Five go to Colonsay

Lochan on Colonsay: spot the botanist!
Image: K. Walker

The two members of BSBI's Science Team (Head of Science Kevin Walker and Scientific Officer Pete Stroh) have been working incredibly hard writing scientific papers, preparing Species Accounts and of course seeing their book Threatened Plants in Britain and Ireland through to publication. 

They certainly deserved a break, but of course for botanists a break means... going out looking at plants! Read on to hear Kevin's account of his and Pete's latest botanical adventure: 

"Botanising on Colonsay is always an adventure and this June was no exception for the “famous five” botanists who assembled in Oban on the 16th June: myself, Pete Stroh, David Pearman, Simon Leach and Stephen Bungard standing in for Owen Mountford who has been a regular team member but went earlier this year to take part in the Colonsay Spring Festival. This was our fifth successive trip to record the flora of the island for a new Flora to update the checklists produced by McNeill (1910) and Clarke & Clarke (1991).

David Pearman on Colonsay
Image: K. Walker

"Colonsay is small by Hebridean standards; nine miles long and four miles at its widest. It actually comprises two islands: Oransay, the smaller of the two and reputedly the landing place for St Columb before he settled in Iona, is connected to the “mainland” by a wide sandy bay (The Strand) which is walkable at low tide. The geology is uniformly acid with a few bands of limestone that outcrop in a few places (e.g. Kiloran Bay). 

"It is low-lying (the highest point is 143 m) with a rugged terrain covered in deep heather and bogs contrasting with large expanses of tightly grazed machair on the dunes and where sand has been blown inland. The coastline is mainly rocky, with some impressive cliffs with large seabird colonies, and fragments of saltmarsh in less exposed locations. 

Ajuga pyramidalis
Image: K. Walker

"There are about a dozen lochans, the largest of which (East, West and Middle Loch Fada) support an internationally important aquatic flora due to its populations of Slender Naiad (Najas flexilis). It is largely unwooded although two ancient woods survive on its east coast, the largest (Coille Mhor) supporting a remarkable diversity of hyperoceanic vascular plants, lichens, bryophytes and ferns.

"Despite its small size Colonsay is a haven for wildlife. Although most famous for its breeding bird populations which include Chough, Hen Harrier, Golden Eagle, and Corncrake (Jardine et al., 2017) its flora is equally impressive. Since 2014 we have recorded nearly 700 species with an average of around 171 species per monad, despite the fact that many coastal monads only have a small area of land. 

"Although Colonsay has a number of rarities such as Irish Lady’s-tresses (Spiranthes romanzoffiana), Slender Naiad (Najas flexilis), Pyramidal Bugle (Ajuga pyramidalis) and Dune Gentian (Gentianella uliginosa), it is the abundance of the supporting cast that really grabs the attention. 

Utricularia stygia
Image: K. Walker

"For us “southerners” these include Hay Scented Buckler Fern (Dryopteris aemula) which is ubiquitous in shaded habitats, often growing with Lesser Twayblade (Neottia cordata) and Wilson’s Filmy-fern (Hymenophyllum wilsonii) whereas numerous bog-pools support a distinctive assemblage including Slender Sedge (Carex lasiocarpa), Bog Sedge (C. limosa), Great Sundew (Drosera anglica), White-beaked Sedge (Rynchospora alba) and Nordic Bladderwort (Utricularia stygia) and more locally Oblong-leaved Sundew (Drosera intermedia) and Bog Orchid (Hammarbya paludosa) (a third site in 2018). 

"Flushes abound with Dioecious Sedge (Carex dioica) and Pale Butterwort (Pinguicula lusitanica) and in 2015 we found Broad-leaved Cottongrass (Eriophorum latifolium) new to the island in a small valley mire on the east coast. 

"Around the coast Saltmarsh Flat-sedge (Blysmus rufus) is almost guaranteed in reasonably sized saltmarshes whereas Scots Lovage (Ligusticum scoticum) and Roseroot (Sedum rosea) are locally abundant on seacliffs and rocky shores. 

Euphrasia sp. - you'll need the
Eyebright Handbook to
work out which one!
Image: K. Walker

"The edges of rough tracks are “festooned” (that maybe overstating it!) with Chaffweed (Centunculus minimus) and All-seed (Radiola linoides) and less occasionally Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile). 

"Hay meadows abound with Hay-rattle (Rhinanthus minor) and Euphrasia arctica whereas E. nemorosa is widespread and E. confusa, E. tetraquetra and E. micrantha more localised in coastal habitats and heaths. “Northerners” may be surprised by the abundance of Bugloss (Anchusa arvensis), Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis), and Blunt-flowered Rush (Juncus subnodulosus) and the occurrence of Marsh Helleborine (Epipactis palustris) which still occurs in the coastal marsh where it was discovered in 1906 (Somerville, 1907).

"Colonsay also has a large non-native element, largely due to plantings in the policy wood at Colonsay House and Gardens, the centre of the main estate on the island. Notable escapes include Rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum), which is well naturalised on moorland and bogs across the island, American skunk-cabbage (Lysichiton americanus) and Pink Purslane (Claytonia sibirica). Species regenerating prolifically in the policy woods themselves include New Zealand Privet (Griselinia littoralis) and Chilean Myrtle (Luma apiculata).

Elatine hexandra
Image: K. Walker

"Although we’ve visited 79 of the 81 monads that make up the island, we continue to make new discoveries. This year’s star finds were Six-stamened Waterwort (Elatine hexandra) in East Loch Fada where it has been known since the 1980s, Drosera x obovata growing amongst its parents near to Loch Cholla, Wood Avens (Geum urbanum) in the woods near Colonsay house and Gardens and Greater Chickweed (Stellaria neglecta) in a 100 year-old plantation near to Scalasaig. 

"But possibly the most remarkable find was Meadow Thistle (Cirsium dissectum). This was originally noticed by David Jardine in 2017 and confirmed by us after a chance encounter between the botany and bird teams. This appears to be the most northerly location in Britain, and just to the north of populations in similar habitats on Islay and in Knapdale.

Kevin and David on Colonsay,
testing the new Eyebright Handbook
Image: P. Stroh

"But many species have yet to be re-discovered; most notably Potamogeton x prussicus (P. alpinus x P. perfoliatus) recorded by Heslop-Harrison (1948) in 1940 and only ever recorded from one other site in Britain and Rock Samphire (Crithmum maritimum) first recorded by Alex Somerville along with Marsh Helleborine (Epipactis palustris) in 1906 (Somerville, 1907).

"As well as recording for the Flora we also tested out the new BSBI Euphrasia handbook, which helped us to more tentatively differentiate between Euphrasia confusa, E. nemorosa and E. arctica, although boundaries between these three species appear to merge on Colonsay! 

Kevin's NPMS plot on Colonsay
Image: K. Walker

"I also spent half a day recording my National Plant Monitoring Scheme (NPMS) square in the SW of the island which was set up in 2015 with single plots in five habitats – loch margin, acid mire, dry heath, saltmarsh and rocky shore. No significant changes as yet but fascinating to see the subtle shifts in composition and structure from year to year. 

"One of our group has developed a particular interest in plant galls.  Prior to our visits the only gall recorded for the island was of a rust, Puccinia magnusiana, on Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens). This year we added eleven galls to the 53 recorded in the previous three years. Highlights included galls of sawflies Euura auritae on Eared Willow (Salix aurita) and E. weiffenbachii on Creeping Willow (Salix repens). As you’d expect, midge galls also feature prominently, although some species common on the mainland seem to be rare here, e.g. Dasineura urticae on Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica), which we have so far found in only two places, despite the host plant being pretty widely distributed around the island. Another striking midge gall we were particularly pleased to find was that of Contarinia tiliarum on Lime (Tilia sp.) trees in the estate woodlands around Colonsay House. 

Drosera intermedia on Colonsay
Image: K. Walker

"Last but not least, Pittosporum species/cultivars planted in the gardens around Colonsay House have galls of Trioza vitrioradiata; this psyllid gall was first recorded in Britain in 1993, in Cornwall, and has since been spreading north and east. We were surprised to find it on Colonsay, at what must be the very northern limit of its current distribution in the UK.

"We also saw a few new birds (for us) on the island, including a pair of Whinchat and an Iceland Gull which was feeding on the carcass of a 70 ft Sei Whale that had been washed up on Kiloran beach in December.

"All in all we had another fantastic week on this Hebridean gem of an island – it is always sad to leave but this year our spirits were raised by a pod of Minke Whales breaching not far from the ferry; our first in five trips and well worth the wait! Next year we plan to see basking sharks…maybe…

References

Clarke & Clarke 1991. The Flowering Plants of Colonsay and Oransay. Privately published.

Heslop-Harrison, J.W. 1948. Potamogetons in the Scottish Western Isles, with some remarks on the general natural history of the species. Transactions of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh 35, 1-25.

Jardine, D.C., Peacock, M.A. & Fisher, I.A. 2017. The Birds of Colonsay and Oransay. The Argyll Bird Club, Lochgilphead.

McNeill, M. 1910. Colonsay. One of the Hebrides. David Douglas, Edinburgh.

Somerville, A. 1907. On the occurrence of the Rock Samphire (Crithmum maritimum L.) and the Marsh Helleborine (Epipactis palustris Crantz) on the west coast of Scotland.

How does a botanist get to work: part five

In this occasional series, we have heard about the many and various ways a botanist will resort to, in order to get up close and personal with plants in their habitats. 

They descend from helicopters, they abseil and dangle on the end of ropes, they row themselves and their fellow botanists across water, all in pursuit of their target plants.

BSBI's intrepid orchid experts Ian and Richard are no exception. Richard emailed me that they recently "returned from being fried alive along the coast of western Ireland. The trip included a day on Inis Mhor, an island where private vehicles are effectively banned, so botanising must be done either by foot or hired bicycle. We bravely opted for the latter".

As the first image shows, they didn't just opt for a ordinary bike - they hired a tandem!  

Fortunately Richard's wife, Dr Paula Rudall, had joined the orchid-hunters on this trip. She was keen to capture the event for posterity and share the images with News & Views readers. Cue Richard's mutterings ("Hmm, I'm still not quite sure whether my crash helmet was on the right way round!") and references to a notorious TV advert from the 1970s. 

But Paula won the day and we present here the evidence that BSBI's celebrated orchidoholics will not allow any obstacles to keep them from their beloved Dactylorhizas! 

The Rough Crew comes to Dursey Island

Botanist Jessica Hamilton, the driving force behind the BSBI Kerry group, recently spent some time in the field with Ireland's celebrated Rough Crew, the intrepid plant-hunters who scale mountains and tramp through bogs in pursuit of the wild flowers that nobody else can reach! 

Over to Jessica to find out what happened in this account illustrated by Jessica's photos :

"A recent weekend was spent botanising on the magnificent Dursey Island with the BSBI Rough Crew. Over the course of the weekend in total there were eleven botanists, including myself, traversing the terrain of the island recording the botanical delights and soaking up the fabulous scenery.

"All in all we recorded around 258 species including many of the little rarities and gems mentioned throughout this report. Overall a weekend of fantastic plants, great people, scenery, bugs, and the weather really played its part.

"However it wouldn’t be the Rough Crew if it didn’t include shoes falling apart, blisters and sheep poo, now would it? Intrigued? Read on to see what we got up to!

"The location, Dursey Island, is accessible by Ireland’s only cable car. Myself, Rory and co arrived on the Saturday morning where we met up with the others who had arrived the night before. After dropping our bags at the house we quickly went to find the other members who had already started their plant hunt for the day. They had already knocked off a nice few species off the list including the carnivorous Pinguicula vulgaris (common butterwort).

"Not long after eagle eyed Rory spotted Ophioglossum azoricum on a rather unsuspecting pathway. A species I hadn’t seen before yet (not surprised, it’s called the Small Adder’s tongue for a reason!)

"What’s better was that the finding of this plant was a brand new record for all of County Cork, so was a great species to have found. We moseyed on and walked the road alongside the cliffs which gave breath-taking views of the surrounding cliffs and headlands which were at times somewhat encompassed by the fog. 

"As we traversed the road we kept finding lots of lovely species including Cerastium arvense (field mouse-ear). Wexford County Recorder Paul then pointed out another tiny little plant, Centuculus minimus (chaffweed) nestled below a mix of sedges/grasses on a damp part of the track.

"It was at this point that Cliona and I went on a not so brief tangent from the rest of the group, as a particularly nice gulley drew our attention. It was a very worthwhile detour as we reached a somewhat sheltered area and spotted lots of Green Hairstreak butterflies, (another new species for me!), as well as common blues flittering about the place.

"Primroses, still in flower, were also aplenty and Saxifraga spathularis (St Patrick’s Cabbage, above left) was also growing happily in clumps as well as swathes of cotton grass growing alongside a backdrop of particularly striking cliff top views. Cliona had a rather impressive? blister on her foot and a ‘bottom’ of sea thrift provided a cushion on which to rest her weary foot for a moment. 

"On our path back to re-joining the group we were actually rather taken aback by the sheer carpets of Thrift (on right). 

"We eventually met back up with the group and after a quick refuel we continued to ramble on and tick off lots of fantastic species including Viola canina (heath dog-violet), Radiola linoides (allseed), both species not all that often seen and it was great personally to see Anthyllis vulneraria (Kidney vetch) in one of its other colour forms (on left), compared to the usual yellow that is more typically seen.

"It was around this time as well that a rather large raptor was spotted by a few members of the group and what was originally presumed to be a common buzzard was later confirmed by West Cork County Recorder Clare to be a Honey Buzzard (Pernis apivorus).

"We continued on and after elevenses at the signal tower, we spotted a nice patch of  Ophioglossum azoricum, this time much happier than the earlier patch growing in the trackway. As small as the species is, once you recognise it and get your eye in quite a few individuals were seen.

"We all made it back to the house in one piece for some well-earned food and drinks., although at this point my shoes were on their last legs (this was to be their penultimate outing!). 

"The next morning we headed off early to use the day to its full potential and were on a mission to increase our number of coastal species and find in particular, one species - Betonica officinalis (betony, on right), which had been historically recorded there and we had a nice description of where to find it. 

"Sure enough within moments of reaching the area where it had been once found before, it was spotted. In Ireland, Betony is a very scarce species with a mostly SW distribution and it is protected under the Flora Protection Order, so another great species to both see and record for the island. Although not in flower, as it’s a somewhat later flowering species, in the damp gulley where we found it the leaves were to be seen growing in quite a luxuriant state. 

"On a nearby ledge Paul spotted Rosa spinosissima (burnet rose, above left) which was putting on a great show and always a nice species to see. 

"We moseyed on and kept ticking off species both uncommon and more common including the less often see Sagina subulata (heath pearlwort, on right). 

"Not long after, I lost the first sole of my shoes (but they was still functional - somewhat…one sole down- one to go!).

"While we were sitting on short coastal turf it was noticed that we were surrounded by more of the Ophioglossum azoricum, this time in quite a plentiful supply. 

"After a quick focused hunt Paul also spotted the leaves of Spiranthes spiralis (Autumn Lady's-tresses). The photo (on left) includes sheep droppings for scale, showing just how small this plant is! 

"Helpful Hint: If you haven’t got a ruler in the field and you have a small plant, sheep droppings are a great ‘scale’ to compare tiny plants against against.

"A few of us made an escape to another island nearby which is accessible when the tide is low and was well wort the brief scramble to get up there. While traversing the scenic spot we added a few more species to the list including more of the Cerastium arvense (field mouse-ear), Hedera  helix (ivy), and it was quite amazing to see some pure white versions of Armeria maritima (thrift). Another highlight for me were these fantastic Rose chafer beetles (Cetonia aurata) which were clumsily flying about the place.

"We eventually left the smaller island and returned back to the main island to regroup with the rest of the gang. We realigned at the top and had a brief break while taking in the views, absolutely breath-taking! (Even though the views the day before were amazing, this day was much sunnier with clear skies, making for even more sensational scenery).

"We clambered on and a few of us descended slightly to see if we could spot any new species hiding from us. Moments into our search the sole of the second shoe fell off, leaving behind two sole-less shoes with laces that were still in great nit, I have to admit they were still very comfortable!

"Rory soon found a little cavern and nodded triumphantly to say he had found the gametophyte of the Killarney Fern (Trichomanes speciosum) - not the first time he's performed that particular trick! We moseyed on and aimed for a gully which had taken our eye earlier on in the day and would bring us back down near to ‘basecamp’. 

"It was a lovely little spot and although the species list didn’t increase dramatically we were rewarded with more Green Hairstreaks (on left) and Green Tiger beetles!

"To reiterate the opening line of this report, a fantastic weekend was had by all, spent with a great bunch of people. Many thanks to Clare and Rory for organising such a great weekend. Until we meet again on the next island!" 

BSBI Training Grants Helping Botanists in 2018

BSBI offers small training grants to enable botanists at all skill levels to take short courses and improve their ID skills. 

Here botanist Falgunee Sarker tells us about the course she took thanks to a BSBI training grant. 

Over to Falgunee:

"I have just completed the course of 'Identifying Difficult Higher Plants' at Preston Montford Field Study Centre, a course offered by the Field Studies Council.

"The course took place from 8th June to 11th June, 2018. Course tutors were Dr. Tim Rich and Mark Duffell.

"The Centre provided excellent supporting service to the participants, providing timed pick up service from railway station, both on arrival and departure. Facilities in the Centre were also very good.

"In this course the lectures, demonstrations, field work, help and advice were very useful and well thought out. Handouts and keys were clearly explained and tested in the class room and out of the class room.

"We also learnt how to prepare and mount proper herbarium specimens. In this country I have experienced different methodologies applied at different places, but the method shown here appeared to be the most practical.

"Outdoor teaching has been a great joy for me. Placing our quadrat down and finding out what was there, provided much more fun. We had four days of uninterrupted glorious sunshine.

"We practised making dichotomous keys using Apiaceae family. We also used Gramineae, Cyperaceae, Asteraceae, Fumitory and Sorbus keys to identify plants. Fern spores were tested microscopically for identification purpose.

"Using keys to identify plants were made easy by the systematic methodology. 

"Throughout the course we tried and tested many different types of keys to unlock the mystery of identification.

"Tutors' understanding towards students need were exceptional. This makes the FSC courses the best of all other courses. I found tutor-led courses were always the most helpful for me. 

"The approach was easy and guidance given towards aiding understanding was always available. 

"Extensive lectures demonstrated how to do a good research in principle and practice, before surveying a plant population. I have gained so much knowledge from this course, like, critical plant identification skill, survey methodology, legislation, data collection system, equipment for surveys and presentation of data. 

"This has certainly helped me with my field work.

"As a retired NHS Biochemist, being able to embark on postgraduate study has been prohibitively expensive, but also a great joy. Through many hours of voluntary work, I hope I have returned something of value to my local community and the wider UK with my plant survey work, including the skills that I have learnt and continue to use every day. 

"Therefore I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to BSBI Training Grant Panel for awarding a generous grant towards the course". 

Lady's Bedstraw: in meadows and in Byron's Gin

Flowers of Lady's Bedstraw
Image courtesy of John Crellin/ Floral Images
http://www.floralimages.co.uk/
page.php?taxon=galium_verum,1

In meadows across Britain and Ireland, Lady's Bedstraw Galium verum is coming into bloom. 

It's also one of the botanicals used in the 'Bird Cherry' expression of Byron's Gin, the official gin of the BSBI. 

It certainly adds its unique honeyed taste and perfume to the gin but in centuries past, the flower was famous for three very different reasons!

Although the flowers are yellow, the tiny roots of Lady's Bedstraw were collected in bulk hundreds of years ago and were used to produce an orangey-red dye. 

This was particularly prized in olden times when the only other source of a red dye was from lichen. Flora Celtica tells us that so much Lady's Bedstraw was collected from Hebridean machair in the 17th and 18th centuries that it  exacerbated coastal erosion. 

Lady's Bedstraw: leaves in a whorl
Image courtesy of
John Crellin/ Floral Images
http://www.floralimages.co.uk/
page.php?taxon=galium_verum,1

You'll be glad to hear that any Lady's Bedstraw collected for use in Byron's Gin is collected sustainably, with conservation in mind, so you can drink it with a clear conscience!

It also used to be used in cheese-making, as a kind of herbal rennet. The 16th century herbalist John Gerard tells us that cheeses made in Cheshire and Gloucestershire were prized for the rich colour and pleasant taste imparted by Lady's Bedstraw. 

And in case you wondered about the name 'bedstraw' - in medieval times, Lady's Bedstraw was used to stuff mattresses, because it was reputed to deter fleas and also because of the pleasant smell. There are also legends in Norse and Christian mythology about women giving birth on mattresses of Lady's bedstraw. 

You can recognise this plant quite easily: like all its relatives in the Bedstraw family (Rubiaceae) found in the UK and Ireland, the leaves are arranged in a whorl around the stem. 

There are only two members of the Bedstraw family in these islands which have yellow flowers: Crosswort, which has four bright green broad leaves in a whorl, and Lady's Bedstraw which has six or more narrow dark green leaves in a whorl. This combination of characters makes the plant easy to identify, even if you're just getting started with plant ID.

A stand of Lady's Bedstraw
Image courtesy of John Crellin/ Floral Images
http://www.floralimages.co.uk/
page.php?taxon=galium_verum,1

You might be surprised to learn that coffee and gardenia are also in the Bedstraw family, although they look nothing like our British and Irish bedstraws! 

But if you've been following these monthly blogposts about Byron's Gin, you won't be surprised to hear once again that for every bottle sold of Byron's Gin, a donation is made to BSBI's Training programme which supports botanists studying wildflowers in Britain and Ireland. 

Next week we feature a report from one of those botanists about the course she was able to take thanks to a BSBI Training Grant - watch this space! 

Watch out for hybrid Mallows!

Malva moschata
Image courtesy of John Crellin/ Floral Images
http://www.floralimages.co.uk/
page.php?taxon=malva_moschata,1

This summer, botanist Mike Wilcox is asking us to look out for hybrid Mallows.

Mike says: "Malva moschata (Musk Mallow) is a frequent plant. 

"In Clive Stace's New Flora of the British Isles (2010), he mentions that there are possible hybrids with M. alcea (Hollyhock mallow) that arise in gardens. 

"Anyone seeing M. moschata: please could you send a flowering specimen with the relevant details. 

"If you do see the introduced M. alcea, a specimen would be useful. 

Malva alcea
Image courtesy of John Crellin/ Floral Images
http://www.floralimages.co.uk/
page.php?taxon=malva_alcea,1

"Preferably fresh/flowering or fruiting if later."

A reminder of how Clive Stace separates these two species: 

M. moschata has epicalyx segments more than three times as long as wide, compared to M. alcea which has epicalyx-segments less than three times as long as wide. 

Also, M. moschata has simple hairs on the calyx, epicalyx and flower-stalk, whereas M. alcea has many stellate (star-shaped) hairs. 

Please send specimens to: 

Michael Wilcox – 43 Roundwood Glen, Greengates, Bradford BD10 0HW, W Yorkshire. 

Or email him: michaelpw22@hotmail.com

Oliver Sacks: neurologist and pteridologist

Oliver at the New York Botanical Garden
Image courtesy of New York
Botanical Garden/ Robin Moran

Many people around the world will recognise the name of the late Dr Oliver Sacks CBE, the British-born neurologist who moved to the United States in his 20s and whose books about the human brain became best-sellers - some were also made into Academy Award-winning films and operas.  

Fewer people will be aware that he was also a passionate botanist with a particular love of ferns. 

A new documentary film about Dr Oliver Sacks is currently in production and the team behind it contacted BSBI with this message:

'Ferns, for Dr Oliver Sacks, were a living embodiment of deep time. 

'He was a long-time member of the American Fern Society, the British Pteridological Society and the New York Botanical Garden, where he had close relationships with the fern and cycad curators.  

Oliver at a meeting of the New York Fern Society
Image courtesy of New York
Botanical Garden/ Robin Moran

“Ferns delighted me with their curlicues, their croziers, their Victorian quality (not unlike the frilled antimacassars and lacy curtains in our house.) But at a deeper level, they filled me with wonder because they were of such ancient origin… 

"Ferns had survived, with little change, for a third of a billion years. Other creatures, like dinosaurs, had come and gone, but ferns, seemingly so frail and vulnerable, had survived all of the vicissitudes, all the extinctions the earth had known". -- Oliver Sacks, Oaxaca Journal

Oliver visiting a Titan Arum in 2004
Image courtesy of New York
Botanical Garden/ Robin Moran

'Botany was just one of Dr Sacks’ many passions. As a neurologist, he pioneered the idea of “compassionate care” in medicine.  

'And as a best-selling author, he broadened the audience for medical case history by writing about patients as whole people and sharing their stories. 

'Dr Sacks’ powerful stories are being brought to life in an immersive new documentary film called The Animated Mind of Oliver Sacks. 

'Last week, a Kickstarter campaign was launched to raise funds for the film. You can find out more about the campaign, and contribute, here'.