtknPDWh5gG1_W4nu-Ccg-B3GfPZyymOZ3bW6me2CQhiCs-K1x5abAy3cds54pNc4LdtxFmo9HpA4bbMqgUa6nPjjqGRSgLsh21JpBJ8f0Su23AEZcRQfvD4Q4oMbXbQAICkTKO2j_nEy86F2sEMcY78xkv5HCvQmwzR8JrNbPGaxVNafilVD8wVzpe2U/s320/50672482606_8ec1335793_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Tree Lupin naturalised near St. Andrews, Scotland<br />Image: P. Marks</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Many botanists are as interested in horticultural plants as they are in 'wild' plants, whether because they are keen gardeners or because, </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">as our climate changes, an increasing number of garden plants are naturalising and managing to persist in the wild without human intervention.</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This was o</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">ne of the many fascinating discoveries revealed by BSBI's <a href="https://plantatlas2020.org/">Plant Atlas 2020</a> project - <a href="https://bsbi.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2023/03/BSBI-Plant-Atlas-2020-press-release-Britain-FINAL.pdf">more than 50% of the taxa recorded were of non-native species</a>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Many of these are ancient introductions (archaeophytes), often brought over by the Romans, or neophytes, introduced by humans either deliberately or accidentally in the past five centuries. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmeUpAVAYHenLSF_YpGe8fV58sS_RXD9c-6bSzyjX33EkAyWWiqdqbv-LlQxRBu-vQLyDAaI3VGPHT4WYNdn3tFUabA0vWq9wWc830jtvbs37IoHiM2DgfudKLnYs0761hQOaor7Y5f5WbHpwEBXTB8slLkc0kF3wXutZYHofGaARDO0nGAjh_1vxyn0p/s680/FIMGdVyXwAEaDun%20dave%20steere%20kniphofia%20kent.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="511" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmeUpAVAYHenLSF_YpGe8fV58sS_RXD9c-6bSzyjX33EkAyWWiqdqbv-LlQxRBu-vQLyDAaI3VGPHT4WYNdn3tFUabA0vWq9wWc830jtvbs37IoHiM2DgfudKLnYs0761hQOaor7Y5f5WbHpwEBXTB8slLkc0kF3wXutZYHofGaARDO0nGAjh_1vxyn0p/s320/FIMGdVyXwAEaDun%20dave%20steere%20kniphofia%20kent.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Red-hot Poker blooming in Kent<br />at New Year 2018<br />Image: D. Steere</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Our </span><a href="https://bsbi.org/definitions-wild-native-or-alien" style="font-family: helvetica;">'Definitions' page</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> explains a bit more about these terms. </span><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But increasingly we are noticing garden plants which used to die back in the autumn but are now 'jumping the garden fence' and becoming naturalised between pavement cracks, at the bases of walls, on waste ground... some are even managing to <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2018/12/new-year-plant-hunt-2018-9-day-two.html">flower in midwinter</a>! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Red-hot Poker <i><a href="https://plantatlas2020.org/atlas/2cd4p9h.ama">Kniphofia uvaria</a></i>, Three-cornered Garlic <i><a href="https://plantatlas2020.org/atlas/2cd4p9h.ezp">Allium triquetrum</a></i> and Fern-leaved Beggarticks <i><a href="https://plantatlas2020.org/atlas/2cd4p9h.drk">Bidens ferulifolia</a></i> have all been <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2021/01/new-year-plant-hunt-2021-day-two.html">recorded in bloom</a> during recent <a href="https://bsbi.org/new-year-plant-hunt">New Year Plant Hunts</a>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Our in-house expert referee on garden plants (accessible only to <a href="https://bsbi.org/join-us">BSBI members</a>) has never been busier, dealing with ID queries, and of course there are gardening books and websites, but now there is another option available to botanists wanting to take a deeper dive into the identification and understanding of garden plants. </span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhn240nzXhNT9MNOTtpm56OaKMB1oDa4N8Whq84AakNkXZqFzkNrD0RYfIyTIuQfEKUOu68cW1FRQL_pzLNkmG9InFS8D2b1eZETbC5YEJChNgT2v2O42iCvb59GzZWuJW-9uKhYpg5FwUDOu0yE28UDIXAIGtokCeL63saKOoZIjkDHT6i8ZocAiU5xx/s4795/MAR0032395.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3169" data-original-width="4795" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhn240nzXhNT9MNOTtpm56OaKMB1oDa4N8Whq84AakNkXZqFzkNrD0RYfIyTIuQfEKUOu68cW1FRQL_pzLNkmG9InFS8D2b1eZETbC5YEJChNgT2v2O42iCvb59GzZWuJW-9uKhYpg5FwUDOu0yE28UDIXAIGtokCeL63saKOoZIjkDHT6i8ZocAiU5xx/s320/MAR0032395.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Books in the Lindley Library<br />Image courtesy of the RHS</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/">Royal Horticultural Society</a>'s <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/education-learning/libraries-at-rhs/visit-the-libraries/lindley-library-london">Lindley Library</a> in London holds </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">world-renowned collections of books on horticulture, early printed books and botanical art. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Their modern collections </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">are available for everyone to access but BSBI members interested in the botanical collection are now invited to sign up as researchers (this is free) and gain access to the RHS reference collection, rare books and the botanical art. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Groups of botanists can also request a tour of the collection (free but donations invited). That's two great ways to find out more about garden plants. Just email <a href="mailto:library@rhs.org.uk">library@rhs.org.uk</a> to arrange your visit.</span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirY9lYICVgv0Q_Dcdwf4S79SzPYTCcnIz1OQ9PBJpDhuHSZ0n13sLklNizk1FH3OTiiouc10cNMpp1zcfwmCvMqUqM6QAuApoFYzJhY50ypdXPLIVDRdvbck4GP_vWd3md2y7yme7qq1_hI2WPUUmBxaHNmWsHieiR_4bm-1OF4gewbhdCB1ZrQJiDRTMl/s5157/RHS%20AdrianGreen168b.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4091" data-original-width="5157" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirY9lYICVgv0Q_Dcdwf4S79SzPYTCcnIz1OQ9PBJpDhuHSZ0n13sLklNizk1FH3OTiiouc10cNMpp1zcfwmCvMqUqM6QAuApoFYzJhY50ypdXPLIVDRdvbck4GP_vWd3md2y7yme7qq1_hI2WPUUmBxaHNmWsHieiR_4bm-1OF4gewbhdCB1ZrQJiDRTMl/s320/RHS%20AdrianGreen168b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Early printed botanical book<br /> in the Lindley Library</span><br style="font-family: times;" /><span style="font-family: times;">Image courtesy of the RHS</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Some of the upcoming RHS events may also be of interest to botanists. Dr Mark Spencer, BSBI County Recorder for <a href="https://bsbi.org/middlesex">Middlesex/ the London area</a>, is giving a talk on 3rd August about his book <i><a href="https://guardianbookshop.com/murder-most-florid-9781787134003">Murder Most Florid: inside the mind of a forensic botanist</a></i>. This is a longer version of the <a href="https://youtu.be/VlODapBDU9o">fascinating talk he gave</a> at BSBI's <a href="https://bsbi.org/british-irish-botanical-conference">British & Irish Botanical Conference</a>, held last November at the Natural History Museum. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">On 8th August, <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2018/04/in-ruskins-footsteps-linking-people-to.html">Sarah Morrish</a> (who <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2017/11/bsbi-exhibition-meeting-2017.html">exhibited at</a> BSBI's 2017 Annual Exhibition Meeting, the forerunner of the British & Irish Botanical Conference) will be leading a workshop on 'Illustrating Nature: Introduction to Botanical Art in Pen & Ink'. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Find out more about these events and book your space via <a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/lindley-library-summer-events-1988299">this link</a>. </span></p>Louise Marsh, BSBIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853015015164789727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290723885428192841.post-84385741987481638072023-07-27T11:10:00.001+01:002023-07-27T11:11:47.149+01:00Growing botanical skills in Northern Ireland<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjxWiC_KDrXZwsbknYlQgTZcQB8_0AmsxeyrXLLk2YnfNxLUvrGA3aPFqMWwlT2wT8MQOYzAlKj8PM4PDVW4tAZSGAfUsB0XxSB9LlEHHMAO-w499CVFHKM7-lt98QF1z2-PvD-kpuo6UGRtNjEEJvH7yw2ZkuINsmGCYEQPH6Q7tymPm0z7fxSTp734r/s3264/Harpenden%206.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjxWiC_KDrXZwsbknYlQgTZcQB8_0AmsxeyrXLLk2YnfNxLUvrGA3aPFqMWwlT2wT8MQOYzAlKj8PM4PDVW4tAZSGAfUsB0XxSB9LlEHHMAO-w499CVFHKM7-lt98QF1z2-PvD-kpuo6UGRtNjEEJvH7yw2ZkuINsmGCYEQPH6Q7tymPm0z7fxSTp734r/s320/Harpenden%206.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">An important announcement from <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2021/04/interview-with-julia-hanmer-bsbis-new.html">Julia Hanmer</a>, BSBI Chief Executive: </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"We are delighted that BSBI has been awarded funding to grow
botanical skills and evidence for nature recovery in Northern Ireland, thanks
to funding from the <a href="https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/">Department of Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs</a>
(DAERA)’s Environment Fund. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"The project will work to support botanical
training, recording and monitoring activities over five years, 2023-2028. We
will recruit a Botanical Skills Officer, who will organise training and events
to encourage plant identification and recording, as well as working to increase
participation in the <a href="https://www.npms.org.uk/">National Plant Monitoring Scheme</a> (NPMS). </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"We will work
closely with DAERA, the <a href="https://www.nationalmuseumsni.org/cedar">Centre for Environmental Data and Recording</a> (CEDaR) and our NPMS partners (BSBI, <a href="https://www.plantlife.org.uk/">Plantlife</a>, the <a href="https://jncc.gov.uk/">Joint Nature Conservation Committee</a> (JNCC) and the <a href="https://www.ceh.ac.uk/">UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology</a>) as well as landowners and other organisations to ensure there are the
necessary botanical skills and evidence to underpin nature recovery in Northern
Ireland".<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Many thanks to Julia for sharing this exciting news and to DAERA for funding this new post - more details and application forms can be found <a href="https://bsbi.org/vacancies">here</a>. You can find out more about BSBI's current staff and officers on our <a href="https://bsbi.org/whos-who">Who's Who page</a>, and if you are keen to know more about BSBI's botanical provision across the whole island of Ireland, both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, please visit our <a href="https://bsbi.org/ireland">Ireland page</a>. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_wvezWvyDOY8-XlDAYWLU0i7v-0787vyMta3aNdNeSOCmuMWxVVs9HSs28nNHG1wZmxExsI4dA2BPgUhuSx39d-41Q2KtJVSaDOJlaV-a7AH0dBqMBT8hu-K5u_wzHvgHuDjsmld8WLJfgmCzF4wRJmnjK18sx2ohxUkJJq7wW-RQoU5UO8ktw4wbWK_A/s1122/A4%20DAERA%20Logo%20process.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="1122" height="84" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_wvezWvyDOY8-XlDAYWLU0i7v-0787vyMta3aNdNeSOCmuMWxVVs9HSs28nNHG1wZmxExsI4dA2BPgUhuSx39d-41Q2KtJVSaDOJlaV-a7AH0dBqMBT8hu-K5u_wzHvgHuDjsmld8WLJfgmCzF4wRJmnjK18sx2ohxUkJJq7wW-RQoU5UO8ktw4wbWK_A/s320/A4%20DAERA%20Logo%20process.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>Louise Marsh, BSBIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853015015164789727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290723885428192841.post-76932856451552511892023-06-30T14:56:00.003+01:002023-06-30T14:57:58.097+01:00Botanical University Challenge: here come the finals<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4KnJM6KiAsLZQohzJ1rXaGCCvyBvtnODZxdHSIqW1MozKNyno8hZi8qZMpJFlU5VSYGUf3PyKYja0yi0G6ZWB6XCA1wjNdAIx6ppe1BG-FvmZusMpDxYJY6BprDUlMe9Rysc4WrZkj9BSD1MvxSvCBF9YkY2GS0m4tUudmhyqztF0HDZtStoM61JPyNIj/s1217/waving%20teams_1.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="1217" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4KnJM6KiAsLZQohzJ1rXaGCCvyBvtnODZxdHSIqW1MozKNyno8hZi8qZMpJFlU5VSYGUf3PyKYja0yi0G6ZWB6XCA1wjNdAIx6ppe1BG-FvmZusMpDxYJY6BprDUlMe9Rysc4WrZkj9BSD1MvxSvCBF9YkY2GS0m4tUudmhyqztF0HDZtStoM61JPyNIj/s320/waving%20teams_1.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Contestants at BUC 2022 (held online)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The final round of the 2023 <a href="https://botanicaluniversitychallenge.co.uk/">Botanical University Challenge</a> (BUC) takes place at University of Nottingham on 5th July and BSBI is delighted to be supporting this year's event. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">BUC is an annual contest to find the most botanically knowledgeable team of students from across Britain and Ireland; it was first held in 2016 and is the brainchild of Prof John Warren, </span><a href="https://twitter.com/drmgoeswild" style="font-family: helvetica;">Dr Jonathan Mitchley</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> and </span><a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2017/03/botanical-university-challenge.html" style="font-family: helvetica;">Prof Paul Ashton</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">, all former members of BSBI Skills & Training (formerly </span><a href="https://bsbi.org/training" style="font-family: helvetica;">Training</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> & Education) Committee. This </span><a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2019/02/botanical-university-challenge-another.html" style="font-family: helvetica;">interview with John</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> from 2019 gives you more background.</span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvsVmW6iMWk6l5OBPc1blm3anThvJ29phaZFk54GvnMbxEMMp57K6FZQzJF3SdD2mQwtnC86jbgrtMyCxh9F6VJQ6HiUkpBQpW9trTBSTeMQwnX5HoSYHZQ0KjbniuGSxqlkbvZ7jp4WZFKAvfk2xi8IHn_pqMxzM_gjkCRr-5lljQcaH-Jc4FuQkqkBO/s1024/WP_20160310_12_28_55_Pro.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvsVmW6iMWk6l5OBPc1blm3anThvJ29phaZFk54GvnMbxEMMp57K6FZQzJF3SdD2mQwtnC86jbgrtMyCxh9F6VJQ6HiUkpBQpW9trTBSTeMQwnX5HoSYHZQ0KjbniuGSxqlkbvZ7jp4WZFKAvfk2xi8IHn_pqMxzM_gjkCRr-5lljQcaH-Jc4FuQkqkBO/s320/WP_20160310_12_28_55_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">The Edge Hill team at BUC 2016:<br />Josh Styles on the team!<br />Image: J. Mitchley </span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Previous heats took place in February and the four teams who have made it to the finals are: the <a href="https://twitter.com/BUCBotany/status/1674358918384893952">Ptrinity Pteridophytes</a> from Trinity College Dublin (a last-minute replacement for <a href="https://twitter.com/BUCBotany/status/1674358915348287488">Team Stone Roses</a> from MMU who had to drop out); <a href="https://twitter.com/BUCBotany/status/1674054777318121474">Malus Intent</a> from Eden Project Learning; the University of Cambridge team; and the <a href="https://twitter.com/BUCBotany/status/1673641000311439361">Bad Birches</a> from University of Oxford. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">You can find out more and book <a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/botanical-university-challenge-2023-tickets-481832523047">here to watch the live-stream</a> or <a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/botanical-university-challenge-finals-2023-in-person-at-nottingham-tickets-661218621697">here to attend the event in person</a>. You'll also be able to follow the action <a href="https://twitter.com/BUCBotany">on Twitter</a> at <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BUC2023&src=typeahead_click&f=live">#BUC2023</a> and do feel free to try and answer the questions yourself, that's all part of the fun. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-cfpaC_89D5oAHcdwnA-XcAoH6i_9tf3ch5HvMLdP-DHtBo179IhNmGcgAQ7QBkefVjg7jt2eDu_6doGX4do_pJH7LY2Zdl3pNaZGsmWFriZnBszjyGwK_5R02zFn39cqQDtMoja69kHMxun4dU842clnF0xORafgZ84itIF5W0Vi0cquZ3EBHOBR_TZq/s1600/20190207_155523.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-cfpaC_89D5oAHcdwnA-XcAoH6i_9tf3ch5HvMLdP-DHtBo179IhNmGcgAQ7QBkefVjg7jt2eDu_6doGX4do_pJH7LY2Zdl3pNaZGsmWFriZnBszjyGwK_5R02zFn39cqQDtMoja69kHMxun4dU842clnF0xORafgZ84itIF5W0Vi0cquZ3EBHOBR_TZq/s320/20190207_155523.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">John Warren (centre) at <br />BSBI Training & Education Committee:<br />the breeding ground for many great ideas!<br />Image: L. Marsh</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">BSBI staffers will be attending BUC 2023, chatting to students and finding out how BSBI can support them as they get started in their botanical careers. We'll have a display stand with BSBI literature and leaflets, our slide 'What Can the BSBI Offer to Botany & Plant Science Students' (see below) will be up on the screen between rounds, </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">and we're also providing prizes for all the finalists: free </span><a href="https://bsbi.org/students" style="font-family: helvetica;">student/ paperless membership of BSBI</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">. Of course some of the students (including Billy Fullwood, Chair of BSBI Events & Comms Committee) are already very active BSBI members, so they will be able to carry their prize over to next year. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">As John Warren says, "From its humble beginnings in 2015 as an idea discussed at the BSBI Training & Education Committee, Botanical University Challenge has gone from strength to strength!". </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So keep an eye on BUC on 5th July and be amazed and inspired by those incredibly knowledgeable teams of early career botanists!</span> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTWGxEP0XsHj7TNgI-_AqIpvKlmn9M5oTl9nmIZHmxXNqYhbYbooAYKC47IWFIeIkzrVbnzFRGL_tKHrUduxq3h-P-DXBJSNTeuNxtxmRf13r0RXCiK9wl2lujOamx6bhBbeBcfPu_yd1uH1-NCdV9EcdzIKw_RQiFOjNROsWErRL9zchbq4455tJOt3iq/s1920/BUC%20Slide%202023.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTWGxEP0XsHj7TNgI-_AqIpvKlmn9M5oTl9nmIZHmxXNqYhbYbooAYKC47IWFIeIkzrVbnzFRGL_tKHrUduxq3h-P-DXBJSNTeuNxtxmRf13r0RXCiK9wl2lujOamx6bhBbeBcfPu_yd1uH1-NCdV9EcdzIKw_RQiFOjNROsWErRL9zchbq4455tJOt3iq/w640-h360/BUC%20Slide%202023.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Louise Marsh, BSBIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853015015164789727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290723885428192841.post-70953485037116556582023-06-15T23:12:00.004+01:002023-06-22T11:59:02.467+01:00BSBI Summer Meeting 2023: Jessica Hamilton's report<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qaQ7QlB58H41HGOJXrkAAK7xrgmSWa2Ozzyxh0ztKVu4Gk3jAjMyVZMnfCrbbdRva6fRtqW3TpbYT1BAKW9u2xmW0KmIPxLiGT4cNP3aeQfx3Gh7AVI8tfRB5oeUpFa4_CJUPhmlpuipjE3_Nn2hQF-HbsrwToOQy7WRSPVufTy5b_NnnLVCM-kvdA/s2048/Sunday%20Day%203%20Group%20Photo%20(Clare%20Heardman).jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="2048" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qaQ7QlB58H41HGOJXrkAAK7xrgmSWa2Ozzyxh0ztKVu4Gk3jAjMyVZMnfCrbbdRva6fRtqW3TpbYT1BAKW9u2xmW0KmIPxLiGT4cNP3aeQfx3Gh7AVI8tfRB5oeUpFa4_CJUPhmlpuipjE3_Nn2hQF-HbsrwToOQy7WRSPVufTy5b_NnnLVCM-kvdA/s320/Sunday%20Day%203%20Group%20Photo%20(Clare%20Heardman).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">One of the many Summer Meeting excursions<br />Image: C. Heardman</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">BSBI's <a href="https://bsbi.org/annual-summer-meeting">Annual Summer Meeting</a> is a regular feature in our programme of field meetings and indoor events. It's our main summer get-together and the location rotates between England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. This year it was Ireland's turn and <a href="https://twitter.com/Jessica_Ham92">Jessica Hamilton</a>, ecologist, leader of the <a href="https://bsbi.org/kerry">BSBI Kerry group</a> and member of BSBI's Committee for Ireland, was there - here is her report.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Over to Jessica:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"It’s hard to believe that it’s nearly been
a whole month since the #BSBISummerMeeting took place from the 19th to the 22nd
May last month!</span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBER4J4cbfi2YyijXo0L5K_1WoHUQX614nna6wobFpYa-j8vpu96b-bGPHn13Ziva5s4u6-PD5OPVsSZM2UN03tGORh8lDSvoCn16Df4W5iV0nMQE1TLzMhHN4eeOClwSVR-rkojt0IJE3scPpC5DFoPl0zw7fBECF7wMq217RBxB9koVsif35qNwGQ/s4032/Nick%20Stewart%20teaching%20aquatics%20Ross%20Is.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBER4J4cbfi2YyijXo0L5K_1WoHUQX614nna6wobFpYa-j8vpu96b-bGPHn13Ziva5s4u6-PD5OPVsSZM2UN03tGORh8lDSvoCn16Df4W5iV0nMQE1TLzMhHN4eeOClwSVR-rkojt0IJE3scPpC5DFoPl0zw7fBECF7wMq217RBxB9koVsif35qNwGQ/s320/Nick%20Stewart%20teaching%20aquatics%20Ross%20Is.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Aquatics expert Nick Stewart leads an outdoor<br />workshop during the visit to Ross Island<br />Image: M. Sheehy Skeffington</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This was a special event, not only was it
the first BSBI Summer Meeting to take place in the Republic of Ireland in 12 years, but the
outings took place predominantly in the environs of Killarney National Park, a place I have a very strong bias and love for, and where I have been lucky to
spend a considerable amount of time botanising over the years.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The organising committee for the event was
comprised of a local crew (myself, Mary Sheehan, Rory Hodd, Jean Hamilton, and Clare
Heardman) along with <a href="https://twitter.com/BSBI_Ireland">BSBI Ireland Officer Paul Green</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/MichelineShSk">President Micheline Sheehy Skeffington</a>, and Field Meetings Secretary Jonathan
Shanklin. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Our base for the weekend was at the
Castlerosse Park Resort Hotel which is located just outside Killarney town and
provided easy access to the National Park and surrounds. In total we had approximately
80 participants across the four days, with botanists coming from across
Ireland, as well as from across the water in the United Kingdom. Over the
course of the event, participants were encouraged to engage with social media
and use the hashtag <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23bsbisummermeeting&src=typed_query&f=live">#BSBISummerMeeting</a> when posting about the event online.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWh8QPkjI1Thua9qg8VhxAaA-Dg_hrh6894cUxoViuBuQipFVDwEhZt1-ULOExVg6PCw0s7qcQODkBynSXxsMOkAzZk0nzYi2eDRCKo8x-Bom0POSjU5DO_qSoHXRQxywdeveW3Au8qO8KqjHiGJGpnjB8eampgEetc1j1_LYIGyt_C_8CrgihyHtZXQ/s1470/Minister%20Malcom%20Noonan%20launching%20the%20BSBI%20Summer%20Meeting%20in%20Killarney.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="1470" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWh8QPkjI1Thua9qg8VhxAaA-Dg_hrh6894cUxoViuBuQipFVDwEhZt1-ULOExVg6PCw0s7qcQODkBynSXxsMOkAzZk0nzYi2eDRCKo8x-Bom0POSjU5DO_qSoHXRQxywdeveW3Au8qO8KqjHiGJGpnjB8eampgEetc1j1_LYIGyt_C_8CrgihyHtZXQ/s320/Minister%20Malcom%20Noonan%20launching%20the%20BSBI%20Summer%20Meeting%20in%20Killarney.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Minister Malcolm Noonan launching<br /> the Summer Meeting<br />Image: J. Hamilton </span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Each day there were several outings that
ran in parallel to different locations around the Killarney National Park
environs. In the evenings there was dinner and evening talk(s), followed by
ID sessions that looked at material collected during the various forays. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Irish botanist Fiona O'Neill said “The weekend had everything.” </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Here’s the rundown of the outings that took
place, and some of the highlights:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Friday 19th May </b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The meeting started off on Friday afternoon
as participants began to trickle in and arrive for a weekend of botanising.
Two short forays were made through the Park from the Hotel focusing on
grassland, woodland and lakeshore. Sedges were a strong feature, including <i>Carex
pallescens, C. laevigata </i>and <i>C. vesicaria</i>. That evening we were delighted to
have Minister Malcolm Noonan TD who joined us for dinner and then <a href="https://twitter.com/Jessica_Ham92/status/1659645655554326529">officially launched the event</a> as well as giving a wonderful speech. The <a href="https://twitter.com/BSBIbotany/status/1633837055032852481">Minister attended our Plant Atlas launch</a> in Dublin in March, and we were very happy to welcome him to another BSBI event. We were then treated
to talks by Mary Sheehan (National Parks & Wildlife Service) on Killarney National Park and <a href="https://twitter.com/Jessica_Ham92/status/1659648208622985226">one from Rory Hodd</a> (County Recorder for Co. Kerry) on the flora of Kerry. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Saturday 20th May</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">On Saturday there were three different
outings happening simultaneously<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">First off Clare Heardman and Paul Green led
<a href="https://twitter.com/GlengarriffWood/status/1659942933225668608">a walk along the Muckross Peninsula</a> where participants were treated to Marsh
Fern <i>Thelypteris palustris</i>, as well as uncommon Whitebeams such as <i>Sorbus anglica</i>, to name but a few. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglGcNhC-_j9r0Jgwsip3b-pjGc2HyzhF_1M0CnIfkwU7d-2NJa8fq2WDKIyUC1LFri_CoJqiFNLTICNlq1sQ0JyrFkCjry2-ixYBH29PiuStRyf1u982TTZjSIOC7IL8L1hpQZQYBYymUcHq0o-6WQHay_te0NzwOdFi5lyz_w1Z7AOKmHjcN9tRv_A/s5504/Biggest%20Arbutus%20that%20MS%20has%20ever%20seen-%20Webbs's%20Flora%20for%20scale%20(Photo%20taken%20by%20Micheline).JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3096" data-original-width="5504" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglGcNhC-_j9r0Jgwsip3b-pjGc2HyzhF_1M0CnIfkwU7d-2NJa8fq2WDKIyUC1LFri_CoJqiFNLTICNlq1sQ0JyrFkCjry2-ixYBH29PiuStRyf1u982TTZjSIOC7IL8L1hpQZQYBYymUcHq0o-6WQHay_te0NzwOdFi5lyz_w1Z7AOKmHjcN9tRv_A/s320/Biggest%20Arbutus%20that%20MS%20has%20ever%20seen-%20Webbs's%20Flora%20for%20scale%20(Photo%20taken%20by%20Micheline).JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">At the same time, Rory Hodd and Jean
Hamilton brought a busload of botanists to explore Glencar Valley. They first
visited an acid oak woodland, and the lucky participants got to see an array of
fantastic species including <a href="https://twitter.com/drmgoeswild/status/1661076310435741703">Tunbridge Filmy-fern <i>Hymenophyllum tunbrigense</i></a>,
Irish Spurge <i>Euphorbia hyberna</i> and the famous Killarney Fern <i>Vandenboschia
speciosa</i>, which is a protected species in Ireland. After visiting the oak
woodland, they visited an area of blanket bog and were treated to Atlantic bog
species such as butterworts, sundews and Black Bog-rush <i>Schoenus nigricans</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The third outing that day saw Mary Sheehan and Micheline Sheehy Skeffington lead an outing to Lough Leane to do
some island botanising. The boats departed from Ross Island in picturesque
conditions and took participants to visit both Rough and Inisfallen Islands.
Participants saw <a href="https://twitter.com/drmgoeswild/status/1660319457426784257">an array of wonderful species</a> including lakeshore species, as
well as a few giant Strawberry Trees </span><i style="font-family: helvetica;">Arbutus unedo</i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> on Rough Island (image above left). </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgivpQyzrbVfDRrO_qgDH4LEZCm0WmxBOeujNy8_oFg7G2WLljJl605s01nHGU-smKi5pWAC5W-QQr_L8U-TUuXR-fTZ2G_qA94kMKoIhnfQttjyueCE6RrL3hku4WTgBmxZmPaM8kVPVptxyYxGJaIwi-sHiBbbq0rnIDEcxU95VWPpAwz4Jc3-YD22A/s2048/Daniel_Kelly_talk%20(taken%20by%20Micheline).jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1323" data-original-width="2048" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgivpQyzrbVfDRrO_qgDH4LEZCm0WmxBOeujNy8_oFg7G2WLljJl605s01nHGU-smKi5pWAC5W-QQr_L8U-TUuXR-fTZ2G_qA94kMKoIhnfQttjyueCE6RrL3hku4WTgBmxZmPaM8kVPVptxyYxGJaIwi-sHiBbbq0rnIDEcxU95VWPpAwz4Jc3-YD22A/s320/Daniel_Kelly_talk%20(taken%20by%20Micheline).jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">That evening, participants were again
treated to another two fantastic talks, one from Daniel Kelly on the Woods of
Killarney (image on right), followed by <a href="https://twitter.com/drmgoeswild/status/1660041875749847040">Tim Rich, who shared his superb knowledge on Whitebeams</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Sunday 21st May</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">On Sunday, three outings again took place: Daniel Kelly and Clare Heardman led an outing to Derrycunnihy Woods. Clare
recaps “Our group, led by Professor Daniel Kelly, took a boat trip from Ross
Castle up through the Killarney lakes to Lord Brandon's Cottage and then walked
the Kerry Way across the bog and up through the magnificent Derrycunnihy Woods” <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjrAcPNP3fzXqITUGhGO_k1k08KgiiOPtOrJ7p_-QTyK4NWouYaiRkGRwCz8qanYF7bG3gIM-yy7AeodEVR1Mmzhm83cOoPQdfXhQ6ylv6tblghomQ8-_6zPh-B0bpomStROiAvWnfO1GbRUVNIG5umcsKtj082LoRjN2ha2KAaskh3NuI_oP-DRrpg/s2048/Daniel%20Kelly%20and%20Fred%20Rumsey%20admiring%20epiphytes%20(Photo%20taken%20by%20Clare%20Heardman).jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjrAcPNP3fzXqITUGhGO_k1k08KgiiOPtOrJ7p_-QTyK4NWouYaiRkGRwCz8qanYF7bG3gIM-yy7AeodEVR1Mmzhm83cOoPQdfXhQ6ylv6tblghomQ8-_6zPh-B0bpomStROiAvWnfO1GbRUVNIG5umcsKtj082LoRjN2ha2KAaskh3NuI_oP-DRrpg/s320/Daniel%20Kelly%20and%20Fred%20Rumsey%20admiring%20epiphytes%20(Photo%20taken%20by%20Clare%20Heardman).jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Prof Daniel Kelly & <br />fern expert Fred Rumsey<br />admiring epiphytes<br />Image: C. Heardman</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This particular outing ended up being a
firm favourite with those who ventured on it - Fiona O'Neill said "The Sunday morning boat trip from Ross
Castle across the lakes is one of those lifetime high points” and <a href="https://twitter.com/drmgoeswild">Dr Jonathan Mitchley</a> also had this to say about the trip: “At the top of my list
must be Sunday’s boat trip across the lakes, at over an hour across water as
calm as a mill pond past wonderful green vistas it was a trip to treasure”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Not only did they get to see wonderful
views, they also saw some pretty fantastic plants, including Spring Quillwort <i>Isoetes
echinospora</i> and Pillwort <i>Pilularia globulifera</i>, as well as the ubiquitous
Filmy-ferns <i>Hymenophyllum</i> spp., along with the quintessential Killarney Fern.
They were also very lucky to get good views of a White-tailed Eagle that was
perched nearby.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I led an outing to my neck of the woods, North
Kerry, where we walked a section of the Dingle Way and then went onto Banna
Dune slack for some coastal gems. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCdaFs0uHx3rNQpznkHErQwE2iW1s5DPTk44cXisGlwF5zC7hIvKzBJKa6_cDx6OtsNPwTv8RlmvTIW-wCdNLeRrunPzZ8n--t1Sqsp4XtCWfWv837LXGM-Y9Di1G3l-WcbLthdxtW99naXuGhCe6Spxt-mUMdcVDcrgXmspND5W-di7ZomqZf9SvoXg/s5504/Dingle%20Way%20outing%20led%20by%20Jessica%20H%20(Photo%20taken%20by%20Micheline.JPG).JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3096" data-original-width="5504" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCdaFs0uHx3rNQpznkHErQwE2iW1s5DPTk44cXisGlwF5zC7hIvKzBJKa6_cDx6OtsNPwTv8RlmvTIW-wCdNLeRrunPzZ8n--t1Sqsp4XtCWfWv837LXGM-Y9Di1G3l-WcbLthdxtW99naXuGhCe6Spxt-mUMdcVDcrgXmspND5W-di7ZomqZf9SvoXg/s320/Dingle%20Way%20outing%20led%20by%20Jessica%20H%20(Photo%20taken%20by%20Micheline.JPG).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">The Dingle Way excursion, led by Jessica<br />Image: M. Sheehy Skeffington</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Julie Larkin (joint County Recorder for Co. Waterford) had
this to say “On Sunday morning Jessica Hamilton led us along the Dingle Way
where we walked across the lower northern slopes of the Slieve Mish Mountains
with spectacular views over Tralee Bay. Species we encountered along the way
included Large-flowered Butterwort <i>Pinguicula grandiflora</i>, Pale Butterwort <i>Pinguicula
lusitanica</i>, Round-leaved Sundew <i>Drosera rotundifolia</i> and other wonderful bog
species. We also saw <a href="https://twitter.com/Jessica_Ham92/status/1660244529675489282">the dainty Cornish
Moneywort <i>Sibthorpia europaea</i></a>, whose distribution in Ireland is restricted to
the Dingle Peninsula,” Julie also got to see her first Kerry Slug <i>Geomalacus
maculosus</i> which is a curious species whose range is restricted to the
south-west of Ireland. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwp_It1RL-6-xgW2qCC8Ch5sq_Awvvqjaey0DfbRum-9md3GMqXXslBcns_IRIHHm3nbQK5k6nLaMXv79g1uKa8LeZADcXjbzv8oXEbjh1V3tcbalQmSm7sDgCOjpsD65pTDrOcDTtgeN4Kr0geShPXd-ieSq6Khx6GxmfQF9qPLxFWHb7BvEQuhW7Q/s6000/Clambering%20around%20to%20get%20a%20glimpse%20of%20Cornish%20Moneywort%20(Photo%20taken%20by%20Jessica%20Hamilton).JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwp_It1RL-6-xgW2qCC8Ch5sq_Awvvqjaey0DfbRum-9md3GMqXXslBcns_IRIHHm3nbQK5k6nLaMXv79g1uKa8LeZADcXjbzv8oXEbjh1V3tcbalQmSm7sDgCOjpsD65pTDrOcDTtgeN4Kr0geShPXd-ieSq6Khx6GxmfQF9qPLxFWHb7BvEQuhW7Q/s320/Clambering%20around%20to%20get%20a%20glimpse%20of%20Cornish%20Moneywort%20(Photo%20taken%20by%20Jessica%20Hamilton).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Clambering around to see <br />the Cornish Moneywort<br />Image: J. Hamilton</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We then ventured to Banna dune slack that
was awash with Marsh Orchids. Other highlights included Adder’s-tongue Fern <i>Ophioglossum vulgatum</i>, Squinancywort <i>Asperula cynanchica,</i> which is a real western species
in Ireland, and the two species of Fern-grass, <i>Catapodium marinum </i>and<i> C.
rigidum</i>). <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The final outing that took place that day
was to Torc Mountain, along the Old Kenmare Road and was led by Rory and Mary
Sheehan where participants saw a mix of woodland and oceanic bog flora,
including Brown Beak-sedge <i>Rhynchospora fusca</i>. </span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">That evening </span><a href="https://twitter.com/AnBheainin/status/1660401047045652481" style="font-family: helvetica;">I gave a talk on the Flora of North Kerry</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> which featured some nice places to botanise in North
Kerry, and it of course featured my two </span><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23botanydogs&src=typeahead_click&f=live" style="font-family: helvetica;">#BotanyDogs</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> Lilly and Ben. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Monday 22nd May </b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Although things were winding down, there
was still exploring to be done and plants to ID! <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitShmakEBM_fIe2ddlQS1PmTJoJM37vOG0xP5p1lfL3dhngBoU2FeGhn3A1iZyxy6OFxU6eTyjtHb-iC3Ed8QWSmBVm783s9ekgjSLkvy9a1tGEvl_Uzogzz_lFkR1NEVEnbDKNiG_sgvA8HrsbCjfJJgIhI-3z-5wBr-ED1PvrYfrf1UE5HhbF4YueA/s5504/Day%204.%20Poring%20over%20the%20big%20sedge%20they%20got%20in%20the%20Gap%20of%20Dunloe%20on%20Monday%20evening%20(Photo%20taken%20by%20Micheline).JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3096" data-original-width="5504" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitShmakEBM_fIe2ddlQS1PmTJoJM37vOG0xP5p1lfL3dhngBoU2FeGhn3A1iZyxy6OFxU6eTyjtHb-iC3Ed8QWSmBVm783s9ekgjSLkvy9a1tGEvl_Uzogzz_lFkR1NEVEnbDKNiG_sgvA8HrsbCjfJJgIhI-3z-5wBr-ED1PvrYfrf1UE5HhbF4YueA/s320/Day%204.%20Poring%20over%20the%20big%20sedge%20they%20got%20in%20the%20Gap%20of%20Dunloe%20on%20Monday%20evening%20(Photo%20taken%20by%20Micheline).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">After dinner, poring over a big mystery sedge!<br />Image: M. Sheehy Skeffington</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://twitter.com/MichelineShSk/status/1660777966731763715">Paul and Micheline visited Tomies Woods</a>, an
oceanic old oak woodland located on the western edge of Lough Leane where
participants got to encounter yet more characteristic Killarney woodland
assemblages, as well as the scarce Ivy-leaved Bellflower <i>Wahlenbergia
hederacea</i>. There was also an outing to Gap of Dunloe led by Jonathan Shanklin,
where Nick Stewart collected an unusual very tall sedge in the lake and
recorded Awlwort <i>Subularia aquatica</i> last seen in the Gap of Dunloe in 1910!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The montivagant Rory Hodd led a Rough Crew
outing up the Macgillycuddy Reeks where participants were treated to a range of
montane flora such as Roseroot <i>Rhodiola rosea</i>, Brittle Bladder-fern <i>Cystopteris
fragilis</i> and montane Saxifrage species such as Irish <i>Saxifraga rosacea</i> and Starry <i>S. stellaris</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-txwMm-i4VM4ECOdxteR8iqJC7HeWB7iFqSOafmpeiRAV6pqV9HomvHz8fZGLdvaaSayp4e0LIHv25C_Zctl0-bkTzFsKpbkCGzmPNzNNSeqFRpDmbn4k56Gvi9ATI7Ar1VbrIcyDAfaSD9gsbZCew_mKn_Etb1z1WCbeqfR_XljBd_4wkK48SGhJA/s2048/Rough%20Crew%20Outing%20Day%204.%20Rory%20Hodd%20with%20Rough%20Crew%20(Photo%20taken%20by%20Clare%20Heardman).jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1499" data-original-width="2048" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-txwMm-i4VM4ECOdxteR8iqJC7HeWB7iFqSOafmpeiRAV6pqV9HomvHz8fZGLdvaaSayp4e0LIHv25C_Zctl0-bkTzFsKpbkCGzmPNzNNSeqFRpDmbn4k56Gvi9ATI7Ar1VbrIcyDAfaSD9gsbZCew_mKn_Etb1z1WCbeqfR_XljBd_4wkK48SGhJA/s320/Rough%20Crew%20Outing%20Day%204.%20Rory%20Hodd%20with%20Rough%20Crew%20(Photo%20taken%20by%20Clare%20Heardman).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Rory and the Rough Crew</span><br style="font-family: times;" /><span style="font-family: times;">Image: C. Heardman</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">An outing to Muckross surrounds was led by Sean
Forde and Mary Sheehan where they <a href="https://twitter.com/AnBheainin/status/1660787519221297156">measured a veteran yew tree</a> by the Abbey and
discussed sustainable farm management, involving the famed Kerry cattle.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">To wrap things up, we all had an
enthralling few days. You really can’t beat being in the field with fellow
botanists and nature enthusiasts. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We started planning the event and the outings
back in the autumn of 2022, so it was great to see everything come to fruition
so smoothly and it more than made up for the long Zoom meetings.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">As Fiona O Neil says, “After three years of
solo or small group outings, joining the 2023 BSBI Summer Meeting reminded me
why being with a large group of botanists, and those who love plants, is such
an enriching experience.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXKW3oFDZiHs0geNU0KvlEJVTnFfm8Eoz8c0MxL4IeHQIQUyQqBLK7A0PFXi1ItDlSVRhX5fVf3eJIa9IT-Pvjjbup2omVQKkGv99Ud7kw9XxgC6vuZMTIXSvI2LI_ZftBuur6mDWtJDBwEqExE-GuWQeOCx-o6knADOfkxV7H34gHtVSL8kvNuPmz9A/s1867/Large-flowered%20Butterwort%20(Photo%20taken%20by%20Clare%20Heardman).jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1537" data-original-width="1867" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXKW3oFDZiHs0geNU0KvlEJVTnFfm8Eoz8c0MxL4IeHQIQUyQqBLK7A0PFXi1ItDlSVRhX5fVf3eJIa9IT-Pvjjbup2omVQKkGv99Ud7kw9XxgC6vuZMTIXSvI2LI_ZftBuur6mDWtJDBwEqExE-GuWQeOCx-o6knADOfkxV7H34gHtVSL8kvNuPmz9A/s320/Large-flowered%20Butterwort%20(Photo%20taken%20by%20Clare%20Heardman).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Large-flowered Butterwort seen during the <br />Summer Meeting<br />Image: C. Heardman</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Thanks to my colleagues for helping
organise the successful weekend and to all the participants who came along and
shared their incredible knowledge. We are especially grateful to the <a href="https://www.npws.ie/">National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS)</a> for providing funding and <a href="https://twitter.com/noonan_malcolm">Minister of State Malcolm Noonan TD</a> for attending and launching the event.<o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IE"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I’ll leave you with a final quote from <a href="https://twitter.com/drmgoeswild">Jonathan Mitchley (Dr M)</a> which I think perfectly summarises everyone’s feelings and
thoughts about the event:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<span lang="EN-IE" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“Each day brought new landscapes and plant
discoveries, for this visitor from relatively parched Berkshire, huge rocks and
tree trunks dripping with epiphytes including filmy ferns, mosses, liverworts
and lichens was a major botanical highlight. But perhaps even more than this,
meeting with so many botanical personalities all generous and giving of their
knowledge, experience and good humour was the ultimate highpoint, reinforcing
what I already knew, botanists are such wonderful folk, I can’t wait for the
next instalment!”</span></span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" lang="EN-IE" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><div><span lang="EN-IE" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Many thanks to Jessica for this report and to everyone who shared comments and photos, or helped organise such a fabulous event!</span></span></div></div>Louise Marsh, BSBIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853015015164789727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290723885428192841.post-80268621749409287392023-06-12T14:43:00.008+01:002023-06-12T15:27:26.850+01:00British & Irish Botany: issue 5.2 published<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0uryx7Ci-D1ypId_xvV_uaMSvPnbOPF5W0c82MBUTnLF0GWJ5zMFkNTNQNyq-lHQ2rzWzWuCma39_26dxHyC7MF_2JXIvRpXeVnTgIdBIdJT1V3OKQZTUD3Y7neSDgrGQ4ycBL3SiCeInTxNfaQRs6O1BtW1tQRu8stugoONLgBCVemSY5hedOwPzdg/s4032/Photo%2016%20Picea%20sitchensis%20Lake%20District%20Kevin%20Walker.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0uryx7Ci-D1ypId_xvV_uaMSvPnbOPF5W0c82MBUTnLF0GWJ5zMFkNTNQNyq-lHQ2rzWzWuCma39_26dxHyC7MF_2JXIvRpXeVnTgIdBIdJT1V3OKQZTUD3Y7neSDgrGQ4ycBL3SiCeInTxNfaQRs6O1BtW1tQRu8stugoONLgBCVemSY5hedOwPzdg/s320/Photo%2016%20Picea%20sitchensis%20Lake%20District%20Kevin%20Walker.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Sitka Spruce regenerating in <br />the Lake District<br />Image: K. Walker </span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We are delighted to publish the <a href="https://britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib/issue/view/19">second issue</a> of volume 5 of <i>British & Irish Botany</i>, the Botanical Society's online, Open Access scientific journal; several of the papers in this new issue have a distinctly northern/ arboreal theme!</span><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">First up, Dr Sarah Watts, Chair of the Montane Woodland Action Group, and an active member of BSBI's Committee for Scotland, has previously contributed very popular papers <a href="https://britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib/article/view/6">on Snow Pearlwort <i>Sagina nivalis</i></a> and on <a href="https://britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib/article/view/118">botanical records from the Corrour Estate</a> in Westerness, where she is Conservation Manager. Her latest paper </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib/article/view/144">'High mountain trees: altitudinal records recently broken for eleven different tree species in Britain'</a></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">reports on the findings of a recent citizen science project to document observations of trees growing above 900 metres in Britain. It makes fascinating reading for anyone interested in altitudinal ranges of British and Irish plants who has been following </span><a href="https://bsbi.org/altitudes" style="font-family: helvetica;">David Pearman's research</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> on this subject. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">One point of note is that more than half the high altitude tree records Sarah collated were of Sitka Spruce <i>Picea sitchensis,</i> whose ability to spread into upland/ moorland habitats was flagged in the recent <a href="https://bsbi.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2023/02/BSBI-Plant-Atlas-2020-summary-report-Britain-in-English-WEB.pdf">Plant Atlas 2020 summaries</a>. </span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR_J104_1bgvsY0M6oJEFeF8In6gF4yWLXop_37sn7TqKQwObU3sRmFvXplt6alRwdVpvmPfdYKgmpeKYDG_-y4UDpLtBdRPa4Th4nOf11Q535JsY6zuAit3-NJk8sikt8EvA3-WWT9V1wxRbSRQZiJY3OjRut3YEM3uLqzhSWHfmj-tiBo33yX3cHOQ/s3200/PIC%203%20or%204%20Creeping%20Lady's-tresses%20Goodyera%20repens%20in%20Aberdeenshire%20(Tristan%20Norton).jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="3200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR_J104_1bgvsY0M6oJEFeF8In6gF4yWLXop_37sn7TqKQwObU3sRmFvXplt6alRwdVpvmPfdYKgmpeKYDG_-y4UDpLtBdRPa4Th4nOf11Q535JsY6zuAit3-NJk8sikt8EvA3-WWT9V1wxRbSRQZiJY3OjRut3YEM3uLqzhSWHfmj-tiBo33yX3cHOQ/s320/PIC%203%20or%204%20Creeping%20Lady's-tresses%20Goodyera%20repens%20in%20Aberdeenshire%20(Tristan%20Norton).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Creeping Lady's-tresses on a wall<br /> in Aberdeenshire<br />Image: T. Norton</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Joshua Evans presents the results of distribution modelling to predict the <a href="https://britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib/article/view/143">current and future distribution of pine woodland specialist plants</a>, such as Creeping Lady's-tresses and One-flowered Wintergreen, in the Cairngorms National Park, and proposes the creation of habitat corridors to prevent populations of these iconic plants becoming isolated. Adrian Manning et al. consider <a href="https://britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib/article/view/149">the wild Scots Pines <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> of Kielderhead</a>, (Northumberland), summarising debates over their status and significance, and conservation efforts so far. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We move from the trees of northern places to the heathlands of the west of Ireland for a paper in which BSBI President Micheline Sheehy Skeffington and Nick Scott ask, <a href="https://britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib/article/view/148">'Were the five rare heathers of the west of Ireland introduced through human activity? An ecological, genetic, biogeographical and historical assessment'.</a> If you enjoyed Micheline's previous very popular paper for <i>British & Irish Botany</i>, on <a href="https://britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib/article/view/104">whether the Strawberry Tree <i>Arbutus unedo</i> is native to Ireland or was brought over by Bronze Age copper miners</a>, then you are going to love this one too! </span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZwPc8VUHU_Rqy_NdI4unYuS1zjbGr0NKC3PXO0OzlQPgn0L0PP67tybnUyx4Gz4bkI5sicJTzfx5wr641JV-lZX5qSilwAqipkE1xW_DYnmU2ytD_f8NvxKY9hB-pzWor2oeIYLitQ3CqnZ2IUAqstzM0QPPTApt9VPADX16lCFmTbWWoVl0__mQhA/s687/prostrate%20Equis%20var%20Phil%20Smith.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="515" data-original-width="687" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZwPc8VUHU_Rqy_NdI4unYuS1zjbGr0NKC3PXO0OzlQPgn0L0PP67tybnUyx4Gz4bkI5sicJTzfx5wr641JV-lZX5qSilwAqipkE1xW_DYnmU2ytD_f8NvxKY9hB-pzWor2oeIYLitQ3CqnZ2IUAqstzM0QPPTApt9VPADX16lCFmTbWWoVl0__mQhA/s320/prostrate%20Equis%20var%20Phil%20Smith.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">The prostrate form of Variegated Horsetail<br />Image: P. Smith</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Next we go to the Sefton Coast for Philip Smith's paper on the distribution and ecology of Variegated Horsetail <i>Equisetum variegatum</i> (a tiny thing but surprisingly colourful once you get a handlens on to it: it's green, orange, black and white!) and then we have two papers on hawkweeds: Tim Rich reports on the rediscovery of <i>Hieracium fissuricola</i>, an extinct Lake District endemic, and Jim Bevan considers the history of <i>H. tridentatum</i> and its replacement with <i>H. trichocaulon</i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The final paper is a fascinating journey back into botanical history; Chris Preston reports on C19th Cambridgeshire botanist the Reverend Richard Relhan and how his botanical recording activities were <a href="https://britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib/article/view/140">'constrained by poverty'.</a> Relhan was largely restricted to areas he could visit on foot and, like his near-contemporary <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Clare">John Clare</a>, he was affected and saddened by the enclosure and drainage of species-rich habitats in his home county. Chris's fluency, erudition and in-depth knowledge of historical botanists make his papers and talks a 'must' - check out <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG3JI0q1alw&t=521s">this video</a> of Chris's talk at the recent Cambridge launch of the <a href="https://plantatlas2020.org/">Plant Atlas</a>, where he held his audience captive with tales of the authors of previous plant distribution atlases. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We hope you enjoy <a href="https://britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib/issue/view/19">this latest issue</a> of <i>British & Irish Botany</i> and as always, <a href="mailto:bib@bsbi.org">get in touch with us</a> if you have an idea for a paper you'd like to submit; both seasoned contributors and first-time authors are equally welcome!</span></p>Louise Marsh, BSBIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853015015164789727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290723885428192841.post-89785435131565172682023-05-18T20:23:00.003+01:002023-05-18T20:24:07.765+01:00Getting started with wild flower families<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQuIXXdyZxo8Fc4KTiXw76MZLjizXDw-CF7oWs5SudmbwaCJy9cG7Y6GvwIJh9YilxDxwBiWSLU-6fvjINMOIZh56-m8-fo3g9jhqu3Qzi30tQjajh_5qFaK24nDISMo4fuBhO6fMCda5jfotSpWaE_jur3KX0Q7daKE6eWBXWmpIezBkyx4GHaIQxQA/s4032/IMG_0793.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQuIXXdyZxo8Fc4KTiXw76MZLjizXDw-CF7oWs5SudmbwaCJy9cG7Y6GvwIJh9YilxDxwBiWSLU-6fvjINMOIZh56-m8-fo3g9jhqu3Qzi30tQjajh_5qFaK24nDISMo4fuBhO6fMCda5jfotSpWaE_jur3KX0Q7daKE6eWBXWmpIezBkyx4GHaIQxQA/s320/IMG_0793.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Attendees at one of Faith Anstey's <br />wildflower ID workshops</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">When you are <a href="https://bsbi.org/get-involved">starting out</a> with <a href="https://bsbi.org/plant-id-getting-started">wildflower identification</a>, knowing which family your plant belongs to can save you a huge amount of time. Working through an ID book from the very beginning can be both time-consuming and daunting - so many new botanical terms to learn! </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Life is much easier if you can go straight to the right family and start keying out from there. But how can you be sure that you've identified the right family?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">To solve this problem, BSBI has teamed up with Plantlife Scotland to provide two 'Identifying Wild Flower Families' workshops this summer, the first <a href="https://www.tickettailor.com/events/botanicalsocietyofbritainireland/871579?">in Edinburgh in June </a>and a second <a href="https://www.tickettailor.com/events/botanicalsocietyofbritainireland/871583?">in Strathspey in July</a>. Each workshop costs only £20 for BSBI members and full-time students (£40 for non-students and non-members) and included in the price are two essential pieces of kit: a handlens to help you see those essential plant characters; and a copy of <a href="https://www.wildflowerstudy.co.uk/product-page/copy-of-pocket-guide-to-wildflower-families">Faith Anstey's </a></span><i style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.wildflowerstudy.co.uk/product-page/copy-of-pocket-guide-to-wildflower-families">Pocket Guide to Wildflower Families</a></i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.wildflowerstudy.co.uk/product-page/copy-of-pocket-guide-to-wildflower-families">.</a> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1gRXcNhBRKeHh-HDZ3Eh9FxG0_aQpavPWK5agVNcZogqO-XUTMfTQ6RCDc4h7XE0ScI0WTXzmUkbSBYKXXQRviGTDT68NyCFXTJxIpzYjYbgsFIMmRH8a6W5apmBydmREHmoVI9Qzly_7mxD7WyNnrEX2W26LfeLb4ax8FTDM29_BpfL25kYZe2bIg/s552/PGWFfront%20cover.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="552" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1gRXcNhBRKeHh-HDZ3Eh9FxG0_aQpavPWK5agVNcZogqO-XUTMfTQ6RCDc4h7XE0ScI0WTXzmUkbSBYKXXQRviGTDT68NyCFXTJxIpzYjYbgsFIMmRH8a6W5apmBydmREHmoVI9Qzly_7mxD7WyNnrEX2W26LfeLb4ax8FTDM29_BpfL25kYZe2bIg/s320/PGWFfront%20cover.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Faith has a <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2016/02/botanical-training-opportunities-in.html">proven track record</a> in running very popular wild flower family workshops for BSBI. As she says: "Identifying wild flowers is as easy as FFF – Finding the
Family First. In our workshops, expert tutors give you hands-on ID experience
in small groups. Learn what points to look for, conquer your fear of keys and
follow a flowchart to 50 wildflower families – as many as 500 different species
will soon be at your fingertips".</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">To book for one of these workshops, please visit the <a href="https://www.tickettailor.com/events/botanicalsocietyofbritainireland">BSBI Ticket Tailor page</a> - there are still some spaces left but hurry to be sure of a place, and learn to identify wild flower families with confidence!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6w--rJHc7yZUGPpMggwtBjFvshJ5xJMmoWiXJou2UNehZ2MVoIkwORVNoAmP264XPhP4Ewnzoic3EeEKpTU64JaUV5QQmiI-jgigEYLqpDjQLK6XTdz-5Su4vqJYA8u_3g3Y-c7MHopADIH7zWGoGKb6rVSJ6YFfgVerumcDZFM7bmVezVrmis3Li6A/s2048/FvIbdUEX0AE4p8B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6w--rJHc7yZUGPpMggwtBjFvshJ5xJMmoWiXJou2UNehZ2MVoIkwORVNoAmP264XPhP4Ewnzoic3EeEKpTU64JaUV5QQmiI-jgigEYLqpDjQLK6XTdz-5Su4vqJYA8u_3g3Y-c7MHopADIH7zWGoGKb6rVSJ6YFfgVerumcDZFM7bmVezVrmis3Li6A/w453-h640/FvIbdUEX0AE4p8B.jpg" width="453" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Louise Marsh, BSBIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853015015164789727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290723885428192841.post-52718470077041178412023-05-15T16:21:00.003+01:002023-05-15T16:23:49.538+01:00Invasives Week: Plants of Concern<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqtJWcjZtGpK6QyF-5AKaUIdRskdB_Flj47ccoYXvXK8RV-_JHJ9pqz0h_zI26lJXYjTliMf9LrIGO6fUqcFeBLZnRG80AAPQwCDluDvV56Mmqddgpmc6UO0WMlEy1YmMcRrx6urmyJAf-5KzQ78FI8KzVf3v_gJHydz5f6KdatR7sjG-Fju1R_WZA9Q/s3264/Photo%2035%20Skunk%20Cabbage%20Oak%20Beck%20Kevin%20Walker.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqtJWcjZtGpK6QyF-5AKaUIdRskdB_Flj47ccoYXvXK8RV-_JHJ9pqz0h_zI26lJXYjTliMf9LrIGO6fUqcFeBLZnRG80AAPQwCDluDvV56Mmqddgpmc6UO0WMlEy1YmMcRrx6urmyJAf-5KzQ78FI8KzVf3v_gJHydz5f6KdatR7sjG-Fju1R_WZA9Q/s320/Photo%2035%20Skunk%20Cabbage%20Oak%20Beck%20Kevin%20Walker.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><a href="https://plantatlas2020.org/atlas/2cd4p9h.pex">American Skunk-cabbage</a>: <br />this invasive non-native is on the increase<br />Image: K. Walker</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Every year, organisations across Britain and Ireland come together to raise awareness of the impacts of invasive non-native species, and the simple things we can all do to help protect the environment. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This year's Invasive Species Week runs from 15th to 21st May, and here are three ways that you can get involved.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">1. Book for <a href="https://allevents.in/online/invasive-species-week-webinar-bsbi-plant-atlas/10000617625473417?ref=eventlist-new-online&aff=u1gjbz">this talk</a> by Dr Oli Pescott from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, about some of the non-native plants recorded for the recently-published <a href="https://bsbi.org/plant-atlas-2020">BSBI Plant Atlas</a>. Did you know that of the 3,495 species recorded, only 1,692 were native to Britain & Ireland? So for the first time, we have more non-native than native species on these islands! If you want to check if a plant is native or not, just look it up on our <a href="https://plantatlas2020.org/">Plant Atlas website</a>, where you will also be able to find out if the plant is on the increase or in decline (and the reasons why). Also check out the Atlas summaries (free to download by following the links on <a href="https://bsbi.org/plant-atlas-2020">this page</a>) to read about how our flora is changing and which species are very much on the increase.</span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_LIKiZEuB0PRh5_ja8BZ621HcLW2H38nqqVvTwciV8rJ_4SkFmTlVhJLUMsWh1Ro5VIsi5G16qg4ZEwAMhIX47JK1iDxFWzrrfuTZAavhxTtV2PviwCtLulqylXSSDrqBYH_U5P4Fl_O1LaJR-8QNAkYY_PYY7v9Einp04H_XtPDdWi1UhFcAxqiLMA/s320/Hydro%20ran.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="320" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_LIKiZEuB0PRh5_ja8BZ621HcLW2H38nqqVvTwciV8rJ_4SkFmTlVhJLUMsWh1Ro5VIsi5G16qg4ZEwAMhIX47JK1iDxFWzrrfuTZAavhxTtV2PviwCtLulqylXSSDrqBYH_U5P4Fl_O1LaJR-8QNAkYY_PYY7v9Einp04H_XtPDdWi1UhFcAxqiLMA/s1600/Hydro%20ran.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><a href="https://plantatlas2020.org/atlas/2cd4p9h.hh5">Floating pennywort</a>:<br />clogs up waterways; a huge amount of money<br />is spent trying to eradicate this invasive non-native<br />Image: Crown copyright 2009 </span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">2. While some non-native species are invasive, the majority are benign and many of those non-natives are actually important for pollinators and other wildlife; some of our native species can also prove invasive - there isn't a clear-cut message of 'native good, alien bad'. That's why resources like Plant Atlas 2020 are so important, helping us all to drill down and find out more. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But for next Sunday's <a href="https://twitter.com/wildflower_hour">Wild Flower Hour</a> on social media, the focus is very much on those non-natives that are proving problematic. Why not <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23WildflowerHour&src=hashtag_click&f=live">join us</a> at 8pm on Sunday 21st May, to see images of those problem plants? And keep an eye on the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23INNSweek&src=typeahead_click&f=live">#INNSweek</a> hashtag for more info.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">3. Check out this <a href="https://www.nonnativespecies.org/what-can-i-do/invasive-species-week/">'What Can I Do' page</a> for lots of helpful info about invasive non-native species: what they are, how they are spread, and what action is being taken to reduce their impacts. You'll also find lots of tips on how we can all make sure that we don't inadvertently contribute to the spread of invasive plants. By following the 'Five Simple Things I Can Do', we can all make sure that we are part of the solution rather than part of the problem!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6OB2pJEzFe-dtbc-nhEBdkyPlXSOZJglsFSlC86zLOD_Sa96Bgmz9JGKHOZaaEgY_sK0PJlywy5mRLRbS9MCzNwM681UFp5xCapBYsq_jyCfPGVVFkBjALe2psPskwL_qmiOZbWVYob3_z11DMB0t_OAE4I6fYaqg5i0ExHK5e36z_n7P870LjCy_Q/s2475/ISW%20square.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="2475" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6OB2pJEzFe-dtbc-nhEBdkyPlXSOZJglsFSlC86zLOD_Sa96Bgmz9JGKHOZaaEgY_sK0PJlywy5mRLRbS9MCzNwM681UFp5xCapBYsq_jyCfPGVVFkBjALe2psPskwL_qmiOZbWVYob3_z11DMB0t_OAE4I6fYaqg5i0ExHK5e36z_n7P870LjCy_Q/w400-h400/ISW%20square.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p></p>Louise Marsh, BSBIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853015015164789727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290723885428192841.post-22055806037355011332023-02-14T15:20:00.007+00:002023-02-14T15:56:47.133+00:00British & Irish Botany: issue 5.1 published<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjAeMLv2Qm40U67KLqTn975jxpFs7Tf-ZcFUIqb_OacJ7IHR9R5SM2ErCITO4Y9CcihkE_Cu2GeFS-4r84a5MtYVn_Gn7MdzRq4PU581C6b9-IYTtq2sxVyQuxzaPsRAc8bg5PzoeBrjl0W2Cxu1NQNzurWlKp3HBe5U3dP5dRCYhr0N-vUnlGxT8aA/s1242/Eric%20g%20&%20Dipsa%20lac.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1242" data-original-width="932" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjAeMLv2Qm40U67KLqTn975jxpFs7Tf-ZcFUIqb_OacJ7IHR9R5SM2ErCITO4Y9CcihkE_Cu2GeFS-4r84a5MtYVn_Gn7MdzRq4PU581C6b9-IYTtq2sxVyQuxzaPsRAc8bg5PzoeBrjl0W2Cxu1NQNzurWlKp3HBe5U3dP5dRCYhr0N-vUnlGxT8aA/s320/Eric%20g%20&%20Dipsa%20lac.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Eric Greenwood recording<br /><i>Dipsacus laciniatus</i> at Bidston Marsh<br />on the Wirral Peninsula<br />Image: B. D. Greenwood</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We've just published the <a href="https://britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib/issue/view/18">first issue of volume 5 </a>of <i><a href="https://britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib/index">British & Irish Botany</a></i>, our Open Access online scientific journal: <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2022/09/british-irish-botany-issue-42-published.html">another varied feast</a> of contributions, encompassing vegetation dynamics, dispersal ecology, botanical history, ethnobotany and systematics.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The latest issue kicks off with two papers about the plants of particular habitats. First, the late Michael Prosser </span><i style="font-family: helvetica;">et al.</i><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> discuss how phytosociology informs the conservation of species-rich meadows in hydrologically dynamic habitats, and how an example from British floodplains could help inform the debate around this subject in a wider European context. Following Michael's death, the paper has been completed by Michael's co-authors, Hilary Wallace and David Gowing, and is published as a tribute to one of Britain's most assiduous and most able phytosociologists.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Then we have a final paper from the late Eric Greenwood, who sadly died late last year, having just submitted his comprehensive analysis of changes to the coastal flora of the Wirral peninsula on Merseyside. Eric's wife Barbara worked with us to bring this paper to publication and we extend to her our thanks and our condolences. Eric had been an active BSBI member for 59 years and was made an Honorary Member in recognition of his many years of service to the Society. His obituary will be published in a future issue of <i><a href="https://bsbi.org/bsbi-news">BSBI News</a></i> and on our <a href="https://bsbi.org/obituaries">obituaries webpage</a>. </span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-family: times; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcbuEfLoAmxxZo_gk7Gn0xraeqGjQNjaMeXzoe7kKXGdg7jXoT49eaoP3HFwR-p8DYv9YByRulZ2qTXo0_tYWq1mr-b7eTswNp_XRt_hRn78dt5xwYgLoUqJs6wobbzC0L_XBXkm0N-XeUskWNdJneIx_J8pNuNdvwiDrMJyx90IT8k4wWz0wB33mMwg/s1944/skilbeck%20C.%20debauxii%20fig%201.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="1913" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcbuEfLoAmxxZo_gk7Gn0xraeqGjQNjaMeXzoe7kKXGdg7jXoT49eaoP3HFwR-p8DYv9YByRulZ2qTXo0_tYWq1mr-b7eTswNp_XRt_hRn78dt5xwYgLoUqJs6wobbzC0L_XBXkm0N-XeUskWNdJneIx_J8pNuNdvwiDrMJyx90IT8k4wWz0wB33mMwg/s320/skilbeck%20C.%20debauxii%20fig%201.png" width="315" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Centaurea debauxii</i><br />Image: C. Skilbeck</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Our next two papers focus on seeds and their dispersal: the first record from a NW European shore of the seed of the pan-tropical Yellow Water Pea; and a discussion on achene dispersal in British and Irish Knapweeds <i>Centaurea</i>.</span><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>British & Irish Botany</i> also publishes papers on subjects such as historical botany and uses of plants by humans, and we have two examples for you in this latest issue: Chris Preston and David Pearman discuss C17th botanist Edward Lhwyd and the plants listed from Glamorgan in Camden's 'Britannia', while Michael Braithwaite considers whether the distribution patterns of plants used by humans as food can provide us with any clues as to whether those plants are <a href="https://bsbi.org/definitions-wild-native-or-alien">native or introduced</a>? </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Find out more about the subjects covered in the journal on </span><a href="https://britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib/about" style="font-family: helvetica;">this page</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">. </span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2fY_QTlMCK3i6lr0P-2ux1i8S374lSvjpLI7UYp7sVfTvJ2TMhDF8K6-2ohY3q9WrRg_CfDa-a95Bxe5ttMmT7PSNpaI4w1XUdWx63CByCVSpeXfLAveh0cDsWJ_BYZV1wYSPHFcfq8P6zs7NGAlcc1ULiKEUkC1bNnyoYOSCYamdPijXNOgluooPQ/s672/Epipactis%20helleborine,%20Gosforth%20Park,%20Northumberland,%20showing%20strong%20purple%20discoloration%20to%20the%20pedicel.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="672" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2fY_QTlMCK3i6lr0P-2ux1i8S374lSvjpLI7UYp7sVfTvJ2TMhDF8K6-2ohY3q9WrRg_CfDa-a95Bxe5ttMmT7PSNpaI4w1XUdWx63CByCVSpeXfLAveh0cDsWJ_BYZV1wYSPHFcfq8P6zs7NGAlcc1ULiKEUkC1bNnyoYOSCYamdPijXNOgluooPQ/s320/Epipactis%20helleborine,%20Gosforth%20Park,%20Northumberland,%20showing%20strong%20purple%20discoloration%20to%20the%20pedicel.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Broad-leaved Helleborine <br />recorded in Northumberland; <br />note the purple discolouration to the pedicel<br />Image: J. Richards</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We close this issue with a paper proposing a botanical name for a well-known <i>Hylotelephium (Sedum) </i>and a note postulating that pedicel colour does not separate Dune Helleborine from Lindisfarne Helleborine. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We hope that all our readers will find something of interest in this latest issue and would encourage submissions; here are the <a href="https://britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib/about/submissions">submission guidelines </a>and if you are unsure whether or not your manuscript meets our criteria, you can always contact the Editorial Team at <a href="mailto:bib@bsbi.org">bib@bsbi.org</a> for an informal chat. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Meanwhile, we hope that you enjoy reading <a href="https://britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib/issue/view/18"><i>British & Irish Botany</i> 5.1</a>.</span></p>Louise Marsh, BSBIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853015015164789727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290723885428192841.post-32089551715185328392023-02-13T23:56:00.007+00:002023-02-14T00:28:57.300+00:00Interview with Matt Harding, BSBI Scotland Officer<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCRJ-grY2trqyDtGzfvD54wATMSQ74a9xWKlLpx_73Cx_VAjHVI6vBxLJzMpMUL5BlLOVwQZKL3cpOFBVdTQ8z0r6C1B6fhKr8GapYkpthL2RdCdsdq84Jysj16DNgAiot87OqFZ8_JIM-gbGPbr0DOxM0BMTNeB6nNFRZNpIz8u0xGVKSo6ga9Ya9Rg/s2072/Lees%20Hill,%20Stirling%202022.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2023" data-original-width="2072" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCRJ-grY2trqyDtGzfvD54wATMSQ74a9xWKlLpx_73Cx_VAjHVI6vBxLJzMpMUL5BlLOVwQZKL3cpOFBVdTQ8z0r6C1B6fhKr8GapYkpthL2RdCdsdq84Jysj16DNgAiot87OqFZ8_JIM-gbGPbr0DOxM0BMTNeB6nNFRZNpIz8u0xGVKSo6ga9Ya9Rg/s320/Lees%20Hill,%20Stirling%202022.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Matt at Lees Hill, Stirling<br />Image courtesy of M. Harding</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In December Jim McIntosh, BSBI’s long-standing <a href="https://bsbi.org/scotland">Scotland</a> Officer, retired and the hunt was on to find a replacement. Those were very big
shoes to fill but after a long and rigorous interview process, we appointed Matt
Harding to join BSBI's small <a href="https://bsbi.org/whos-who">staff team</a>. Matt has hit the ground running, but I managed to catch up
with him recently for this interview:</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">LM: So Matt, welcome to the BSBI staff team! Some readers
will already know your name as BSBI’s joint </span><a href="https://bsbi.org/local-botany" style="font-family: helvetica;">County Recorder</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> for </span><a href="https://bsbi.org/stirlingshire" style="font-family: helvetica;">Stirlingshire</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">.
When did you join Philip Sansum in that role?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">MH: I joined Phil as joint County Recorder for
Stirlingshire in 2018. I began recording regularly in Stirlingshire for the
<a href="https://bsbi.org/atlas-2020">Atlas 2020 project</a> and was blown away by how much botanical exploring there was
still to do, even in a relatively accessible vice-county. Perhaps botanists
have tended to drive through Stirlingshire, drawn by the montane delights of
Ben Lawers and other famous botanical hotspots to the north!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTINClj00aPzBcTHjxCR56KIV7KhjHwLXPbRWQFsJ8vV-tuprcvqWBsCCU7J81LyVE0eGhhoFtpgHS39NktmsYKH3m-4b4fev2c-j7B60FZSHs-EATymLCzkDExD1s8sCHFsD4TEHIdZwQuHq52uJ45jr91VMQoMPjAbMs29PjlCnxDLaqOWdS-rWjiw/s4608/Ullapool%20BSBI%20meet%202014.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTINClj00aPzBcTHjxCR56KIV7KhjHwLXPbRWQFsJ8vV-tuprcvqWBsCCU7J81LyVE0eGhhoFtpgHS39NktmsYKH3m-4b4fev2c-j7B60FZSHs-EATymLCzkDExD1s8sCHFsD4TEHIdZwQuHq52uJ45jr91VMQoMPjAbMs29PjlCnxDLaqOWdS-rWjiw/s320/Ullapool%20BSBI%20meet%202014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Matt at a BSBI field meeting in Ullapool, 2014<br />Image courtesy of M. Harding</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Becoming a joint County Recorder, using the <a href="https://database.bsbi.org/index.php?">BSBI Distribution Database</a> to
help target my recording, and working on the <a href="https://bsbi.org/atlas-2020">Plant Atlas 2020</a> project was a great
journey in itself. Since 2020, I’ve begun work on the first <a href="https://bsbi.org/rare-plant-registers">Rare Plant Register</a>
for the vice-county, which has been a fantastic way to get to know the area
better, and has turned up all kinds of exciting local records and new species. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I’ve also started a local botany group, sharing a seasonal newsletter summing
up recording activities to our <a href="https://bsbi.org/stirlingshire">BSBI
Stirlingshire</a> webpage, and am hoping to get a programme of regular meets up
and running in 2023.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">LM: Sounds like you're really getting to grips with the plants of your vice-county - a perfect grounding for a Country Officer! So could you tell us a bit about yourself, Matt? When did
you first get interested in botany/ ecology? </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrEZS7hkckvBbyz21aw1qmSNsN-VpkPta1Rp30VhgSjnp2SJ-CwEkdndgIRxm_dMTOGi7BXyxWd1AGKnz3d5vu82SixV8x11M-1j6xrRgaaJsfMUDG86sbyTfMtysoC_d4H3C1yfeSk5cWJve9WnV1EQP8gxOikt9cch_Tl6MB-bMZYcvekDSljkScw/s4608/Lizard%20Orchids%20on%20Jersey%202015.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrEZS7hkckvBbyz21aw1qmSNsN-VpkPta1Rp30VhgSjnp2SJ-CwEkdndgIRxm_dMTOGi7BXyxWd1AGKnz3d5vu82SixV8x11M-1j6xrRgaaJsfMUDG86sbyTfMtysoC_d4H3C1yfeSk5cWJve9WnV1EQP8gxOikt9cch_Tl6MB-bMZYcvekDSljkScw/s320/Lizard%20Orchids%20on%20Jersey%202015.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Matt and Lizard Orchids on Jersey<br />Image courtesy of M. Harding</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">MH: With a dad who was a keen hillwalker and fell-runner,
and a mum who was a biology teacher and amateur botanist since her teenage
years, I was always going to be a keen naturalist! I graduated from a childhood
love of dinosaurs to a passion for birding, which my poor parents supported
despite pre-dawn starts and the dreaded LBJs (little brown jobs) – not without
some justified grumbling, at least in my dad’s case! We spent many of our
holidays in Scotland, where all our interests intersected with mountains, birds
and flora galore. One of my earliest botanical memories is lying in a bog
somewhere near Achiltibuie looking at sundews with my mum.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">LM: Ooh that sounds fabulous! So what happened as you grew up, and kept developing your interest in the natural world and building up your skills? </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">MH: After university I worked for the RSPB on short-term survey contracts for a few years, did a Masters in Environmental Philosophy and trained as a secondary school science teacher. In 2011 I moved to Scotland to join a renewable energy consultancy and became an ecological consultant, and this gave me the opportunity to develop my botanical skills. After a few years I set up as an independent ecologist, and have been traipsing around Scotland for the last eight years doing habitat surveys, hunting for mammal poo and sitting on hillsides in all weathers watching birds (or not, as the case may be).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2WgOfjEJRzbFz_fqNVKB6voQXAUYsbJtej8NevuWu-rEe9pLg24fmQGU0nExnACiIN_h7BoDJ7xD38MTDRkwO4jK5UIvy6XKJjFKgufZaPXssK0NINNJDcXWCjVOcSfquiAlxAvOSR8tPAM6W4p-gfhueY04npKbPEDwuKf-54NgJVKzRzUaLv7iHg/s5184/Cetacean%20surveying2%202013%20on%20HWDT%20survey%20vessel%20Silurian.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2WgOfjEJRzbFz_fqNVKB6voQXAUYsbJtej8NevuWu-rEe9pLg24fmQGU0nExnACiIN_h7BoDJ7xD38MTDRkwO4jK5UIvy6XKJjFKgufZaPXssK0NINNJDcXWCjVOcSfquiAlxAvOSR8tPAM6W4p-gfhueY04npKbPEDwuKf-54NgJVKzRzUaLv7iHg/s320/Cetacean%20surveying2%202013%20on%20HWDT%20survey%20vessel%20Silurian.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Matt and members of the HWDT survey team,<br />cetacean surveying in the Hebrides<br />Image courtesy of the Hebridean Whale &<br />Dolphin Trust</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">LM: I bet you spotted some great plants while you were hunting for poo and looking out for birds, and not just in Scotland: I gather that you love climbing, mountaineering and
trekking in fabulous places such as Greenland and the Canadian Rockies, as well
as in Scotland’s mountain ranges? You must have seen some amazing plants and other wildlife
in your travels?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">MH: Yes, mountaineering has taken me to some terrific places and given me some wonderful experiences. Although I must confess that I’ve not always been on the lookout for plants at the same time, being a bit preoccupied with clinging on! One trip that really stands out was an expedition to East Greenland – landing on a glacier in a ski-plane, digging tents out in a four-day snowstorm, going to the loo on skis… </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjstl-GF2RvLzuK8CLpO5q3iylTwB7hPObvCpuZAEpgzbu419raldwCOCVDA2ag-04uqrlw6t09gt0rCsW7pz3GKMGmXQt8Nxljp-QF6gNVWuqshm3YV5hir1qJi3zcemp8Xq39GU65CsF-w7ULxb3LUxUdHllUhwhGjE_uFaUv89TUoPvmo0TGL74IWw/s4000/Aonach%20Eagach%20ridge%20traverse%202013.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjstl-GF2RvLzuK8CLpO5q3iylTwB7hPObvCpuZAEpgzbu419raldwCOCVDA2ag-04uqrlw6t09gt0rCsW7pz3GKMGmXQt8Nxljp-QF6gNVWuqshm3YV5hir1qJi3zcemp8Xq39GU65CsF-w7ULxb3LUxUdHllUhwhGjE_uFaUv89TUoPvmo0TGL74IWw/s320/Aonach%20Eagach%20ridge%20traverse%202013.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Top of the world Matt? <br />Aonach Eagach Ridge Traverse, 2013<br />Image: Steve Sharland</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I was there for nearly a month and recall seeing three species – a magical moment when several Ivory Gulls appeared from nowhere to check out our camp, a small unidentified passerine flitting around a cliff face (those LBJs again), and one lichen. Not the most productive trip from a botanical perspective!</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">LM: Hmm, so far we've had mammal poo, trips to the loo and lots of birds... but what about the plants Matt?!</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">MH: Perhaps unsurprisingly, I’m particularly keen on montane
flora, and really enjoy searching out plants in the Scottish mountains. After
getting very excited about seeing </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Tufted Saxifrage</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <i>Saxifraga cespitosa</i> on the
North Face of Ben Nevis, I was amused to find it growing in pavement cracks in
north-west Iceland, with </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://bsbi.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/Bartsia_alpina_species_account.pdf">Alpine Bartsia</a></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://bsbi.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/Bartsia_alpina_species_account.pdf"> <i>Bartsia alpina </i></a>also at road level
there!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZHd3aem4fG0F0CLHmSZnCtqMqbj8k8uVz5sZJtUMTTqysNYf_QuW-w49RtMFrL428MF2ZhKVnLfENLpe3p6km763wvkXrfJENnaOWS96_aogGrC0GokhxixdLBw1FFET7zekOODrnbB2rEVDHBX43VKuXei1CR1BcBD4c0Er4DGAEA3mu9yWyljKrA/s3264/Debating%20the%20wisdom%20of%20climbing%20The%20Chasm,%20Glencoe%202010.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZHd3aem4fG0F0CLHmSZnCtqMqbj8k8uVz5sZJtUMTTqysNYf_QuW-w49RtMFrL428MF2ZhKVnLfENLpe3p6km763wvkXrfJENnaOWS96_aogGrC0GokhxixdLBw1FFET7zekOODrnbB2rEVDHBX43VKuXei1CR1BcBD4c0Er4DGAEA3mu9yWyljKrA/s320/Debating%20the%20wisdom%20of%20climbing%20The%20Chasm,%20Glencoe%202010.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Matt debates the wisdon of climbing <br />The Chasm, Glencoe<br />Image: Tim Elsom</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">LM: I think that finding plants that are rare, or restricted to certain habitats, in one region, but behave quite differently in another, is one of the delights of field botany, as many participants in <a href="https://bsbi.org/field-meetings-and-indoor-events">BSBI field meetings</a> across Britain and Ireland have discovered! And those Ben Nevis plants are quite something, as <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2021/08/plant-hunting-on-ben-nevis-with-bsbi.html">your predecessor Jim reported in 2021</a>. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">MH: My partner Liz is also a keen traveller, although generally
drawn to warmer climates than I! Some of our standout moments include seeing baobabs
and the spiny forests in Madagascar (complete with lemurs and incredible
birds), exploring the fynbos around Table Mountain in South Africa, coming
face-to-face with an Ethiopian Wolf in the remarkable Afroalpine landscape in
Ethiopia, and being dazzled by hummingbirds in Costa Rica. But nothing comes
close to re-finding </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Great Lettuce</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <i>Lactuca virosa</i> in Stirlingshire after 125
years (obviously).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaqgFUd0w_rZOHC2-pwEiNFw1A2EbWjSt1mD9x-PIeHesszZKfVhh-AuhPQQxtioSCmQV59VL6dvZ8V8-hIJf3dHpPsP-s7JErblMPNBYpnju7_xdjWLsAGFlGYUxeaG_XPruDEbOindnP5x3cDWoj97ufGS8jn_m4y3ugGoZe4KSowZFJz0HuX6GMfQ/s4608/Baobabs%20in%20Madagascar%202014.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaqgFUd0w_rZOHC2-pwEiNFw1A2EbWjSt1mD9x-PIeHesszZKfVhh-AuhPQQxtioSCmQV59VL6dvZ8V8-hIJf3dHpPsP-s7JErblMPNBYpnju7_xdjWLsAGFlGYUxeaG_XPruDEbOindnP5x3cDWoj97ufGS8jn_m4y3ugGoZe4KSowZFJz0HuX6GMfQ/s320/Baobabs%20in%20Madagascar%202014.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Baobabs in Madagascar, 2014<br />Image courtsey of M. Harding</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">LM: Ah, now you're talking! Great Lettuce may not raise many eyebrows if you're based in eastern England, as <a href="https://bsbi.org/maps?taxonid=2cd4p9h.8rd">this BSBI distribution map shows</a>, but to anybody in Wales, Ireland or much of Scotland, coming face-to-face with Great Lettuce would be very exciting! And arguably less scary than an Ethiopian Wolf... <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">What were you doing immediately before you joined
us, Matt?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">MH: I was working on a range of projects across Scotland, including native woodland creation schemes and renewable energy developments, doing ecological surveys. However, after eleven years the appeal of getting up at 2am and traipsing around looking for Black Grouse every spring was on the wane, and since becoming a dad long stints away from home were starting to be less attractive. I spent a couple of brilliant days with the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s </span><a href="https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/our-work/our-projects/living-landscapes/cumbernauld-living-landscape/" style="font-family: helvetica;">Cumbernauld Living Landscapes Project</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">, leading botanical walks for their terrific volunteer group, and began to wonder whether there was a job out there that combined botanical recording, engaging with other people who were passionate about the natural world around them, and helping to train the next generation of naturalists. And just then, Jim announced his impending retirement…</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">LM: So, perfect timing and a perfect opportunity for you to transfer the skills and
experience you’ve built up as an ecologist to your new role at BSBI. What are
your priorities for the next few months?</span></p>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqyzpHO_drV5V4bBv8iHkyKHDnYbc_b3RhYAsAxzwnnq2syxu04sivM4vLC6E1HRvOyhFmR9XFzqHqaxbmdBHByLbg1S7MASp980hYcvymWbCBr49H_uhs08iQn-k4IJj24LGe6aBl9m54sVi1Nbr8RTtCZwbkCl1NhmQtU4QxT0sJe-UqpOxjT6L9xw/s4608/Suboptimal%20birding%20conditions%202014.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqyzpHO_drV5V4bBv8iHkyKHDnYbc_b3RhYAsAxzwnnq2syxu04sivM4vLC6E1HRvOyhFmR9XFzqHqaxbmdBHByLbg1S7MASp980hYcvymWbCBr49H_uhs08iQn-k4IJj24LGe6aBl9m54sVi1Nbr8RTtCZwbkCl1NhmQtU4QxT0sJe-UqpOxjT6L9xw/s320/Suboptimal%20birding%20conditions%202014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Enduring sub-optimal birding conditions<br />Image courtsey of M. Harding</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">MH: Firstly, getting to know the amazing network of volunteers
we have here in <a href="https://bsbi.org/scotland">Scotland</a>! One of the few positives to come out of the national
lockdown was that we are all so much better at meeting up with each other
virtually, and it would be great to use the technology to chat to as many County Recorders as possible over the next few months, to find out more
about their vice-counties and the brilliant work they do.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Secondly, the Atlas! After so much effort over so many
years, I’m sure that everyone is just as excited as I am to finally see the
result of this phenomenal project. The main <a href="https://bsbi.org/atlas-2020">Plant Atlas 2020</a> launch event will
be online on 8th March, but we will be holding a face-to-face Scotland launch
event on the evening of 9th March at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, to
promote the Atlas to policy-makers and journalists and to make sure they understand about the huge contribution of all our members and supporters who worked so hard to
bring this remarkable project to fruition. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJDN05mZPRuoiRgy1NDFaWEEdSmLwilP2nmEUPGppjbgWbxoGBBp8qOjfGhyvLj4WERbWwz5pn7VwZ35znlCjvFjG9SYXP4jTeisHXsKbDdgS-2OkiRGaK-ghyrOyvbuUs202e_2CuVkgZY0r5N44gCp17FNh8wrjRqCDo-XvHclJW6OJXZV2aSKWpA/s4032/Maidenhair%20Fern%20Cotehele%20SW%20England%202019.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJDN05mZPRuoiRgy1NDFaWEEdSmLwilP2nmEUPGppjbgWbxoGBBp8qOjfGhyvLj4WERbWwz5pn7VwZ35znlCjvFjG9SYXP4jTeisHXsKbDdgS-2OkiRGaK-ghyrOyvbuUs202e_2CuVkgZY0r5N44gCp17FNh8wrjRqCDo-XvHclJW6OJXZV2aSKWpA/s320/Maidenhair%20Fern%20Cotehele%20SW%20England%202019.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Matt and the Maidenhair Ferns,<br />southern England, 2019<br />Image courtesy of M. Harding</span><br /> </td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">LM: Yes, that is absolutely key in all our promotions around the Atlas, flagging the thousands of recorders who went out in all weathers to collect the millions of records that fed into the Atlas. Without them, there would be no Atlas to promote! A</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">fter the Atlas is well and truly launched, what will your next focus be?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">MH: 2023 will be the third and final year of the <a href="https://bsbi.org/scottish-hectad-rare-plant-project">Scotland HectAd Rare Plants Project (SHARPP for short)</a>, and another priority for me will be encouraging
recorders to search out populations of these special and threatened species
that managed to slip through the net of Atlas 2020 recording. I caught the
SHARPP bug last year when hunting down old Stirlingshire records, and a trip up
Ben Lomond had me punching the air when I spotted a population of </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Hoary Whitlowgrass</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <i>Draba incana</i> tucked away in a deep cleft, last recorded in 1968!
Inevitably some searches end in disappointment, but one of the strengths of the
project is that null recording is built in. In some ways it is as important to
know that a rare plant population has been lost as it is to re-find it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">LM: I couldn't agree more! And I know you are also passionate about botanical training and have worked with <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2021/06/online-course-to-learn-plant-family-id.html">the amazing Faith Anstey on her plant family ID courses</a>, so is that something you plan
to do more of?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">MH: Absolutely! The Scottish <a href="https://bsbi.org/field-meetings-and-indoor-events">field meetings programme</a> is
looking great for 2023 – we are truly fortunate to have so many botanists willing
to reach out and share their knowledge and experience with others. I’ve joined
Faith on some of her <a href="https://bsbi.org/training-courses">plant ID courses</a> as a tutor in the past, and hope to again, and
I know just what great work she and the other members of the BSBI Scotland Outreach
Committee do to support and train people taking the <a href="https://bsbi.org/get-involved">first/next steps</a> in their
botanical careers. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXDS3GjZD-NQ7D0kttA0b5H_sTdzAypw68Q8jMXIg7v_3WJNFCSO3-3KK8AQEdSNr3bA3d-0JledWprA65_pvHdWIKUkScvJ3qVqrVqzByOe5FaeZ4vl2zSEoV_K_d3H-FyOHmLL2HM3fqWEKrvXaWa7llXHTQrKw7RzB0PHHqZ5s2ynIa6jyod-ptUg/s4608/BSBI%20Stirlingshire%20Saltmarsh%20team%2007082022.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXDS3GjZD-NQ7D0kttA0b5H_sTdzAypw68Q8jMXIg7v_3WJNFCSO3-3KK8AQEdSNr3bA3d-0JledWprA65_pvHdWIKUkScvJ3qVqrVqzByOe5FaeZ4vl2zSEoV_K_d3H-FyOHmLL2HM3fqWEKrvXaWa7llXHTQrKw7RzB0PHHqZ5s2ynIa6jyod-ptUg/w320-h253/BSBI%20Stirlingshire%20Saltmarsh%20team%2007082022.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Matt with the BSBI Stirlingshire Saltmarsh Team<br />Image: Roy Sexton</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span>LM: I agree, I'm one of Faith's biggest fans, <a href="https://www.wildflowerstudy.co.uk/books">her books</a> are a great way to <a href="https://bsbi.org/plant-id-getting-started">get started with plant ID.</a> What about longer term? What goals would you like to
have achieved by the end of the year? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">MH: On the subject of botanical training, I’m really looking
forward to working with Chantal Helm, the BSBI’s new Training Coordinator, to help support and develop the <a href="https://identiplant.bsbi.org/">Identiplant course</a> here in Scotland, and
hopefully in time the <a href="https://bsbi.org/field-skills">Field Identification Skills Certificate</a> as well. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">LM: Great, I'm planning to interview Chantal very soon, so readers will be able to find out more about her and her plans. What else? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">MH: We currently have <a href="https://bsbi.org/rare-plant-registers">Rare Plant Registers</a> for a little under half
of Scottish vice-counties, but I’ve been excited to discover that several
recorders have been working away at them, and am really looking forward to
seeing the results. Helping recorders to get started with projects like Vice-county
Checklists or Rare Plant Registers is something I’d like to prioritise over the
longer term, and I know from personal experience that it is a great way to get
to know your vice-county better. If you’re thinking about taking on one of
these projects then please get in touch.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">LM: Great, sounds like you are going to be really busy! Is there anything else? </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv5zGzHPPlke389H3zSacn6CZCrdupTQKUUxCvrDD1_uV7tgdzqc3YBUjMzOOTyMc41-5yvc-V0bWurC-r14Yy5B6Nv2QQHghm56c6Z0vg_-Odkz1JnpoHb0imWmzzRMULJ4sfSQ4VJYFYAZz505KRo6pNYQ7Rm2vYjiN-8YTUZw5KqpBRYs676wKUEQ/s4032/Bog%20restoration%20monitoring%20Central%20Scotland%202022.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv5zGzHPPlke389H3zSacn6CZCrdupTQKUUxCvrDD1_uV7tgdzqc3YBUjMzOOTyMc41-5yvc-V0bWurC-r14Yy5B6Nv2QQHghm56c6Z0vg_-Odkz1JnpoHb0imWmzzRMULJ4sfSQ4VJYFYAZz505KRo6pNYQ7Rm2vYjiN-8YTUZw5KqpBRYs676wKUEQ/s320/Bog%20restoration%20monitoring%20Central%20Scotland%202022.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Selfie taken while bog restoration<br />monitoring in central Scotland, 2022<br />Image courtesy of M. Harding </span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">MH: Yes! The <a href="https://bsbi.org/scottish-annual-meeting">Scottish Botanists’ Conference</a> is a super day that
brings together the Scottish botanical community. The standard has been set phenomenally
high in previous years, and I’m looking forward to taking it on and, hopefully,
delivering a great event this November!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">LM: Really, really busy... Jim set that particular bar very high indeed, so you have your work cut out for you there Mr Harding! But you'll have the wonderful <a href="https://bsbi.org/governance">Committee for Scotland</a> and all your colleagues ready to help you! Meanwhile, if people have questions about the Conference, about Scotland’s wild flowers, or if they are thinking of tackling a Rare Plant Register, can they email you? And follow you on social media? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">MH: Of course, I’d be delighted to hear from them! You can
email me at <a href="mailto:matt.harding@bsbi.org">matt.harding@bsbi.org</a>, and
follow me <a href="https://twitter.com/BSBIScotland">on Twitter at @BSBIScotland</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">LM: Well good luck Matt, keep us posted on how you’re getting on
and once again – welcome to the BSBI staff team! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">MH: Thanks! </span><o:p></o:p></p>Louise Marsh, BSBIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853015015164789727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290723885428192841.post-88723686092579198862023-01-03T23:57:00.014+00:002023-01-05T18:37:48.973+00:00New Year Plant Hunt 2023: Days Three and Four<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJytwjxEFJDqLQgzTENV2gTJsPXmoNgSZB5jBgSMq3Ma90UjV8fi89PzF7VJI8XX4QOGzB-ELK3j3-VMtFOTx5BX1KxhFypJ3vyctOO7q0QhfVHR6UA4z5czqiNlS_D6K3hwwsZ7FleGz36OHG8TGsGcBVyqvFZWlwl6Z-KaSYPa3xltOTWm1szaLMLA/s680/fum%20Flf7k2EXoAEEpbD.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="510" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJytwjxEFJDqLQgzTENV2gTJsPXmoNgSZB5jBgSMq3Ma90UjV8fi89PzF7VJI8XX4QOGzB-ELK3j3-VMtFOTx5BX1KxhFypJ3vyctOO7q0QhfVHR6UA4z5czqiNlS_D6K3hwwsZ7FleGz36OHG8TGsGcBVyqvFZWlwl6Z-KaSYPa3xltOTWm1szaLMLA/s320/fum%20Flf7k2EXoAEEpbD.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Dave points out one of three <br />lovely species of Fumitory<br />found by the Mevagissey<br />plant-hunters!<br />Image: D. Ryan</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Days <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2022/12/new-year-plant-hunt-2023-day-one.html">One</a> and <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2023/01/new-year-plant-hunt-2023-day-two.html">Two</a> of the 2023 <a href="https://bsbi.org/new-year-plant-hunt">New Year Plant Hunt</a> were fairly quiet, with miserable weather keeping plant-hunters at home across much of Britain and Ireland, but on Day Three (Monday), the sun came out for many of us, so the Hunt was well and truly on! </span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">A good job too, because those hunters who waited until Day Four got very wet, when the rain came back with a vengeance. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In Cornwall yesterday the sun shone and Dan, Dave and the Mevagissey plant-hunters found </span><a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/survey.php?surveyid=12018c8c-9468-4fcf-b8f0-9219cf927da9" style="font-family: helvetica;">52 species in bloom</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">, including Field Madder, Scarlet Pimpernel (which many other hunters have found elusive), a hybrid Viola (the </span><a href="https://twitter.com/Botany2021/status/1610012093901856768" style="font-family: helvetica;">cross between Field and Wild Pansy</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">) and no fewer than three different fumitories. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">By today, the Cornish weather had turned - David Pearman and the Botanical Cornwall Group found some nice Field Woundwort but got "<a href="https://twitter.com/danryan_nature/status/1610292007523553281">absolutely sodden</a>" and it was the same story on the east coast of Ireland, where the Balbriggan Climate Club </span><a href="https://twitter.com/MactireGealach/status/1610295932263989250" style="font-family: helvetica;">got drenched</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> recording 20 species in bloom.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRcGYmaAacvfUdGOclrF1d6Qm5TJdxHRntpdWE-gUNSVX7O_KJK25ItRGCTrWvv6GZoPVcM1C7AN25Qy1xvwZ1z84ABXJ1KmQS3ciUpF2PzRb9-HlyERqLcJ23OnXwQLrfyPHvp2FA7IBm5CwyavsHRE6p87O3NDE4G3nfpKihSzzSFsW_5TnIKHVNA/s680/arbut%20une%20FlZc7RZX0AITNxg.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="510" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRcGYmaAacvfUdGOclrF1d6Qm5TJdxHRntpdWE-gUNSVX7O_KJK25ItRGCTrWvv6GZoPVcM1C7AN25Qy1xvwZ1z84ABXJ1KmQS3ciUpF2PzRb9-HlyERqLcJ23OnXwQLrfyPHvp2FA7IBm5CwyavsHRE6p87O3NDE4G3nfpKihSzzSFsW_5TnIKHVNA/s320/arbut%20une%20FlZc7RZX0AITNxg.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Strawberry Tree in Dublin<br />Image: E. Gallagher </span></td></tr></tbody></table>Despite the weather, people have still enjoyed getting out and about for the Hunt across Britain and Ireland, even when they found slimmer pickings this year. <a href="https://twitter.com/Jessica_Ham92/status/1610027460023799811">Jessica and the Kerry team</a> recorded 21 species in flower yesterday, "missing a few usual suspects" but the famous Strawberry Tree at Muckross in Killarney was in bloom, as in previous years. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://twitter.com/eanna_gallagher/status/1609576097376796673">Eanna Gallagher also saw Strawberry Tree</a> in flower in Dublin during one of his Hunts; <a href="https://twitter.com/Ol_LynchEco/status/1610311192735539202">Olly Milner notched up 11 species</a> at Lough Gur near Limerick and <a href="https://twitter.com/BrennanMartine/status/1609967058032140293">Martine Brennan found 16 species</a> blooming in south Laois, although again this was "probably the lowest number ever" for her. A similar story from the Glengarriff team in Co. Cork, and just <a href="https://twitter.com/GlengarriffWood/status/1609951967119572993">look at the frost</a> on some of their 19 species in bloom! </span></p><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The Hunt has been going for twelve years now and many hunters try to follow the same route each year, which makes it particularly interesting to hear their observations on what is, and isn't, flowering from year to year. Eminent meteorologist cum botanist Jonathan Shanklin (yes, the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220321-what-happened-to-the-worlds-ozone-hole">'Man who Found the Hole in the Ozone Layer'</a> is also one of BSBI's top botanists!) carried out four Hunts in <a href="https://bsbi.org/cambridgeshire">Cambridgeshire</a>, where he lives and is BSBI's County Recorder. Jonathan emailed us that he was only seeing "roughly half the number seen in the same area last year".</span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjobjR-RL8SXMqRQxW4qF7Mlxi1PWSNfUK8W-ls64BVnM0BABWFQTYHKnHPRkaJILzeC_Vaj-d8OcRH-BFqoWmenAE9Ea8tN0s8WbxXsMeNwWmS7MbyxqunvcCkMtA63ndDIhqQ_sdvVJY8KwNURhooxB1co3Sip7fo59gzYHdF5MruA0WKML6ir9MRA/s680/FlixPYQWAAA0svy.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="680" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjobjR-RL8SXMqRQxW4qF7Mlxi1PWSNfUK8W-ls64BVnM0BABWFQTYHKnHPRkaJILzeC_Vaj-d8OcRH-BFqoWmenAE9Ea8tN0s8WbxXsMeNwWmS7MbyxqunvcCkMtA63ndDIhqQ_sdvVJY8KwNURhooxB1co3Sip7fo59gzYHdF5MruA0WKML6ir9MRA/s320/FlixPYQWAAA0svy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Simon Harrap's team hunting <br />in a weedy field in Norfolk<br />Image: S. Harrap</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://twitter.com/natsurroundings/status/1610231763363577858">Simon Harrap</a>, author of the much-loved <a href="https://www.summerfieldbooks.com/product/harraps-wild-flowers-2/">'<i>Harrap's Wild Flowers'</i></a>, tweeted that for him and his team, "a weedy field and a building site were the top locations this year, most of our 'hangers on' had been zapped by the cold spell" and Wendy Tagg told us that her total of <a href="https://uckfieldwildlife.blogspot.com/2023/01/new-year-plant-hunt-2023-uckfield-north.html">22 species in bloom in Uckfield</a> was also <a href="https://twitter.com/WendyTagg/status/1609988013244973056">"much lower than recent years"</a>.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It was also interesting to hear which species people weren't<i> </i>seeing this year - <a href="https://twitter.com/DrTrevorDines/status/1610254623008296960">author and broadcaster Trevor Dines</a>, based in north Wales, tweeted "just 10 species in flower... less than half my normal count for the usual route", and noted that last month "the lanes had more Herb Robert in flower than ever before, but now there's not a single bloom". </span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OJaVZGCY2I6VBxqw5QNq5pHMBRXyiazsBnoefOfGnQcGgstlZBufZcOpCb1XHlVBUqHWfhWr4oLE6nRqUvkx_FM2AU9vSotanFz-xgHcnQ2Br4G0PLT-_Mcj6jNQZGWj5EWA1AoVBidzgXBNYN91hkGqjLRzkK4HjpHBrlGYwMf0Fdn5t6XKyBDjgA/s1199/AK%20FleoSRFXkAcsPDP.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="1199" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OJaVZGCY2I6VBxqw5QNq5pHMBRXyiazsBnoefOfGnQcGgstlZBufZcOpCb1XHlVBUqHWfhWr4oLE6nRqUvkx_FM2AU9vSotanFz-xgHcnQ2Br4G0PLT-_Mcj6jNQZGWj5EWA1AoVBidzgXBNYN91hkGqjLRzkK4HjpHBrlGYwMf0Fdn5t6XKyBDjgA/s320/AK%20FleoSRFXkAcsPDP.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Annual Knawel in Pattingham<br />Image: A. Roberts</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">There were a couple of long lists from south Wales however; County Recorder Steph Tyler notched up <a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/survey.php?surveyid=868a1108-ae2e-4056-89df-5a509338da6f">43 species in bloom</a> including no fewer than four different fleabanes, while in Glamorgan Tim Rich who, with Sarah Whild, carried out the first ever Plant Hunt back in 2012, <a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/survey.php?surveyid=1604dd76-1839-41e6-92d8-3018c077b74d">spotted 41 species</a> including Goat's-beard and Four-leaved Allseed. </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">There were also some nice plants spotted at locations across England - Andy Roberts, for example, saw <a href="https://twitter.com/handles4forks/status/1609940435983646722">Annual Knawel in Pattingham</a> and in Wiltshire, Fran Sinclair found a garden escape in bloom - we think it is probably a </span><i style="font-family: helvetica;">Calibrachoa</i><span style="font-family: helvetica;">, one of the 'Million Bells' cultivars, which has </span><a href="https://bsbi.org/maps?taxonid=2cd4p9h.bptktq" style="font-family: helvetica;">rarely been recorded naturalised in the wild before</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">, let alone blooming at New Year! But our experts are still double-checking this record. </span></p><p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJNE-FteQTCT2fw-ih3oa8BPw2aG_ri2IzMzPX-VSqRIimN7UZR8yZrqdL6sb-klBFW9c5lCitomZb2h5GPHsibXkOZ4RjAv4gPsEylxmIM1KswZGJcUNoBeMwPMuW85m4BlI8c8VWh5hEp12l94ePccNuv-_oW1GBOxVCSiZ7EF0bhjrpASccFAFwA/s680/Flfkt5IWIAIx_dd.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="680" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJNE-FteQTCT2fw-ih3oa8BPw2aG_ri2IzMzPX-VSqRIimN7UZR8yZrqdL6sb-klBFW9c5lCitomZb2h5GPHsibXkOZ4RjAv4gPsEylxmIM1KswZGJcUNoBeMwPMuW85m4BlI8c8VWh5hEp12l94ePccNuv-_oW1GBOxVCSiZ7EF0bhjrpASccFAFwA/s320/Flfkt5IWIAIx_dd.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Gorse blooming in frosty Killin<br />Image: S. Watts</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Several plant-hunters, such as <a href="https://twitter.com/Watts_SH/status/1610007315121602562">Sarah in Killin</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/DavidKentNature/status/1610310694066421765">David in Kent</a>, found only one species in bloom- usual suspects such as Gorse and Groundsel - and some found none at all but as <a href="https://twitter.com/LeifBersweden/status/1610327734814744578">Leif Bersweden</a>, regular New Year Plant Hunter and author of <i><a href="#WhereTheWildflowersGrow">'Where the Wildflowers Grow'</a></i> says, that's "still valuable information for BSBI" so "if you've done a hunt & like me failed to find anything, still submit on their website". You can either use <a href="https://nyph.bsbi.app/app/list/survey/welcome">the app</a> and enter the 'nil records' field or <a href="mailto:nyplanthunt@bsbi.org">email us</a> the grid ref where you hunted and let us know that you didn't find any wildflowers in bloom. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Some people were joining the Hunt for the first time this year - <a href="https://twitter.com/katewright29/status/1609964827715461121">Kate Wright</a> and the Church Fenton Environment Group; <a href="https://twitter.com/emptysmith/status/1610015677812989952">Malcolm Smith</a>; and <a href="https://twitter.com/SamAmy3/status/1609947775759794176">Sam Amy</a>. Thanks to all of you and we hope you will take part again next year. Lots of people <a href="https://twitter.com/bigmeadowsearch/status/1610319705809592320">thanked us</a> for getting them out and about at New Year. It was also lovely to see the return of some plant hunters after a few years away - great to have you back <a href="https://twitter.com/Wildwingsand">Karen Woolley</a> and to hear that <a href="https://twitter.com/Wildwingsand/status/1609934430667440132">the bus stop near you</a> is <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2017/01/new-year-plant-hunt-2017-day-three.html">still supporting some great winter-flowering wildflowers</a>, even if there were <a href="https://twitter.com/Wildwingsand/status/1609933013005000704">fewer this year</a>. That bus stop is right up there with <a href="https://twitter.com/MickLacey/status/1609486089668161537">Mick Lacey's Mecca Bingo car park</a> as top New Year Plant Hunt locations! </span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXU3yT70g7ZhSlJcIZQC-Xgx_DERsaF_fzpm7MhUQdC7eOFE2mIlHC4BQdsu4HqVqIH_z4gBMhKrAR1eGeQyTeLyOR3jGF1YcJnNtDjOL-vyiFouGDSXiJlo7e9sahX-QZ16cCUyBDZ0apsOX7HO7ILMSayjzdVYNi1P8pTAtAYf_gL3rvG4sZodLGQ/s680/Flei1E_XEAA4ISz.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="680" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXU3yT70g7ZhSlJcIZQC-Xgx_DERsaF_fzpm7MhUQdC7eOFE2mIlHC4BQdsu4HqVqIH_z4gBMhKrAR1eGeQyTeLyOR3jGF1YcJnNtDjOL-vyiFouGDSXiJlo7e9sahX-QZ16cCUyBDZ0apsOX7HO7ILMSayjzdVYNi1P8pTAtAYf_gL3rvG4sZodLGQ/s320/Flei1E_XEAA4ISz.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Red clover at the bus stop!<br />Image: K. Woolley</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So as the sun set on the fourth and final day of the 2023 New Year Plant Hunt, hundreds (thousands?) of plant-hunters across Britain and Ireland were hanging their wet clothes up to dry, basking in the glow of a job well done and submitting their records. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The <a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/results.php">Results board</a> shows more than 800 surveys submitted so far, comprising more than 8,000 unique records of 435 different species and there's still a few days left for you to get the rest of your records to us. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The deadline is midnight on Sunday 8th January so we can start analysing the data on Monday morning. We'll report back to all of you later this month. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Until then, just a few things left to do:</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">To thank the six volunteers (<a href="https://twitter.com/BotanyCornwall">Billy</a>, Isabella, <a href="https://twitter.com/Jo_the_botanist">Jo</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/loresturmy">Lore</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/NatureLark">Moira</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanClarkNature">Ryan</a>) and five fellow staff members (<a href="https://twitter.com/BSBICountries">James</a>, Matt, <a href="https://twitter.com/BSBI_Ireland">Paul</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SarahElizWoods">Sarah</a> and Tom) who have been working shifts on the Support Desk, on social media, entering data and checking plant IDs over the past four days. Great work team! </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">To thank all of you who took part - there would be no Plant Hunt without you and we are all very grateful for your contributions, from the longest lists to the 'sorry couldn't find anything' emails and tweets. All valuable, all much appreciated. Thank you!</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">To remind you that BSBI's 2023 round of grant applications is now open, so whether you are an <a href="https://bsbi.org/get-involved">absolute beginner</a> at this botany lark and would like to take a <a href="https://bsbi.org/training-courses">training course</a> to learn a bit more, or whether you are a bit further along your botanical journey and would like to carry out some research, we have grants available to help you. Check out the <a href="https://bsbi.org/grants">grants page</a>, get your application in and let us help you get ready for a flower-filled year ahead! </span></li></ul><p></p></div>Louise Marsh, BSBIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853015015164789727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290723885428192841.post-63431328206924197592023-01-01T23:58:00.006+00:002023-01-02T00:36:58.105+00:00New Year Plant Hunt 2023: Day Two<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0a7V0FbQU4_Tymzl8A1nYevnx5YDtZwA8PVTIbT21ndvLwm--7ZmGqh51_vvilm3-tsvAd2y0SH37eQNd21tqoaWGiQvxRIrwn9DBNRi5aEim_nKEpcazpemIpM4Si1xoeQlXAMOiyCLssXJMJ1j-kmDRwjcPzDg1d34Lv9lurRv2uW5ry-ykoYxVw/s900/gorse%20FlYxTVHXgAEtwTJ.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0a7V0FbQU4_Tymzl8A1nYevnx5YDtZwA8PVTIbT21ndvLwm--7ZmGqh51_vvilm3-tsvAd2y0SH37eQNd21tqoaWGiQvxRIrwn9DBNRi5aEim_nKEpcazpemIpM4Si1xoeQlXAMOiyCLssXJMJ1j-kmDRwjcPzDg1d34Lv9lurRv2uW5ry-ykoYxVw/s320/gorse%20FlYxTVHXgAEtwTJ.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Gorse on the north Cornwall coast<br />Image by Kiki</span></td></tr></tbody></table>New Year's Day and the second day of the <a href="https://bsbi.org/new-year-plant-hunt">2023 New Year Plant Hunt.</a> After <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2022/12/new-year-plant-hunt-2023-day-one.html">yesterdays' rain</a>, the sun shone today for some of us, but others experienced rotten weather - <a href="https://twitter.com/lizziewilberf/status/1609553964705497090">Lizzie in the Brecon Beacons</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Botany2021/status/1609556406985793542">Dave in Wadebridge</a> both endured hailstorms but still notched up some nice records. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">For many plant-hunters in Scotland, Gorse was pretty much the only species in bloom but others, such as <a href="https://twitter.com/Glengirly/status/1609510300113592322">Helen in Perthshire</a>, were snowed in and couldn't even get outside to try and hunt down a Gorse bush! </span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Solo hunters who did manage to get out today included Eanna who spotted a <a href="https://twitter.com/eanna_gallagher/status/1609576097376796673">Strawberry Tree flowering in Dublin</a>; Rosie, Executive Director of the <a href="https://www.field-studies-council.org/">Field Studies Council</a>, who spotted the tiny female flowers of Hazel (currently no. 13 on the list of most frequently-recorded species) and Brian 'Eagle-eyes' Laney, joint BSBI County Recorder for Northants. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQSd1DCYpO9-Yy11omchU9rEa12iYNtWopd1Qd5WctHO3PgbO24OxgoD9ZFPb5owT0dsEwyTsqt-x2tRcOY3BzsoP3uZhGnTVkpfsLukAg4jaZ7nB8Iv9pziQ-2u_fUrIYJDb_qEYVLCB5F9VIkUQGl16dKga-bQIH_MGtYDZNVsP1ki_Qinu4Vh99hA/s720/hazel%20FlY4c7yWQAQIj06.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="720" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQSd1DCYpO9-Yy11omchU9rEa12iYNtWopd1Qd5WctHO3PgbO24OxgoD9ZFPb5owT0dsEwyTsqt-x2tRcOY3BzsoP3uZhGnTVkpfsLukAg4jaZ7nB8Iv9pziQ-2u_fUrIYJDb_qEYVLCB5F9VIkUQGl16dKga-bQIH_MGtYDZNVsP1ki_Qinu4Vh99hA/s320/hazel%20FlY4c7yWQAQIj06.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Female flowers on Hazel<br />Image: R. Teasdale</span><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Brian is usually at the centre of a large group of plant-hunters, watching him carefully to try and work out how he manages to find so many species new for his county, but today he went out to do his first ever solo Plant Hunt and notched up <a href="https://twitter.com/BrianLaney2/status/1609631933775941632">24 species in bloom in Rothwell</a>.</span><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Some of us had to fit our Hunts in around family commitments: Newcastle-based Ho-Yin managed to spot four species in bloom before being <a href="https://twitter.com/Hoyinature/status/1609510401825292290">"dragged away by the family"</a> while in nearby Heaton, we hear that County Recorder James resorted to bribing partner Matthew with chocolate! </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">James and his team managed to record 30 species in bloom including the lovely little Fern-grass and some </span><a href="https://plantatlas.brc.ac.uk/plant/polypogon-viridis" style="font-family: helvetica;">Water Bent</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">, the latter a plant which hardly any of us had seen until the 1990s but since then it is </span><a href="https://bsbi.org/maps?taxonid=2cd4p9h.eee" style="font-family: helvetica;">spreading rapidly northwards</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">.</span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbG79OaZEpn-RPwHfClAy7m-HNdFoRzrNkqoTz9StbuV5vMhb4FGCQLc_OXHPeFvvj-U2Pig5_UO5wK6HJwozTc5hkaLqgLtYme34hDPcS4cYgEoQktC3i8Bx90loo5oLiCyoLYdEpACEPsu_qzDVURjWX_AgECqRdz2_ObAwbwO9DaTGLIQbQzo-OLQ/s680/james%20FlY377qWQAUyZCd.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="680" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbG79OaZEpn-RPwHfClAy7m-HNdFoRzrNkqoTz9StbuV5vMhb4FGCQLc_OXHPeFvvj-U2Pig5_UO5wK6HJwozTc5hkaLqgLtYme34hDPcS4cYgEoQktC3i8Bx90loo5oLiCyoLYdEpACEPsu_qzDVURjWX_AgECqRdz2_ObAwbwO9DaTGLIQbQzo-OLQ/s320/james%20FlY377qWQAUyZCd.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Urban botanists looking for Water Bent<br />Image courtesy of James Common</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">One way to get round the quandary over whether to spend quality time over the holidays with loved ones or to look for flowers is </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">to combine the two and go plant-hunting as a family. </span></div><div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Entomologist Richard, who leads the Bumblebee Conservation Trust's science programme, and partner Kate, Senior Lecturer in Biology at Univ Worcester, took baby Lucy on</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><a href="https://twitter.com/KateAshbrook/status/1609548788938457088" style="font-family: helvetica;">her first two Plant Hunts in Cheshire</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">. Her parents and grandparents spotted 13 species in bloom, while Lucy slept through both Hunts, but as Mum Kate says, it's the taking part that counts ;-)</span></p><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS5Mf9cvq199OVBIvtGv9HT8UazRYp3mSARV25XNltYTbw-PzMhHcYlr99GK0WEj6C30jRN_dmVdcJCibuzN-GpkfQGEC6OBsQ1PLmLgO4sfy3v6hDWhTPWkP4xaKfrqU61voltalVZL3nW364etKlIkQyeoLrTE6BtZCxiyD32Wm7-6RlOqaF11un4Q/s680/FlZCzIDXwAIk9OZ.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="680" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS5Mf9cvq199OVBIvtGv9HT8UazRYp3mSARV25XNltYTbw-PzMhHcYlr99GK0WEj6C30jRN_dmVdcJCibuzN-GpkfQGEC6OBsQ1PLmLgO4sfy3v6hDWhTPWkP4xaKfrqU61voltalVZL3nW364etKlIkQyeoLrTE6BtZCxiyD32Wm7-6RlOqaF11un4Q/s320/FlZCzIDXwAIk9OZ.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Kate & Richard introduce Lucy to<br />her first New Year Plant Hunt<br />Image: S. Ashbrooke</span></td></tr></tbody></table></span><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Many of the longest lists so far have come from southern and coastal locations, such as the <a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/survey.php?surveyid=0f1b53b4-3d87-4691-b618-f0604314c75e">55 species Paul Green recorded in bloom</a> at Saint Kierans, Co. Wexford,. but m</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">icro-climate and exposure can have a huge impact on the number of species in bloom. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">O</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">n the more exposed north Cornwall coast for example, Kiki found a glorious Gorse bush (top right) in full flower but no much else; Gorse is a New Year Plant Hunt stalwart - it's currently at no. 9 on the list of most frequently spotted plants, with 100 records so far of it blooming across Britain and Ireland.</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">50 miles away i</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">n Fowey, however - a more protected location on the southern coast - t</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">he Botanical Cornwall group spotted <a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/survey.php?surveyid=8034b7d0-3ed0-4585-a1dd-18ffcb8e845a">58 species</a> in bloom, including Betony, </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Rosemary, Navelwort and Hedge Veronica - the second longest list so far. More pairs of eyes are helpful but so is a more sheltered location.</span></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKCBGh1YBEjqlG748gP9Aa1_6c0ph-izMiNT7WOaPtPTH553YBNoE7Imf5IagyySmScf3s1l9O2IRfCdrqYNSCmO8CTYF2yX9VQWUCve-vktk7_mR1wLpgvaiu6wt1rGoAPAl0CLW4CcvcFtWjSzOXkpmmV17L-6hc2wh3BwuSDVd9-FGNYy9Y8lfJqA/s800/thrift%20FlY-Vg4XEAYj490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKCBGh1YBEjqlG748gP9Aa1_6c0ph-izMiNT7WOaPtPTH553YBNoE7Imf5IagyySmScf3s1l9O2IRfCdrqYNSCmO8CTYF2yX9VQWUCve-vktk7_mR1wLpgvaiu6wt1rGoAPAl0CLW4CcvcFtWjSzOXkpmmV17L-6hc2wh3BwuSDVd9-FGNYy9Y8lfJqA/s320/thrift%20FlY-Vg4XEAYj490.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Thrift in Co. Wexford<br />Image: P. Green </span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The longest list so far is from solo hunter </span><a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/survey.php?surveyid=90404bb0-074f-486a-a3bc-14c2e09f178b" style="font-family: helvetica;">David in Swanage </a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">with 71 species, but his </span><a href="https://nyphtest.bsbi.org/list.php?listid=2731" style="font-family: helvetica;">Swanage list from 2019</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> was for 120 species, so maybe even in those sheltered southern locations, and following familiar routes which have yielded many species in bloom in past years, we are seeing the effects of the recent cold snap?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Plant hunters in Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire and Cheshire visiting familiar haunts have also said they are spotting fewer species this year but we should wait until all the data are in and analysed properly before we start jumping to conclusions! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Looking forward to seeing what you all find tomorrow, Day Three of this year's Hunt - fingers crossed the weather is kind to you!</span></p></div>Louise Marsh, BSBIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853015015164789727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290723885428192841.post-71344950603992142412022-12-31T22:11:00.004+00:002022-12-31T22:44:02.220+00:00New Year Plant Hunt 2023: Day One<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOcTB74dkSjBWYDQ3QRdLd9KTne2vvbZK2iHBPoe33mEtKSjsmC6M76J03v_dnjQq28sszv8_TiJxEhT7mU_ijBW2_Uq0LJhokp2X7Gy3E0rf3h_Rc7sy7WWmD68AJggvhY5cNAaayZUhKhukbzncPfnIOi2Py0-KVMkG_o2X3-r0Do_9T3G8ouQ6bag/s680/FlQ7pNnWYAAiVof.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="510" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOcTB74dkSjBWYDQ3QRdLd9KTne2vvbZK2iHBPoe33mEtKSjsmC6M76J03v_dnjQq28sszv8_TiJxEhT7mU_ijBW2_Uq0LJhokp2X7Gy3E0rf3h_Rc7sy7WWmD68AJggvhY5cNAaayZUhKhukbzncPfnIOi2Py0-KVMkG_o2X3-r0Do_9T3G8ouQ6bag/s320/FlQ7pNnWYAAiVof.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Red Dead-nettle by flashlight<br />Image: G. Scollard</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We opted to start our twelfth <a href="https://bsbi.org/new-year-plant-hunt">New Year Plant Hunt</a> on New Year's Eve 2022, as it was a Saturday so many people were off work and free to go out plant-hunting. Weather forecasts were not great and rain stopped play in many places but neither bad weather nor even pitch darkness can stop some botanists: once again the inimitable <a href="https://twitter.com/GerScollard">Ger Scollard</a> was out with a flashlight and, within minutes of the Hunt starting, had recorded Red Dead-nettle in bloom near Tralee. What a legend! </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Once the sun was up, botanists were out hunting from Guernsey (</span><a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/survey.php?surveyid=fbb4fb44-0f07-4896-b9ff-ce11076e5c98" style="font-family: helvetica;">31 species recorded</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">, including Lesser Celandine, Pellitory-of-the-wall and and Common Dog-violet) up to Westray in the Orkney archipelago (</span><a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/survey.php?surveyid=c7bd7576-9a7a-4c7f-b672-5408286fb00f" style="font-family: helvetica;">4 species</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> including Sea Mayweed) and from Earlham Cemetery in Norwich (</span><a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/survey.php?surveyid=c7dec393-4d29-4547-8f7f-f9baed255064" style="font-family: helvetica;">21 species</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> including Winter Aconite and Common Fumitory) over to Galway in the west of Ireland (</span><a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/survey.php?surveyid=e8d86b7e-46b2-4e75-9f35-06ad43d1575b" style="font-family: helvetica;">8 species</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> including Great Mullein and Yarrow). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Our intrepid plant-hunters wandered along country lanes, around urban industrial estates and </span><a href="https://twitter.com/MickLacey/status/1609252778693607428" style="font-family: helvetica;">car parks</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">, and into cemeteries, peering at road verges and pavement cracks, looking for wild and naturalised plants in bloom. </span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoXW49ScoF1B8e6bGFjKsUaBuTOfzLAlEDoJyusx6ED1ZJWZPT3_wo4BhwZ_84bdPcAQF6r0az0p5MF7HiWESBZm80iQcHAqKBQqU6WxHsGY_aOReFpGIMqFUH_ofIgzQO0AwYF_iKXnlrq_Xx6SdRD8RLxrBG2EZ95gig-XESbyJttP3eMyaGx-mQSA/s4032/20221231_130833.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoXW49ScoF1B8e6bGFjKsUaBuTOfzLAlEDoJyusx6ED1ZJWZPT3_wo4BhwZ_84bdPcAQF6r0az0p5MF7HiWESBZm80iQcHAqKBQqU6WxHsGY_aOReFpGIMqFUH_ofIgzQO0AwYF_iKXnlrq_Xx6SdRD8RLxrBG2EZ95gig-XESbyJttP3eMyaGx-mQSA/s320/20221231_130833.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Leicester botanists chuffed to find Annual <br />Mercury blooming on an industrial estate<br />Image: L. Marsh</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">By around 10pm, the <a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/results.php">Results page</a> was showing that 836 unique records had been submitted and 169 species recorded, with Daisy, Dandelion and Groundsel (aka the Usual Suspects) topping the list of most frequently recorded plants. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Botany groups out hunting in <a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/survey.php?surveyid=75b69533-eaa9-4725-86ab-0ff69569efd1">Somerset</a> and the <a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/survey.php?surveyid=b03bc79c-d85c-4f1e-bba6-6038d4663936">Bristol area</a>, and ace botanists such as Paul Green, BSBI Ireland Officer, <a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/survey.php?surveyid=e86024ef-e471-4e0c-9441-1a7a48012db0">hunting in Co. Wexford</a>, notched up some of the longest lists.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But as </span><a href="https://twitter.com/NatureLark" style="font-family: helvetica;">Moira</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> from the New Year Plant Hunt Support Team </span><a href="https://twitter.com/NatureLark/status/1609219054790922240" style="font-family: helvetica;">reminded people</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">, the Hunt isn't about competing for longest lists, it's about recording which plants are in bloom so we can compare across the years and against Met Office data, and learn more about how a changing climate is impacting our wildflowers. The Hunt is great fun but it's also an important Citizen Science initiative... with optional <a href="https://twitter.com/Mayfieldbirder/status/1609244542573715457">cake</a> and </span><a href="https://twitter.com/RyanClarkNature/status/1609183852039225346" style="font-family: helvetica;">hot chocolate</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> ;-)</span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLwYb22lpvVpBoZrrVyeXJ2dqFZWt0tfdSd7lUgTlPLBaO-dkdg8Qi_XDHPQwBQcuIx6UiDVZayEIMm7U4usvpoZqoQ7UEKU8HlNtXDijdI8Q785A4ngbl9HgVnMBoSK0E25rz2U_XwK8t_aldXPbE-r8MaookkTmpWUHp4KETusYWK0TC0OyHFThWsw/s4032/20221231_120609.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLwYb22lpvVpBoZrrVyeXJ2dqFZWt0tfdSd7lUgTlPLBaO-dkdg8Qi_XDHPQwBQcuIx6UiDVZayEIMm7U4usvpoZqoQ7UEKU8HlNtXDijdI8Q785A4ngbl9HgVnMBoSK0E25rz2U_XwK8t_aldXPbE-r8MaookkTmpWUHp4KETusYWK0TC0OyHFThWsw/s320/20221231_120609.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Jack and Florence consult Francis <br />Rose's <i>Wildflower Key</i> to check the <br />Ragwort that Florence found: <br />it was an Oxford Ragwort.<br />Image: L. Marsh</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Lots of people who follow the same route over the years are reporting that they only found around half the usual number of species in bloom. I was out hunting today with my local botany group and although we had 16 pairs of eyes scrutinising the exact same area where we found <a href="https://nyphtest.bsbi.org/list.php?listid=2442">57 species in bloom in 2019</a>, this time we only found <a href="https://nyph.bsbi.org/survey.php?surveyid=8d45caaa-e6e7-43f1-94bb-2a0408044399">27 species</a>, even though we had the benefit of the incredibly sharp eyes of Florence, one of our excellent young plant-hunters. It seems the cold snap a few weeks ago zapped a lot of species. </span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But we had a brilliant afternoon - peering at plants in the company of lovely botanists really is one of life's great pleasures! </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">If you haven't made plans yet to go out hunting, and you'd appreciate some company, try contacting your </span><a href="https://bsbi.org/local-botany" style="font-family: helvetica;">BSBI County Recorder</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> to find out if there are any group hunts happening in your area, or check our </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/882141616557053" style="font-family: helvetica;">New Year Plant Hunt Facebook group</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">You can also go out on your own, with family and friends or follow the example of Kerry botanist Jessica Hamilton and head out </span><a href="https://twitter.com/Jessica_Ham92/status/1608933551344582658" style="font-family: helvetica;">with a canine companion or two</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Happy hunting - we can't wait to hear about what you find tomorrow!</span></p></div>Louise Marsh, BSBIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853015015164789727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290723885428192841.post-23139081434623846732022-12-15T17:52:00.092+00:002022-12-16T13:32:05.918+00:00December brings the final blogpost from outgoing BSBI President Lynne Farrell<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje6Tq3Nxk3EXc-NUJ7Jtchr9xhnKupdCPzcHCU_repigG98Ps6uzoLQ0FhD13Vzwgnqa8giR0KqALTqxCxJ8ONSn2nF0qxs89ZyKcqbzvMtQ9jgbzxq-V96cR1rLwNhuVHgp05fomxqtbY2MjpLbo2bXLZKtvxzMewu2QfYk9-UMDoSOKpsS2P3K-Ipg/s2709/PC280084%20crop.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1945" data-original-width="2709" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje6Tq3Nxk3EXc-NUJ7Jtchr9xhnKupdCPzcHCU_repigG98Ps6uzoLQ0FhD13Vzwgnqa8giR0KqALTqxCxJ8ONSn2nF0qxs89ZyKcqbzvMtQ9jgbzxq-V96cR1rLwNhuVHgp05fomxqtbY2MjpLbo2bXLZKtvxzMewu2QfYk9-UMDoSOKpsS2P3K-Ipg/s320/PC280084%20crop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Last time <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2022/11/reconnecting-november-blog-from-bsbi.html">we heard from Lynne Farrell</a>, she was just back from the <a href="https://bsbi.org/scottish-annual-meeting">Scottish Botanists' Conference</a> and was preparing to hand the Presidential reins over to Micheline Sheehy Skeffington. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So now here is Lynne's last message for you in 2022:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"The <a href="https://bsbi.org/british-irish-botanical-conference">British and Irish Botanical Conference</a> in mid-November
was a great success with people travelling from all round Britain and Ireland.
Well done to everyone for getting there despite various transport companies
trying their best to ‘de-rail’ us. There were many interesting talks and
exhibits but the best thing all agreed, was being able to meet in person to discuss and share plants and views with each other. I gave a talk titled '<a href="https://youtu.be/ACZcCi7RVHo">Plants, Conservation and Me</a>' which we recorded for the BSBI YouTube channel - you can watch the video by clicking on the link.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1YrypJikIATH29mniirTFBKp-3PCk9DJr0NNAjHYC6lnnLRUo13ilk4Y90FmK3e6C6HrumwoAzemcLtk0-0OUX6bRrwrTlGEbiy_4PDXNi3VsOarU7BaiTCSrqINVCfZY5TG9vQsh_rff5bt_wezuDRWcUSJtUo2IQfm8N291PszaTlG1heLwiXoCA/s3177/lynne%20and%20miche%20crop.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2515" data-original-width="3177" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1YrypJikIATH29mniirTFBKp-3PCk9DJr0NNAjHYC6lnnLRUo13ilk4Y90FmK3e6C6HrumwoAzemcLtk0-0OUX6bRrwrTlGEbiy_4PDXNi3VsOarU7BaiTCSrqINVCfZY5TG9vQsh_rff5bt_wezuDRWcUSJtUo2IQfm8N291PszaTlG1heLwiXoCA/s320/lynne%20and%20miche%20crop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"You can see all the videos, photographs and exhibits from the Conference on <a href="https://bsbi.org/british-irish-botanical-conference">this page</a>. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"The next event takes place at the end of this year and
beginning of next. The 12th <a href="https://bsbi.org/new-year-plant-hunt">New Year Plant Hunt </a>will run from Saturday 31st December 2022
to Tuesday 3rd January 2023. </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This time around, we should be able to potter about in groups, so I hope you can
arrange to meet up with a few botanical friends and have a good day out
recording. </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://bsbi.org/new-year-plant-hunt-archive">Last year</a> 1,895 people took part and recorded 669 taxa in bloom. But
will the recent cold spell knock some of them back this time?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhixGsqrhUcUyv2JrRnYSP96AOmkydUd1yFCAVCS-Jm8V58kgv_T1cRyn7oGFa9Ht1xEcMbg7o3HWW5e5-Mjlkqdo2gSuSBryuqDq9CZr1PNHnboXsmcVmHzYPLYL3y41W8YCxgTXeiLsZtFkSByoDQYVyk7uus8MjMtC-Ge0RaCe1EC6xxMmDTvPOfrg/s640/P1080519.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhixGsqrhUcUyv2JrRnYSP96AOmkydUd1yFCAVCS-Jm8V58kgv_T1cRyn7oGFa9Ht1xEcMbg7o3HWW5e5-Mjlkqdo2gSuSBryuqDq9CZr1PNHnboXsmcVmHzYPLYL3y41W8YCxgTXeiLsZtFkSByoDQYVyk7uus8MjMtC-Ge0RaCe1EC6xxMmDTvPOfrg/s320/P1080519.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span>"Last month, BSBI Chief Executive </span>Julia Hanmer and I I <a href="https://bsbi.org/letter-to-secretary-of-state">wrote to the UK Govt </a>to express the Society’s concerns over land
use issues and their effects on nature conservation (you can read the <a href="https://bsbi.org/download/22115/?tmstv=1671196392">BSBI Policy on Nature Conservation here</a>) and management of habitats and
plants. We mentioned BSBI’s role in <a href="https://bsbi.org/atlas-2020">recording plant and habitat changes over many years</a> and how <a href="https://bsbi.org/maps-and-data">our data</a> highlighted these. A reply was received on 13th December,
which was good in that we know our letter was read. Here is the <a href="https://bsbi.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2022/12/PO2022_19843-Julia-Hanmer-and-Lynne-Farrell.pdf">Government response</a>; much of it concerns farming but there are links through to
other proposals which could help in the longer term eg Nature Recovery Green
paper.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"Writing the monthly blog has kept me on my toes and made me
more aware of what is happening around me, and now I am handing over in 2023 to
our new president Micheline Sheehy Skeffington. The image above left was captured by our Hon Gen Sec Steve Gater, and shows me and Micheline at the British and Irish Botanical Conference.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc1XUhnMZNZRUAFp_xbBvp-X5qYBVQdcpAPFlR2nKQVm9qQnJeo-mEfqVZctcPiPI7zi7GZJJETewPkFRP4kffeZjHsI1v7gLcJyQAoEmEO1Ee0vQY7yZRPyTV05HbUJFav6_H45yIO86KY52pftYclg1B7jx2x0EOrWgcwIeVKr8AXcCptf34kb3zlw/s640/P1080514.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc1XUhnMZNZRUAFp_xbBvp-X5qYBVQdcpAPFlR2nKQVm9qQnJeo-mEfqVZctcPiPI7zi7GZJJETewPkFRP4kffeZjHsI1v7gLcJyQAoEmEO1Ee0vQY7yZRPyTV05HbUJFav6_H45yIO86KY52pftYclg1B7jx2x0EOrWgcwIeVKr8AXcCptf34kb3zlw/s320/P1080514.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"But just before I hand over, here
is a sample of what I have been doing in the outdoors over the past month, not
necessarily botanical:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">searching for Brown Hairstreak butterfly eggs - we found
99 in two hours between 12 of us, which is actually a good observational rate; </span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">watching<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>starling murmurations at
Leighton Moss;</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">finding collared puffballs;</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">catching the Windermere ferry (above right) across
the lake to see an art exhibition, and</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">standing on Arnside pier waiting for the
sun to go down (on left).</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH03ApA9tPrUNfY3DUblVgWCx4V6Ik7rrXpQGnliNbOlZzUzztAn_ZXhyb6qkKHR9aOMr-ag4JYCiOodLYwiWHvYiwSZIMTEb3nAmlON4A2bZYFaV3wnmwlJu4tpNRKYcFeUhHm4jTdfrG0Pr-fxFnNAYuy2Nwqj0czkuTySRcUeX2WmfkSaqMooqItw/s4000/P1080615.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2248" data-original-width="4000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH03ApA9tPrUNfY3DUblVgWCx4V6Ik7rrXpQGnliNbOlZzUzztAn_ZXhyb6qkKHR9aOMr-ag4JYCiOodLYwiWHvYiwSZIMTEb3nAmlON4A2bZYFaV3wnmwlJu4tpNRKYcFeUhHm4jTdfrG0Pr-fxFnNAYuy2Nwqj0czkuTySRcUeX2WmfkSaqMooqItw/s320/P1080615.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>"There may well be snow in December and it is definitely
frosty this morning, so keep warm and enjoy the fresh air."</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Huge thanks to Lynne for this final blogpost and for all her monthly blogposts over the past three years of her Presidency. During the darkest days of lockdown, Lynne's monthly posts really helped us all stay connected while we weren't able to meet up in person. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Thanks Lynne, for the blogposts and for serving as BSBI President for the past three years!</span></p>Louise Marsh, BSBIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853015015164789727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290723885428192841.post-90752780219172572432022-11-10T16:14:00.045+00:002022-11-10T18:02:08.281+00:00Reconnecting: November blog from BSBI President Lynne Farrell<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5XEo-Pr8lM33LzTa1ZjBcmcOuLWJiACa8jHhoeREUTmD8pKQE9JnjcP3YaSVpWZnD5fS3T04OIj5aIxz62FH2e8kOlwXfj1ADakrPD5x-8L9qpLStoUNknkfRB1GMnr1XIHTF_VjpenriOoOkTKOI164kl2Ey3X4YFGEpHFA1UYPyWS96OL1FBvqxxQ/s4000/P1080379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5XEo-Pr8lM33LzTa1ZjBcmcOuLWJiACa8jHhoeREUTmD8pKQE9JnjcP3YaSVpWZnD5fS3T04OIj5aIxz62FH2e8kOlwXfj1ADakrPD5x-8L9qpLStoUNknkfRB1GMnr1XIHTF_VjpenriOoOkTKOI164kl2Ey3X4YFGEpHFA1UYPyWS96OL1FBvqxxQ/s320/P1080379.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Last time we heard from BSBI President Lynne Farrell, she was checking churchyards for interesting fungi and was getting ready for some big changes. Here's Lynne's latest report: </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"Wet and windy weather recently and that has encouraged
people to meet again indoors at several excellent events for botanists to
gather and reconnect. In late October, a Recorders’ Meeting was held at FSC Preston
Montford near Shrewsbury, at which botanists from England, Scotland,
Ireland and Wales came together to discuss topics, try and identify the more
critical groups such as Cotoneaster (image on right), and generally catch up with each
other - splendid. We also fitted in field trips and our group investigated four churchyards, one of which had the Darwin family grave in it, plus several
interesting waxcap fungi.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFtu1xG-JTeepXYmEFjZkKcF56G9cw7lOVs8MI6Lhvf-d7u98osvG0Bw-DWtBffat5cgLCG5QfeSJllpKHdLx_OX4wKbVCJ8njbY2VAHnPw0B2VZPUrpgFGqaXOof7MbAUd_AMPSCPO0BpiXnIs_8UCAL_kGauxLewx13vcDLV6OEzDrayBABA3NjBnQ/s2048/Jim%20and%20Rannoch.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFtu1xG-JTeepXYmEFjZkKcF56G9cw7lOVs8MI6Lhvf-d7u98osvG0Bw-DWtBffat5cgLCG5QfeSJllpKHdLx_OX4wKbVCJ8njbY2VAHnPw0B2VZPUrpgFGqaXOof7MbAUd_AMPSCPO0BpiXnIs_8UCAL_kGauxLewx13vcDLV6OEzDrayBABA3NjBnQ/s320/Jim%20and%20Rannoch.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Jim and his dog Rannoch<br />Image courtesy of S. Drysdale</span></td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">At the beginning of November, I was at the Royal Botanic Gardens,
Edinburgh, for the <a href="https://bsbi.org/scottish-annual-meeting">Scottish Botanists’ Conference</a>, which was also
well-attended. Workshops, talks, exhibits, herbarium tour and discussions took
place. It was a special occasion too, to mark the retirement of Jim McIntosh (image on left), who has been our Scottish Officer for the past 18 years. A packed programme kept us all
busy but there was time, just, to chat to people you had not seen for several
years, in between the arranged events. I always run out of time to meet all the
people I would like to have chatted to, but did manage to catch up with some
‘old’ acquaintances and meet some new members and local botanists. Most of the
talks have been recorded so you will be able to view them in future on our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/botanicalsocietyofbritainandireland">YouTube channel</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So now I enter my final stint as President and will be
attending the <a href="https://www.tickettailor.com/events/botanicalsocietyofbritainireland/744316">British and Irish Botanical Conference</a> at the Natural History
Museum on Saturday 19th November, despite there being no trains from Oxenholme to
London, so I will be coming by a devious route and driving most of the way. December
will be my last blogpost before handing over to incoming President Micheline Sheehy Skeffington. </span><o:p></o:p></p>Louise Marsh, BSBIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853015015164789727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290723885428192841.post-49658841167045465562022-10-13T18:05:00.001+01:002022-10-13T18:06:45.101+01:00End of a season: October blog from BSBI President Lynne Farrell<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaB-4Jxw7iTsE8Z9NRHH3gW44X2P9v1ndiwchV1eXqvbyFGcgszxNz0b_cz5eigra27PLlfI7_wxA4meoQ38TKLhIDCE550tZT97Bb8y0oM09516nBnAMPs4DeUr-cRVwtGUhBSoWi75sQ96vSPBs8qnpwZ9VhlAMgX_cAqHhC6wqvdsP7yy2Damtp6Q/s4000/P1080091.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaB-4Jxw7iTsE8Z9NRHH3gW44X2P9v1ndiwchV1eXqvbyFGcgszxNz0b_cz5eigra27PLlfI7_wxA4meoQ38TKLhIDCE550tZT97Bb8y0oM09516nBnAMPs4DeUr-cRVwtGUhBSoWi75sQ96vSPBs8qnpwZ9VhlAMgX_cAqHhC6wqvdsP7yy2Damtp6Q/s320/P1080091.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Comma on Bramble<br />Image: L. Farrell</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Last month saw BSBI President Lynne Farrell in the Outer Hebrides, <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2022/09/out-on-islands-september-report-by-bsbi.html">looking at some of our tiniest plants</a> and spreading the botanical word to passers-by. This month, as the season turns, she is back in Cumbria - here is her latest report: </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"Now we are well into autumn with leaves falling and blowing
around. Most of the flowering plants are fading, although producing fruit, and
soon it will be time for another group or even kingdom to take their place. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"Changes are taking place in the BSBI also, with Jim
McIntosh, Scottish Officer, retiring and <a href="https://bsbi.org/news">Matt Harding replacing him, and James Harding-Morris becoming our Countries Support Manager</a>. We welcome the ‘new’ and
also appreciate the ‘old’. Soon it will be time for me to stand down too and hand over the presidency to <a href="https://twitter.com/MichelineShSk">Micheline Sheehy Skeffington.</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"Before that, I’ve been grovelling in churchyards, although
not quite with one foot in the grave yet. These areas do have good fungi and are often old, mature
grassland, which are not mowed frequently, and as a result can support a
variety of wild plants and fungi. </span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbPB4AiKtd_9BnAV1Df4h8zW2-vX2793G0zpKIdF-GmF8d_K9GoeFeb0nvoGuSwwko0QKXJ_i7N_6s-lI5G0HkoHH7IY9MnrwGOvYVLOfjcrCxLD5_fdAty7U538cIl06WcrHNtBW0ls2xaNXr4epiZa6WyejOeYX5bg869cMyIkz5RBKrCIjfXNhpg/s4000/P1080190.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbPB4AiKtd_9BnAV1Df4h8zW2-vX2793G0zpKIdF-GmF8d_K9GoeFeb0nvoGuSwwko0QKXJ_i7N_6s-lI5G0HkoHH7IY9MnrwGOvYVLOfjcrCxLD5_fdAty7U538cIl06WcrHNtBW0ls2xaNXr4epiZa6WyejOeYX5bg869cMyIkz5RBKrCIjfXNhpg/s320/P1080190.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Apricot Club Fungus in <br />Hemingford Grey Churchyard, <br />Cumbria<br />Image: L. Farrell</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"I've invited <a href="https://www.caringforgodsacre.org.uk/">Caring For God’s Acre</a>, the churchyard conservation group, to exhibit at our <a href="https://www.tickettailor.com/events/botanicalsocietyofbritainireland/744316">British and Irish Botanical Conference</a> (the event formerly known as the <a href="https://bsbi.org/annual-exhibition-meeting/archive">Annual Exhibition Meeting</a>) at the
Natural History Museum on Saturday 19th November, an opportunity to meet fellow
botanists again. I'll be giving a talk at the Conference called 'Plants, Conservation and Me'. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"Before that, on Saturday 5th November, the <a href="https://www.tickettailor.com/events/botanicalsocietyofbritainireland/746456">Scottish Botanists’ Conference</a> will take place at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"I very
much hope to see some of you at these meetings, as I have missed sharing plants
with other ‘plantoholics’ over the past three years. </span><o:p></o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Micheline will also be at the </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">British and Irish Botanical Conference</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> so it will be a chance for people to meet both the incoming and outgoing Presidents. This will be the first time in the Society's <a href="https://bsbi.org/download/31159/">196-year history</a> that both the incoming and outgoing Presidents have been women. Let's hope we don't have to wait another 196 years for this to happen again!"</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Many thanks to Lynne for this report, and if you'd like to catch up with her at one of our autumn events then please use the links above to book your space. We hope to see you there!</span></p>Louise Marsh, BSBIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853015015164789727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290723885428192841.post-70127356645807367952022-10-02T16:37:00.003+01:002022-10-03T10:32:39.749+01:00BSBI membership: save money with our autumn special offer!<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdwrWUIaAIzK9rxvF3hvH8fOg67PvogFZjvXBiowdC5Fg0RYYwL2Ahcub_T1gVRv69p4fx7E9CdI_i7J5I0KIRp41NT-D0OZo6O56cfYViUT8Nu0E2jYYs46z0HKPZRGRWe4d3US95-ESUKcGSjCDfXVNPTDvXvRd8BLHPCwkKq3VBlfcuKxSZSfggw/s2684/PIC%201%20front%20cover.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="2684" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdwrWUIaAIzK9rxvF3hvH8fOg67PvogFZjvXBiowdC5Fg0RYYwL2Ahcub_T1gVRv69p4fx7E9CdI_i7J5I0KIRp41NT-D0OZo6O56cfYViUT8Nu0E2jYYs46z0HKPZRGRWe4d3US95-ESUKcGSjCDfXVNPTDvXvRd8BLHPCwkKq3VBlfcuKxSZSfggw/s320/PIC%201%20front%20cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Tall herbs on Craig an Lochan<br />Image by BSBI member Sarah Watts</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Last autumn, we <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2021/10/bsbi-membership-weve-just-made-it.html">launched our membership special offer</a> by saying that 'in a rapidly changing world, our wild plants have never been more in need of the support, understanding and appreciation that BSBI is uniquely placed to provide'. Well frankly, that applies even more this year: we have never been more reliant on, and grateful for, the contributions of our fabulous volunteer members. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So today we are inviting you to <a href="https://bsbi.org/join-us">join our growing ranks,</a> if you haven't already, and asking our members to help us spread the word about the benefits of BSBI membership - for you and for our wonderful wild flowers. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So, at a time when we are all counting the pennies, why <a href="https://bsbi.org/join-us">join BSBI</a>?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">First of all, if you join BSBI in October, your membership starts at once so you could enjoy up to 15 months of membership benefits for the price of 12 months. You wouldn't need to renew your membership until January 2024.</span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsW2VtaMDL2NiL-e8N80NKQBg1hNRGpQTef22DUD04V8VHFbH88H6ag-skk_owXaPwAOuWFXmmPZQVDGLLC5TG6HIkeb4AD2K1greX_c1JxBu4pJUxwuaJfBkHnYl7HsyKvDhVdeFGsQSwFExkEGsT8pmjY2LgaM2SYaBaY4fYsPRgM8DPJvQ-ilpipw/s3251/PIC%203%20OR%204%20Yellow%20Monkswort%20Nonea%20lutea%20in%20Norfolk%20(Simon%20Harrap).jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3241" data-original-width="3251" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsW2VtaMDL2NiL-e8N80NKQBg1hNRGpQTef22DUD04V8VHFbH88H6ag-skk_owXaPwAOuWFXmmPZQVDGLLC5TG6HIkeb4AD2K1greX_c1JxBu4pJUxwuaJfBkHnYl7HsyKvDhVdeFGsQSwFExkEGsT8pmjY2LgaM2SYaBaY4fYsPRgM8DPJvQ-ilpipw/s320/PIC%203%20OR%204%20Yellow%20Monkswort%20Nonea%20lutea%20in%20Norfolk%20(Simon%20Harrap).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Yellow Monkswort<br />Image by BSBI member Simon Harrap</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Secondly, we've expanded our range of membership benefits in the past year and there are even more in the pipeline. As well as the three issues each year of <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2022/09/bsbi-news-september-issue-published.html">our membership newsletter <i>BSBI News</i></a> (check out the <a href="https://bsbi.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2022/09/BSBI-News-151-sampler-v2.pdf">free sample issue</a> and <a href="https://bsbi.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2022/09/BSBI-News-151-p30-33-Beginners-Corner.pdf">this article</a> to give you an idea of the contents), membership brings you big discounts on <a href="https://bsbi.org/bsbi-handbooks">BSBI Handbooks</a> and other selected botany books, favoured status when applying for <a href="https://bsbi.org/grants">BSBI training and plant study grants</a>, exclusive access to 100+ expert plant referees to help you with identification... Find out more <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2021/10/bsbi-membership-weve-just-made-it.html">here</a> about all these long-standing benefits. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This year, we also launched an environment-friendly paperless membership option; we revamped the password-protected members-only area of <a href="https://bsbi.org/">our website</a> with a range of new resources, such as 100+ scientific papers free to download and a free pdf of one of our most sought-after out-of-print Handbooks; we offered members-only volunteering opportunities; and we launched <a href="https://bsbi.org/nominations-awards">two new awards</a> for outstanding contributions to botany at local and national level. We will also be offering a whopping 50% discount to any member who wants to buy our third <a href="https://bsbi.org/atlas-2020">plant distribution atlas</a>, due to be published in March 2023.</span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkTtx23wZEHo2yDV9DcQC_DM2j4iTJeNNRdV-XoJtHUBnnQCE4nIXKkVAWufI3zEm6-FYufwt1iI4jrzXU082eYSQIlHJNdLRYkqSCOGL2-Z7u8XZOU42gP_OWs9VEURYA-0tiY85bl6suasL2tFBzoGl8I_FWcWSOHJo0gpT1n-NSn5TS2QvhzzHRlA/s4608/PIC%208%20Narrow-leaved%20Helleborine%20Cephalanthera%20longifolia%20on%20Mull%20(Patrick%20Marks).jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkTtx23wZEHo2yDV9DcQC_DM2j4iTJeNNRdV-XoJtHUBnnQCE4nIXKkVAWufI3zEm6-FYufwt1iI4jrzXU082eYSQIlHJNdLRYkqSCOGL2-Z7u8XZOU42gP_OWs9VEURYA-0tiY85bl6suasL2tFBzoGl8I_FWcWSOHJo0gpT1n-NSn5TS2QvhzzHRlA/s320/PIC%208%20Narrow-leaved%20Helleborine%20Cephalanthera%20longifolia%20on%20Mull%20(Patrick%20Marks).jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Narrow-leaved Helleborine<br />Image by BSBI member Patrick Marks</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">There is a third reason to consider joining us. Many of our 3,706 (as of today!) members carry out amazing work studying, recording, monitoring and helping to conserve wild plants across Britain and Ireland. But many others are simply happy to know that their subscription helps support <a href="https://bsbi.org/about-bsbi">our work</a> to advance the understanding and appreciation of wild plants and to support their conservation across Britain and Ireland. Check out our <a href="https://bsbi.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/BSBI-Policy-on-nature-conservation.pdf">nature conservation policy</a> and our <a href="https://bsbi.org/bsbi-strategy-2021">strategic plan</a> to find out more, or leaf through our latest <a href="https://bsbi.org/download/33663/">Annual Review</a> to find out what the Society achieved last year thanks to our wonderful members. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">If you are already a BSBI member, we'd like to say a huge thank you to each and every one of you for all that you do, and ask you to spread the word to friends and colleagues who you think might enjoy becoming a member - and don't forget that a gift membership of BSBI makes a great present for a loved one!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Our ranks are growing - an 11% increase compared to <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2021/10/bsbi-membership-weve-just-made-it.html">last October</a> - so if you haven't yet joined us, why not <a href="https://bsbi.org/join-us">head over here</a> and become our next new member? We can't wait to welcome you and send you your membership welcome pack. Together we can keep working towards a world where wild plants thrive and are valued - and so are the thousands of BSBI botanists who support them.</span></p>Louise Marsh, BSBIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853015015164789727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290723885428192841.post-7303627983885152372022-09-29T23:43:00.001+01:002022-09-29T23:56:44.932+01:00BSBI News: September issue published<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQHEW4fzAHadAarzkyb4sI9L5ZQWSk91qpqHxJVpaQE805BcdLcXseZcHLhdsMGSShaS0oW9icOeTvfpA4Nubsz7lXHu-dnl0XdaMhMGrcHh5Cf915PCWJexvokNprgVPINOtuV_V_ABBGN0rFzzWB_uqZ4iAJq4uX6MJhSGe2hpJIjXk9qLYz4o0dQ/s1447/BSBI%20News%20151%20cover%20(small).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1447" data-original-width="992" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQHEW4fzAHadAarzkyb4sI9L5ZQWSk91qpqHxJVpaQE805BcdLcXseZcHLhdsMGSShaS0oW9icOeTvfpA4Nubsz7lXHu-dnl0XdaMhMGrcHh5Cf915PCWJexvokNprgVPINOtuV_V_ABBGN0rFzzWB_uqZ4iAJq4uX6MJhSGe2hpJIjXk9qLYz4o0dQ/s320/BSBI%20News%20151%20cover%20(small).jpg" width="219" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We've just sent out copies of the latest issue of <i><a href="https://bsbi.org/bsbi-news">BSBI News</a></i> to 3,706 of our members, who will be able to enjoy 88 pages of botanical delights in our membership newsletter. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Electronic versions are already available on the password-protected <a href="https://bsbi.org/members">members-only area</a> of the BSBI website (email me <a href="mailto:louise.marsh@bsbi.org">louise.marsh@bsbi.org</a> if you've forgotten your password) and the growing number of members who have opted for paperless membership received their digital copies a couple of hours ago.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But what if you haven't yet joined BSBI and you're wondering what's inside the latest issue and whether you'd enjoy receiving three copies each year of <i>BSBI News</i>? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Take a look at our <a href="https://bsbi.org/download/33763/">free sampler</a> to get an idea of the content and you can also enjoy one full <a href="https://bsbi.org/download/33682/">free article</a>: four beautifully-illustrated pages by Mike Crewe on 'Getting to know the common thistles'.</span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-jNcUZqEYqRkoddrfkoPcbsQrgTYf_Py3vK1WbLmvRALsTRnoGxPk56n8OTDtNMxaHPcG__HI4MJ8wIeRQXsLB57uNfudw0-1dI2ByRkfyRAko-NIvUb4vBP6cCbzOXL7E1vWE4OJxtgwS94QJJ96iQ4jZDK-I9ajvCdam_ljoTjs5jMV7sNo5nShQ/s4032/Thlaspi%20alliaceum%20Combe%20Valley%20Countryside%20Park%202.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-jNcUZqEYqRkoddrfkoPcbsQrgTYf_Py3vK1WbLmvRALsTRnoGxPk56n8OTDtNMxaHPcG__HI4MJ8wIeRQXsLB57uNfudw0-1dI2ByRkfyRAko-NIvUb4vBP6cCbzOXL7E1vWE4OJxtgwS94QJJ96iQ4jZDK-I9ajvCdam_ljoTjs5jMV7sNo5nShQ/s320/Thlaspi%20alliaceum%20Combe%20Valley%20Countryside%20Park%202.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Garlic Penny-cress in East Sussex:<br />a <i>BSBI News</i> article asks, <br />is it native or introduced there?<br />Image: M. Berry<br /></span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Other articles in this latest issue include Howard Beck on Teesdale Violet; Richard Milne looking at Yellow Bird's-nest on brownfield sites in Scotland; a report summarising the results of the first three years of <a href="https://bsbi.org/plant-alert">Plant Alert</a> (the joint project between BSBI and Univ Coventry to discover which garden plants have the potential to become invasive and problematic in future); and over 20 pages of articles on Adventives and Aliens. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">There are also the usual book reviews, roundups of botanical news from across Britain and Ireland and advance notices of forthcoming BSBI events, such as the <a href="https://bsbi.org/atlas-2020">Atlas 2020</a> launch plans, the new Awards and updates about BSBI Referees.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Tucked inside each print copy of <i>BSBI News</i> (or in the same digital pack if you've gone paperless) are four other pieces of reading material: the latest <i>BSBI Annual Review</i> (which you can also download from the BSBI website <a href="https://bsbi.org/download/33663/">here</a>); invitations with programmes and booking links to the forthcoming <a href="https://bsbi.org/scottish-annual-meeting">Scottish Botanists' Conference</a> and <a href="https://bsbi.org/british-irish-botanical-conference">British & Irish Botanical Conference</a>; and an <a href="https://bsbi.org/download/33362/">agenda</a> for the <a href="https://www.tickettailor.com/events/botanicalsocietyofbritainireland/761201">AGM</a>.</span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSpl4O2c8ayzZzor0d9HzinQfBLM_rXhe9nr4k_lOMPqljZs_VEUxf4-LYAvhxC8fkPAyhPtrY_xOf_zsmJw6NydBqXxvYQeyYwrcbhr-i2MOOcupt5axmS2cW3kx_vzI1ajQ3_geJlS5Pfcv49v5NpX8bkFVVOzbUZim4zAGs2O9-9W7UavwW04Nkg/s4608/Lathyrus%20japonicus%20at%20Ceibwr%2018th%20July%202016%20Stephen%20Evans.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSpl4O2c8ayzZzor0d9HzinQfBLM_rXhe9nr4k_lOMPqljZs_VEUxf4-LYAvhxC8fkPAyhPtrY_xOf_zsmJw6NydBqXxvYQeyYwrcbhr-i2MOOcupt5axmS2cW3kx_vzI1ajQ3_geJlS5Pfcv49v5NpX8bkFVVOzbUZim4zAGs2O9-9W7UavwW04Nkg/s320/Lathyrus%20japonicus%20at%20Ceibwr%2018th%20July%202016%20Stephen%20Evans.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Sea Pea in Pembrokeshire; a report<br />in <i>BSBI News</i> suggests it may have been <br />lost from this site (the only one in Wales)<br />Image: S. Evans</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So, lots for members to enjoy and for supporters who haven't joined us yet, some tempting reading material in the form of the <a href="https://bsbi.org/download/33763/">sampler</a> and the <a href="https://bsbi.org/download/33682/">free article about thistles</a> - but if that entices you to want to join BSBI right now - don't do it! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Yes, you heard that right - do not under any circumstances <a href="https://bsbi.org/join-us">join BSBI</a> today. Instead, wait just two more days because our membership special offer opens on 1st October and then you'll be able to enjoy 15 months of membership for the price of 12 months. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Head back here on Saturday to read all about how you can take advantage of the special offer and to find out more about the many benefits of BSBI membership. Until then... enjoy that <a href="https://bsbi.org/download/33763/">sampler</a> and the <a href="https://bsbi.org/download/33682/">free article</a>! </span> </p>Louise Marsh, BSBIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853015015164789727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290723885428192841.post-63989948117912010362022-09-16T14:39:00.002+01:002022-09-16T14:39:24.878+01:00Out on the islands: September report by BSBI President Lynne Farrell<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNqzdjVNZr9pSfuBrBFsxQRx5gVGFDidTjRYKgIpEtcJhe_S8LligyKWGLNcKseyEhcD53flBcSm-oPROJE-lTjXkOmbw8n2mgO-otP61qiykA60W0zNIFzzlYC4W23JCsO8-GGl9wVkrKPNYnNCiiXOFiXWRzpv65cFoWGuvmCgVJY86nDuUFwBKjfQ/s640/IMG_1451.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNqzdjVNZr9pSfuBrBFsxQRx5gVGFDidTjRYKgIpEtcJhe_S8LligyKWGLNcKseyEhcD53flBcSm-oPROJE-lTjXkOmbw8n2mgO-otP61qiykA60W0zNIFzzlYC4W23JCsO8-GGl9wVkrKPNYnNCiiXOFiXWRzpv65cFoWGuvmCgVJY86nDuUFwBKjfQ/s320/IMG_1451.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Last time we heard from <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2019/11/interview-with-incoming-bsbi-president.html">BSBI President Lynne Farrell</a>, she was <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2022/08/restoration-august-report-by-bsbi.html">looking at restoration sites</a> in Cambridgeshire, where she used to be based, and Cumbria where she is based now. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But as well as being our President, Lynne is also BSBI County Recorder for Mid Ebudes, and last week she managed to visit her patch - here is her latest report:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"I’ve been out on my smaller islands recently, where the
weather was superb- it makes a change, and makes the botanising enticing.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"Here are some of the plants I spotted:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ljL_D0Zj8h-hW2X3kuEKhKH7uERCwCPsNGWzzlD0QsMfvTSl2l2cRg2SfP8l5Teh42bjsqHuGpeSe_bqe_YXleYEDf77FdtunYZwfW6SthJWbCUjcdIhI-eoreJlT3xvMbTPzSf_M795JEddkDUtTmyxtYdmJocXK6sTnQJsGsktRyzitvE5-fMRvA/s4000/P1070904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ljL_D0Zj8h-hW2X3kuEKhKH7uERCwCPsNGWzzlD0QsMfvTSl2l2cRg2SfP8l5Teh42bjsqHuGpeSe_bqe_YXleYEDf77FdtunYZwfW6SthJWbCUjcdIhI-eoreJlT3xvMbTPzSf_M795JEddkDUtTmyxtYdmJocXK6sTnQJsGsktRyzitvE5-fMRvA/s320/P1070904.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"<a href="https://plantatlas.brc.ac.uk/plant/spiranthes-romanzoffiana">Irish Lady’s-tresses <i>Spiranthes romanzoffiana</i></a> (image on left) is one of
our <a href="https://bsbi.org/maps?taxonid=2cd4p9h.m4s">rarest and elusive species</a>, but there is more chance of <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2018/08/bsbi-mayo-recording-event-2018-day-4.html">finding it in Ireland</a>, of course! In Scotland it is scattered on some of the islands, with
just a few locations on Ardnamurchan, on the mainland. It does occur in the
same habitats each year but it would seem not in the exactly the same places,
so you have to search diligently, and that is what we did with some success. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"It
is a part of the oceanic boreal-montane element widespread in N. America but
restricted to Britain and Ireland in Europe. Old lazy beds, and cattle-grazed
flushes near the sea are favoured spots. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"</span><a href="https://plantatlas.brc.ac.uk/plant/eriocaulon-aquaticum" style="font-family: helvetica;">Pipewort <i>Eriocaulon aquaticum</i></a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> is also a member of the same
botanical element, again </span><a href="https://bsbi.org/maps?taxonid=2cd4p9h.vfc" style="font-family: helvetica;">restricted to Britain and Ireland</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> and widespread in N.
America. On the island of Coll this means a fairly lumpy walk into the
‘interior’ but eventually you reach one of the hidden lochans (image above right and at foot of page) and find it is
flowering in late August and into September.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_T5f5vc8NT47MmDKUakN7YCbG17WKGY6Rl1p_DWIOCQTW9UJEWEXj-9FC0pRkbyBCJK7lZJygiyzEEEP3azlSZIp8nvXu_glnDd0uyB_99CQ0dpTzrfNbKM4yc-TxW8--7-tkLPcybdALvCv7Tr_Wum9ccPzM63zTqLkcHI5x3zqTrtdzxMvAFcVlQ/s4000/P1070897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_T5f5vc8NT47MmDKUakN7YCbG17WKGY6Rl1p_DWIOCQTW9UJEWEXj-9FC0pRkbyBCJK7lZJygiyzEEEP3azlSZIp8nvXu_glnDd0uyB_99CQ0dpTzrfNbKM4yc-TxW8--7-tkLPcybdALvCv7Tr_Wum9ccPzM63zTqLkcHI5x3zqTrtdzxMvAFcVlQ/s320/P1070897.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"There are other species which flower in the autumn and
although they may be insignificant in size, they are worth close inspection.
Muddy trackways, often by farm gates, and island lay-bys with wet gravel and a
smattering of peat, are just the places to get down on your hands and knees, to
find <a href="https://plantatlas.brc.ac.uk/plant/anagallis-minima">Chaffweed <i>Anagallis minima/ Centunculus minima</i></a> (image on right) and <a href="https://plantatlas.brc.ac.uk/plant/radiola-linoides">Allseed <i>Radiola linoides</i></a>. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"This often attracts the attention of locals, and several times they
enquired as to whether we needed help, assuming the car had broken down. Some
were sufficiently interested to get out of their cars and join us, and what’s
even more encouraging, was that they were pleased to learn about some of our
smallest plants".</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">That's some great outreach work by our President, spreading the word about BSBI and botanical recording to all the islands, big and small, across Britain and Ireland!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVnW7Kf4QnoXsX6HclmEXda4NnmMZbshc_dGvhtjOxz26-IAQwca0xE8IZL601rbIMEtobSCvhGyqqOo4jdr3uS7EfgPgnCrjIUNKfpwTuGKxn87s_6MEhKrkY9m3458Hj8qZX66fDMT4yxpoYPcUtfGQJYImSzowfw8SW-WsfeKdu2LmNeCXmsCIXRA/s4000/P1080023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVnW7Kf4QnoXsX6HclmEXda4NnmMZbshc_dGvhtjOxz26-IAQwca0xE8IZL601rbIMEtobSCvhGyqqOo4jdr3uS7EfgPgnCrjIUNKfpwTuGKxn87s_6MEhKrkY9m3458Hj8qZX66fDMT4yxpoYPcUtfGQJYImSzowfw8SW-WsfeKdu2LmNeCXmsCIXRA/w400-h300/P1080023.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p>Louise Marsh, BSBIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853015015164789727noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1290723885428192841.post-82212055333367734972022-09-09T17:19:00.005+01:002022-09-11T18:19:41.707+01:00British & Irish Botany: issue 4.3 published<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCD4E-YrzExPdY-Zc2hgMLTENOjdzgQ2qhJZWCQxFjvRtMvXlDkCs4NQcejNOWnCU2OhDGW2mDhpORRAdQFbedqtW3cgx-nfldnVmMKbtJD2dQ7fGsunMq0npldIvRQRX1MXRm1tjR0HE36th5kMGqL1XZjZHzjbJdZwJKOtOn_Kh3g2KWrLS_EIbWKA/s4000/wood%20vetch%20-%20Amphlett.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCD4E-YrzExPdY-Zc2hgMLTENOjdzgQ2qhJZWCQxFjvRtMvXlDkCs4NQcejNOWnCU2OhDGW2mDhpORRAdQFbedqtW3cgx-nfldnVmMKbtJD2dQ7fGsunMq0npldIvRQRX1MXRm1tjR0HE36th5kMGqL1XZjZHzjbJdZwJKOtOn_Kh3g2KWrLS_EIbWKA/s320/wood%20vetch%20-%20Amphlett.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Wood Vetch in the Cairngorms<br />Image: A. Amphlett</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We've just published the <a href="https://britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib/issue/view/17">third issue of the fourth volume</a> of <i>British & Irish Botany</i>, featuring eight papers by authors across Britain and Ireland. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We have two papers from Scotland.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Firstly, Andy Amphlett, BSBI County Recorder for <a href="https://bsbi.org/easterness">Easterness</a>, reviews the vascular plant flora of the Cairngorms Connect project area, Scotland, and consider some
possible implications of forest expansion to the natural tree line.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Secondly, <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2022/07/scottish-botanist-raises-extinction.html">Sarah Watts</a>, Ian Strachan & Richard Marriott report on remarkable botanical records from Corrour in Westerness, including the creeping form of Lesser Water-plantain (which they elevate to species status as <i>Baldellia repens)</i> and Coral-necklace <i>Illecebrum
verticillatum</i>, both new to Scotland.</span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-family: helvetica; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRzMEXtWdRTW-Y-s9FX-txoTQ42O4Fg-xMWJUfsY-GPk2G7dq_S7Q9-Yg_diZcEwK1xVMtAm_5mgnntPoQjJP7ZlXzJNYN5v7r54XJe1VUHwjtw3Lg7gEC7cfTWT4Xz6PDnm07ueJSJZMIs0ueSTVnqfcam8KkRwbNjeNoFVxAt6M9LqTb391w0wVR1Q/s1883/balde%20rep.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1364" data-original-width="1883" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRzMEXtWdRTW-Y-s9FX-txoTQ42O4Fg-xMWJUfsY-GPk2G7dq_S7Q9-Yg_diZcEwK1xVMtAm_5mgnntPoQjJP7ZlXzJNYN5v7r54XJe1VUHwjtw3Lg7gEC7cfTWT4Xz6PDnm07ueJSJZMIs0ueSTVnqfcam8KkRwbNjeNoFVxAt6M9LqTb391w0wVR1Q/s320/balde%20rep.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><i>Baldellia repens</i> at Corrour<br />Image: S. Watts</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">From Ireland, we have a detailed review by Tony Murray and Mike Wyse Jackson's of the history, status and conservation management of
Cottonweed <i>Achillea maritima</i> at Lady’s Island
Lake, Co. Wexford, while Eric Greenwood and Hugh McAllister explore the systematics and cytogenetics of Scurvygrass <i>Cochlearia </i><i>officinalis</i> around
northern Irish Sea coasts. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Wales is represented too, with <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2016/08/tim-rich-on-hunt-for-hebridean-hawkweeds.html">Tim Rich'</a>s account of the endemic </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Brecon Hawkweed <i>Hieracium breconense</i>, </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">confined to a single location in Craig-y-Ciliau National Nature Reserve in the Brecon Beacons. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We also have three papers relevant to wild plants across the whole of Britain and Ireland. Firstly, <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2016/10/wildflowers-along-road-and-rail-routes.html">Michael Braithwaite</a>, our President from 2005 to 2008, reports on change in species distributions at tetrad scale – this is a
supplement to the booklet <i>Change in the British Flora 1987-2004</i>, written by Michael with <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2017/08/bob-ellis-retires-as-bsbi-projects.html">Bob Ellis</a> and Chris Preston in 2006 and available <a href="https://www.summerfieldbooks.com/product/change-in-the-british-flora-1987-2004-4/">from Summerfield Books here</a>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8uZ22-_CK1JvTtCq5UasQeHzon7N5Tt-RLw878XVVsoy2ARuh27NfUMYgXcpUdZIn_IdLlR1NsBqZwYD1V94pArs3X5eQb6eFsK8OIc72t7eG1MlQ5HlyaCyqu-i5CkKlv_1FhtUN2draGBb6_G0Lrr-gALI2ILVLdhRC7wajCfXqUepQOCj2GYMAQ/s1379/hiera%20bre.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="920" data-original-width="1379" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8uZ22-_CK1JvTtCq5UasQeHzon7N5Tt-RLw878XVVsoy2ARuh27NfUMYgXcpUdZIn_IdLlR1NsBqZwYD1V94pArs3X5eQb6eFsK8OIc72t7eG1MlQ5HlyaCyqu-i5CkKlv_1FhtUN2draGBb6_G0Lrr-gALI2ILVLdhRC7wajCfXqUepQOCj2GYMAQ/s320/hiera%20bre.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Brecon Hawkweed<br />Image: T. Rich</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Next, Hugh McAllister and Andy Amphlett have teamed up to provide a definitive taxonomic treatment of the Tufted hair-grass <i>Deschampsia cespitosa</i> complex in Great Britain
and Ireland.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Finally, we have a paper by Julian Shaw and colleagues at the Royal Horticultural Society
describing a hybrid between the two species of Giant-rhubarbs <i>Gunnera </i>previously considered widespread in cultivation and proving <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2018/03/invasives-week-plants-of-concern.html">invasive</a> in <a href="https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2013/10/gunnera-tinctoria-spreading-on-benbecula.html">some regions of Britain and Ireland.</a> This previously overlooked hybrid is now
considered to greatly outnumber one of the two parental species (<i>G. manicata</i>).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So, another <a href="https://britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib/issue/view/17">fabulous issue here</a> of our </span><a href="https://britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib" style="font-family: helvetica;">Open Access scientific journal</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">, free for authors to publish in and for you to read - and we hope that there will be something of interest in this issue (as in all our </span><a href="https://britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bib/issue/archive" style="font-family: helvetica;">back-issues</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">) for every botanist across Britain and Ireland. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Louise Marsh, BSBIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853015015164789727noreply@blogger.com0