A hidden gem in South London

The Institute holds training sessions and workshops
Image courtesy of South London Botanical Institute

Have you ever visited the South London Botanical Institute? 

This "hidden little gem of Tulse Hill" houses a herbarium, a library and a small but exquisite botanic garden, but I wonder how many people know it's there or have any idea how or why - or by whom - it was founded.

That's all about to change - in tomorrow's episode of 'Natural History Heroes' on BBC Radio 4, we should all find out about the life of Allan Octavian Hume, botanist and ornithologist, who founded the South London Botanical Institute in 1910. 

The garden at SLBI
Image courtesy of
South London Botanical Institute

Roy Vickery was interviewed for the programme which goes out live at 1.45 tomorrow and should be available on iPlayer here soon after. Roy is a botanist at the Natural History Museum and, until recently, was BSBI Vice-President.

Roy told me "Although the programme will concentrate on Hume's ornithological activities in India, it will also include an interview with me about Hume's botanical collecting in the U.K. and his work as founder of the South London Botanical Institute. 

"I took the BBC interviewer around the Institute and told her how Hume set it up in 1910 because he thought it would be good for South London people to know more about plants; possibly this would discourage drunkenness. I showed her the herbarium, library and garden and talked about how Hume hoped this would achieve his goals". 

Getting creative in the library at Tulse Hill
Image courtesy of South London Botanical Institute

The herbarium, library and garden are still available today for the good people of South London and beyond to enjoy. 

Find out more here. 

If you are in the area, why not drop in and send us a report? 

Do remember to tell us whether or not your visit to the South London Botanical Institute discouraged you from drunkenness...

Sir Hans Sloane's herbarium on Radio 4

Are you listening to Dr Mark Spencer on BBC Radio 4's 'Natural History Heroes'? If you missed today's episode, you can catch it again here on iPlayer. 

Cabinets housing the Sloane volumes
Image courtesy of Natural History Museum

Mark talked about Sir Hans Sloane and his herbarium collection, which is housed at the Natural History Museum. Sir Hans' 265 volumes of pressed specimens are housed in a purpose-built special collections room, with each volume in its own temperature- and humidity-controlled cabinet. How very grand!  

We are hoping that Mark will agree to lead one of his famous behind-the-scenes tours of the herbarium at this year's BSBI Annual Exhibition Meeting (AEM), which this year is taking place at the Natural History Museum on Saturday 28th November. These tours have proved incredibly successful in previous years but Mark is incredibly busy this year with Orchid Observers and all his media appearances. Fingers crossed that he can fit us in! 

BSBI members should keep an eye out this week for the postie, who will be bringing you more info about the AEM and how you can book. 

If you are not yet a BSBI member, the AEM is one of the best ways to find out more about the society (and it's a great botanical day out and you get first dibs on next year's Field Meetings Programme and admission is free!) We'll be posting booking details on this page once all our members have been contacted. 

A few late-season wild flowers

Frog Rush in VC55
Image: G. Hall

Although the season is nearly over, botanists have still been finding interesting plants in flower during the past few weeks - and a few oddities! Some rarities have been recorded but people are also enjoying finding out which of the more common species are still in flower.

A quick glance through the list of blogs by BSBI members (below right) shows that Stephen Bungard on Skye found an unusual specimen of Equisetum fluviatile (Water Horsetail), with mildew on alternate segments. 

Click here to see Stephen's photograph of the strange Horsetail and please leave a comment below if you can help Stephen who is "trying to work out how that comes about". Maybe he should consult Oli Ellingham about the mildew?

Saw-wort in Breconshire
Image courtesy of John Crellin
http://www.floralimages.co.uk/

Ambroise Baker spotted Senecio inaequidens (Narrow-leaved Ragwort) on railway tracks near Doncaster last month and says "Keep your eyes peeled as it is likely to be under-recorded". In VC55 Leicestershire & Rutland, a second county record of Juncus ranarius (Frog Rush) was confirmed by Tom Cope at Kew, who said "The species seems to be on the march across the country". Another one to watch out for?

Guardian Country Diary columnist Phil Gates (a BSBI member) reported Viola lutea (Mountain Pansy) still in flower in Teesdale.

 Nevil's Wild Life blog notes Cirsium arvense (Creeping Thistle) still in flower in Sussex and John Crellin notes Succisa pratensis (Devil's-bit Scabious) and Serratula tinctoria (Saw-wort) flowering in Breconshire. 

Further south in Wales, the Gower Wildlife blog reports  Hypericum humifusum (Trailing St. John's-wort) in flower earlier this month. 

Salicornia x marshallii in Co. Wexford
Image: P. Green

A few weeks ago in Montgomeryshire, BSBI's Welsh Officer Polly Spencer-Vellacott found Rumex maritimus (Golden Dock) - a nice plant to welcome back Polly, who has recently returned from maternity leave. 

In Co. Wexford, Paul Green seems to be finding a new rarity every few days! On Monday it was the nationally rare Atriplex longipes (Long-stalked Orache), on Wednesday there was a first record for Ireland of Salicornia x marshallii (a hybrid Glasswort) and Friday brought news of Paula O'Meara's find of Chenopodium glaucum (Oak-leaved Goosefoot), new for Co. Wexford.

New UK awards to celebrate biological recording and information sharing.

Wildflowers really do get more interesting
the more closely you look at them!
Image courtesy of National Biodiversity Network

Biological recorders don't often get a chance to stand in the spotlight and receive well-deserved applause from their peers for all their hard work. 

Many News & Views readers will be able to think of a few people whose contributions to biological recording and information sharing are truly outstanding, raising the bar for the rest of us. 

Well, now there's a chance to acknowledge the contributions of those inspirational individuals, whether old hands or keen young enthusiasts. 

BSBI recorders at Rutland Water NNR, VC55
Image: M. Crittenden 

Over to Purba from the National Biodiversity Network to tell us more: 

The National Biodiversity Network (NBN) is now accepting nominations for the inaugural 2015 awards for outstanding contributions to biological recording, information sharing and improving our understanding of the UK’s wildlife. These awards have been developed by the National Biodiversity Network, the National Forum for Biological Recording and the Biological Records Centre and are sponsored by Swarovski Optik UK.

There are four award categories:

the Gilbert White youth award for terrestrial and freshwater wildlife

the Gilbert White adult award for terrestrial and freshwater wildlife

the David Robertson youth award for marine and coastal wildlife

the David Robertson adult award for marine and coastal wildlife

John Sawyer gets up close and personal with an orchid!
Image courtesy of National Biodiversity Network

The awards committee will consider the significance of the contribution (voluntary or otherwise) made to biological recording and/or improving our understanding of the UK’s biodiversity. This could include filling geographic or taxonomic gaps in our knowledge, encouraging and facilitating participation, verifying records, teaching or mentoring recorders, or creating and sharing tools and resources to support biological recording and increasing participation. 

If you, or your organisation, can think of any individuals or any groups of people that have made an outstanding contribution, please would you nominate them for the relevant award?  

John Sawyer, Chief Executive of the National Biodiversity Network said: “The NBN has received a number of nominations for the inaugural 2015 Awards for outstanding contributions to biological recording and improving our understanding of the UK’s wildlife. 

Biological recorders may have to brave the elements
 to get those records - a "Weather-writer" helps!
Image courtesy of S. Whild/BSBI T&E

“Surprisingly though, we’ve received a small number of nominations for young people (under 18 years old). We are sure there are plenty of youngsters who are on their way to becoming part of the next generation of recorders, so please think about whether there is a young star in your midst and nominate them for this award. 

“Let me also encourage you to support these inaugural national awards by nominating individuals or groups for the Gilbert White adult award for terrestrial and freshwater wildlife and also for the David Robertson adult award for marine and coastal wildlife.  But hurry, the deadline for nominations is 30 September 2015.” 

Click here for a nomination form. You can nominate one person, or group, for different categories using the same form.  If you wish to nominate more than one person or group please use a separate form for each nominee.

BSBI President Ian Denholm consulting 
Clive Stace's Flora of the British Isles
 - the 'Botanists' Bible'
Image: L. Marsh

The awards will be presented at a special ceremony on the evening of 19 November 2015 as part of the two-day NBN Conference in York on 19-20 November 2015.

Many thanks to Purba for sharing this and to John and the good folks at NBN for setting up these awards. 

BSBI President Ian Denholm said "These awards are an excellent idea from our colleagues at NBN. I would encourage botanists to participate by nominating any recorder who they feel has made an outstanding contribution to biological recording and information sharing. By showing our support and thanks, we can acknowledge excellent work carried out thus far and encourage our younger recorders to get more involved - they are the future of biological recording, so let's show how much we value them." 

So it's over to you now, botanists: ready, steady - nominate!

"Piles of plants" at end of BSBI Irish AGM!

Social media was buzzing on Saturday with BSBI members in Ireland live tweeting from the Irish AGM, held at the Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin.

Oisin Duffy tweeted the image on the right, of Matthew Jebb, Director of the Botanic Gardens, giving a talk titled 'In R. L. Praeger's footsteps'. 

BSBI Irish Officer Maria Long tweeted "Yes, absolutely fascinating talk on Praeger, his incredible athleticism and his botanical legacy."

Next up were talks on alien plants from Sylvia Reynolds, Paul Green, Graham Day and John Faulkner (Chair of the Committee for Ireland). Speakers focused on which alien species to look out for while botanists are out recording for Atlas 2020.

Maria tweeted the image on the left of John surrounded by piles of plants by the end of the session and everyone agreed that to a botanist, that's one sign of a successful meeting!

BSBI President Ian Denholm was at the Irish AGM so I'm hoping to hear more about it when I catch up with him on Wednesday, when BSBI's Meetings & Communications Committee meets in London. If there's any juicy gossip, News & Views readers will be the first to know... 

Attenborough's Hawkweed meets Sir David Attenborough!

Tim Rich and Attenborough's Hawkweed
Image: J. Daggett

Lovely to see BSBI expert botanist Dr Tim Rich meeting his hero Sir David Attenborough on BBC's One Show just now! 

Tim was in the studio with Sir David and had brought along a small live specimen of Hieracium attenboroughianum. This is the Hawkweed which Tim discovered in Wales last year and named after his hero. The new species was described in New Journal of Botany last December.

The programme is available here on iPlayer (around 10 minutes in) so even if you missed it, you can catch the encounter between Sir David and our Tim, and hear how the young Tim was inspired to become a botanist/ecologist after seeing Sir David's TV programme World About Us. 

Let's hope that a few youngsters watching the programme are also inspired to follow a career in natural history. Maybe in a few decades, we'll turn on our TVs and see a fresh-faced youngster presenting Tim with a new species named after him?!

Three cheers for Sir David Attenborough and Dr Tim Rich, informing and inspiring the next generation of naturalists!

Commemorating Oliver Rackham: Part Two

Prof Oliver Rackham & colleagues.
Note the Prof's famous
red socks & sandals combo!
Image courtesy of J. Moody

Last month, we reported on plans under way for events to commemorate Prof Oliver Rackham, including a Commemorative Symposium to be held in Cambridge over the weekend of 13-14 August 2016. If you would like to attend, you will need to indicate interest here before the end of September.

There is more info here on the University of Cambridge's Dept of Plant Sciences website. The team behind the Rackham commemoration events have also released this pdf which gives links to conferences and other international events dedicated to Prof Rackham's memory.  

A Facebook page for Oliver has been set up and the pdf also gives details of another upcoming event: the inaugural National Coppicing Day, which will take place on what would have been Oliver’s 76th birthday, 17 October 2015. Events are planned at various woods around Britain and there is another Facebook page for more information about them.

Prof Oliver Rackham 
Image courtesy of J. Moody

The pdf also explains what is happening to Prof Rackham's herbarium and archive. Good to see that his specimens have been relocated to the Cambridge University Herbarium, where they now sit alongside specimens collected by Darwin and Henslow. 

Photography of the herbarium specimens is apparently well under way, with over 1000 specimens already digitised. If you are interested in viewing the Herbarium, please email Christine Bartram to arrange a visit. 

The pdf also explains that "Oliver's archive - notebooks, papers, slides, photos, etc - is moving to Corpus Christi College as The Rackham Archive, where it will be under the care of Dr Lucy Hughes, the college archivist, and eventually accessible to scholars. 

"If you have a story or memory about Oliver that you would like to contribute to the Rackham Archive for posterity, please write it up and send it to Dr Lucy Hughes."