Bookings open for the Scottish Annual Meeting

Jim (on left) at Kew with Gwynn Ellis,
BSBI Membership Secretary
Image: L. Marsh

BSBI Scottish Officer Jim McIntosh has been in touch to let us know that bookings are now being taken for this year's BSBI Scottish Annual Meeting.

Jim said “The BSBI Scottish Annual Meeting is a highlight in many botanists’ diaries. And it is not hard to see why – there are some great exhibits, some great talks, a great selection of mini-workshops and a great pop-up botanical bookshop. 

"This year our main speaker is Dr. Ken Thompson, author of Where do camels belong?, who will give a fascinating talk entitled 'Aliens in the British flora'." 

Jim welcomes delegates to the BSBI/RBGE
Mapping Conference, held at RBGE in 2012.

Ken's name will be well-known to regular News & Views readers - he's a BSBI member and if you haven't seen his column in The Telegraph or read one of his books, you could try this or this for a flavour of what you can expect. Ken is as good a speaker as he is a writer! Back to Jim for details of how to book:

"The Scottish Annual Meeting will be held on Saturday the 7th of November at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh – the epicentre of all botanical activity in Scotland. All botanists, whether members or not, are very welcome. 

"For further details, you can book (and pay) now via our new online booking system or you can complete this flyer - it's also available on the BSBI Scotland webpage - and post it to the address given in the flyer by the 1st November, enclosing your cheque". 

Natural History Museum: plans to transform the grounds

Bee (Lasioglossum sp.)
on Harebell
Image: R. Clark

This summer, the Natural History Museum (NHM) announced their intention to develop their grounds and they chose a design which would impact upon the much-loved Wildlife Garden. Since then, broadcast, print and social media have been buzzing with opinions on the proposal, both for and against. Here's how the BBC covered the story, here it is in Horticulture Week, in The Guardian here and here, and here's the Daily Mail's take. 

Regular News & Views readers will be well aware of how BSBI responds to issues like this - as a scientific society, we try to find out the facts, we look for any likely impacts on the British and Irish flora and we share this information with you, along with links to opinion pieces for and against, so that you can make up your own mind.

So we were delighted when Justin Morris, NHM's Director of Public Engagement, invited BSBI and other organisations along to a briefing about the proposal, which NHM hopes will "create more public space, improve the visitor experience and provide much greater connectivity to the surrounding urban realm and into the Museum buildings. The proposal will also engage a far greater proportion of visitors with the Museum’s core narratives of evolution, biodiversity and sustainability. In particular a far greater area than is currently the case will be given over to exploring the importance of biodiversity, not least in an urban environment, and why this is important for the future of human society".

Caterpillar of Cinnabar Moth
on Ragwort
Image: R. Clark

We accepted Justin's invitation and ecologist Ryan Clark (who sits on BSBI's Meetings & Communications Committee) went along to the briefing last Wednesday. Here is his report: 

"NHM's argument in favour of the development is based on the conviction that something must be done to increase public engagement. They point out that very few people who are not naturalists already actually visit the Wildlife Garden, and I must admit that I don’t very often see young children in there engaging with wildlife.

"The plans we were shown were slightly different to the architects' and designers' plans shown here, here and here, but NHM are going to circulate some Powerpoint slides and briefing notes next week. I'll let you know when these arrive but for now, here's a summary from the briefing:

Tree Bee (Bombus hypnorum)
queen on Hairy Violet
Image: R. Clark

"The idea is to improve flow from the front steps area up to the Darwin Centre area. The gates in the corner of the Wildlife Garden backing onto Queens Gate will also be opened as a new entry point into the site. To cope with changes in height, and so they don’t have to adjust the height of the woodland (!) NHM plans to build a retaining wall. This will have a biodiversity narrative incorporated into it and will be around 5 ft at its highest point.

"From the front steps going west, there will be a grassland meadow ‘vista’ area which NHM say will include chalk, neutral and wet grasslands (I don't have any details yet on how they will manage that!)

This will lead to the larger pond which will be lowered (architects' plans show it as circular but we were assured this was incorrect.)

Gallery-like platforms will extend above the larger pond and will feature specimens of crops and crop wild relatives, along with garden plants which benefit wildlife.

The upper smaller pond will be retained in its current state.

The design includes an ‘edge path’ through some open woodland containing fruit trees. The idea here is to create familiarity for British visitors and offer a taste of British culture to the 60% of the museum's visitors who come from abroad.

The current woodland area will be retained and there will also be open/bare areas for plants and invertebrates.

The butterfly house will be moved to near the Darwin Centre and an outdoor covered space near the amphitheatre steps will be created, expanding this area's potential for educational use. This will be large enough to accommodate a class of students. Inside the museum, exhibits will be rearranged so that this side of the museum is more biodiversity (especially British biodiversity) based".

Bee Orchid
Image: R. Clark

Thanks to Ryan for these notes from the briefing - for a very different slant, News & Views readers may also want to take a look at this opinion piece by respected naturalist and BSBI member Peter Marren, who also attended the briefing. 

So, to follow up Peter's comments, what about the plants and invertebrates which currently use the Wildlife Garden? As this article in The Telegraph last spring points out, more than 2,600 species have been recorded there, including 300 species of plants, including Cowslip, Bluebell and Bee Orchid. 

Many people have taken to Facebook and Twitter in recent days to point out the irony of a Wildlife Garden which supports such rich biodiversity being "destroyed" to facilitate greater public engagement with biodiversity!

Ryan, however, points out that "some, but not all, of the habitats will be lost, but it's worth noting that most of the 2,500 species recorded are invertebrates that have flown into the traps from the nearby Royal Parks - they aren't actually supported by the Wildlife Garden. It sounds as though NHM plans to retain as many habitats as possible which support biodiversity and they obviously hope that the new design will help people engage more effectively with the revamped Wildlife Garden. The current plans don't look as if they will increase the biodiversity of the site, but this may change following the consultation process, so it’s important that we all make our thoughts known on these initial plans."

Green Shield Bug on Ivy flowers
Image: R. Clark 

BSBI President Ian Denholm said “A great deal of work has gone into maximising the wildlife and educational value of the existing garden, and it is disappointing to read that much of this effort is threatened by plans to restructure the grounds adjacent to Cromwell Road. While acknowledging the benefits of improving access to collections and exhibits within the NHM, one wonders whether there isn’t a compromise that would retain the diversity of habitats currently present while making better use of entry and exit points at the western end of the building – a win-win scenario that would complement plans for redevelopments elsewhere on the site”.

We'll keep you posted as we hear more on these proposals - Ryan says that there will be a follow-up meeting at the NHM early in November. Justin Morris is keen to know what BSBI members think, so we'd like to go back to that meeting with a summary of your initial responses to the proposals (for or against!). 

If you would like to comment on what you've heard so far, please leave a comment below or send me an email if you would prefer to comment out of the public eye. Or you can email the NHM direct at this address: groundsproject@nhm.ac.uk - don't forget to mention that you are a BSBI member!

Latest issue of BSBI News now out.

A tricky Whitebeam: Sorbus greenii
Image: D. Green. 

The latest issue of BSBI News has now been published and is winging its way towards BSBI members as we speak. 

It was delayed slightly so that we could include a print copy of the latest BSBI Annual Review - hot off the press and soon to appear on the BSBI website. 

You will also find a flyer, with booking form and programme, inviting you to this year's BSBI Annual Exhibition Meeting. For non-members (who are also welcome at the AEM), we'll be posting the flyer later this week on this page. 

But here's a sneak preview of what you can expect when you open your copy of BSBI News:

A note about Sorbus greenii which also features on the front cover of this issue of BSBI News.

Mibora minima with 5p piece for scale
Image: S. Bungard/P. Smith

A paper on the botanical interest of Runnymede in this year of the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta.

Two responses to the recent paper published in the last issue of BSBI News and in Times Higher Education, bemoaning the current paucity of field biology courses in our universities. 

A new record for Scotland - the tiny Mibora minima on North Uist, spotted by sharp-eyed Oli Pescott, photographed by Stephen Bungard and reported here. It is known from East Lothian as a presumed introduction from 1851, but this is the first record of it growing in the wild in Scotland.

Harebells in the Burren Botany Bubble
Image courtesy of M. Bermingham

An article about the Burren Botany Bubble, featured on these pages a few months ago.

Plans for New Journal of Botany, which is available on-line here. Members can click through to papers by using their password (email Alex if you've forgotten it) and non-members can read the abstracts and see what they're missing!  

A report from Scotland on successful training workshops for beginners; and notes from BSBI members and country officers on interesting species recorded this summer across Britain and Ireland.

A note from Mel Linney about orchid finds in South Yorks., which includes the image below!

Spotted on a S. Yorks road verge
Image courtesy of M. Linney

Foraging has enjoyed a revival in interest in recent years. Some BSBI members are, or have been in the past, active foragers and consider it an excellent way to get people involved in the natural world. Other members worry about the impact on plant populations. 

BSBI News offers two papers presenting both sides of the argument, in the hope that members will join in the debate. Leave a comment below if you have strong feelings either way but are not yet a BSBI member. And remember - if you join BSBI, you will receive three print copies of BSBI News each year. If you join today, your one-year subscription runs right through to 31 December 2016!

BSBI's ongoing support for the next generation of naturalists.

Young Darwin Scholars with tutor
Image courtesy of
Field Studies Council

BSBI has always been keen to invest in the future by supporting our next generation of naturalists. One of the ways that we have been doing this in recent years is by supporting the Young Darwin Scholarship (YDS). 

This initiative was set up by the Field Studies Council to "encourage and support young people who have a real interest in the natural world - to develop the next generation of 'Darwins'." 

BSBI has been proud to support YDS ever since it was launched and you can read more about the scholars we helped in 2012 by clicking here and here is a report on YDS in 2014.

Ammaarah examining a plant.
Image courtesy of
Field Studies Council

So it was great to hear last week from Cathy Preston at the Field Studies Council about this year's crop of Young Darwins. BSBI President Ian Denholm was delighted to read Cathy's report and you can see his response below, but first, here's what Cathy told us: 

"Once again this year FSC has have been privileged to be able to award Young Darwin Scholarships and work with 15 enthusiastic and passionate young people as well as continue to support the previous three cohorts of scholars. 

"We are very grateful to BSBI for its continued commitment and support for the initiative and I am also very grateful for the involvement and time contributed by key members of BSBI's Training & Education Committee, such as Sarah Whild, Mark Duffell and of course Sue Townsend.

BSBI Referee Fred Rumsey introduces 
Young Darwin Scholars to herbarium sheets
Image courtesy of Field Studies Council

"The 2015 Young Darwin Scholars (YDS) were a warm and friendly group of young people who were enthusiastic and engaged with all elements of the programme. As in previous years we had a mix of young people with general interest and some who had a very specific interest. 

"Throughout the programme the young people were identifying and recording flora and fauna and considering conservation issues such as the effect of different land management practices. 

Young Darwin Scholars in the field
Image courtesy of
Field Studies Council

"During their canoe journey down the River Severn each canoe ‘team’ devised a citizen science project to estimate the Himalayan Balsam population on the river bank.

"On the final full day of the programme the YDS benefited from Sarah’s presentation on biological recording and then during the Bioblitz session Mark was able to work with small groups and has inspired several of the YDS to follow up their interest in botany – something which I shall support and encourage. 

On that day the YDS submitted over 120 records using iRecord.

"In addition to this year’s cohort of YDS, the majority of the previous years’ cohort are still in touch and many are taking up further opportunities with us. 

Young Darwin Scholars examine their specimens
Image courtesy of Field Studies Council

"It is wonderful to have 60 YDS and it is thanks to the support of BSBI and other kind funders that FSC is able to continue this work. I am quite convinced that out of the 60 we shall have some future ‘stars’ of the environmental world. Many thanks!"

Inspirational stuff! 

Thanks to Cathy for sharing this and to BSBI President Ian Denholm, who responded by inviting the Young Darwins to join us at this year's BSBI Annual Exhibition Meeting in London on 28th November, saying:    

"I’m delighted that BSBI was, once again, able to support the Young Darwin Scholarships and thereby contribute to enthusing and training a new generation of naturalists and conservationists. I wish our Scholars every success with developing their careers and look forward to hearing reports of their progress".

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.