Botanical Updates for Britian and Ireland

Topics: Environment / Climate

Sources: Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland

Share this post

Botanical Updates for Britian and Ireland

Welcome to our June BSBI eNewsletter.

In this issue: British & Irish Botany 4.2 is out; there are field meetings and webinars to book for; a chance to sponsor our Finance Manager Julie as she runs a half marathon to support BSBI members in hardship; but first: find out how records collected by BSBI members can help ensure that the right trees get planted in the right places.

New botanical heatmaps launched

BSBI has partnered with Natural England to produce botanical 'heatmaps' which aim to protect both our wildlife and the sites we rely on for carbon sequestration.

The heatmaps, which will be made available to support decision-making around tree-planting, are based on the millions of records collected over the years by BSBI members. In a new interview, BSBI Head of Science Kevin Walker (pictured) explains how the heatmaps will help ensure that the right trees get planted in the right places.

Read the interview

British & Irish Botany 4.2 published

The latest issue of our Open Access scientific journal features nine papers:

A 22-year study of Sword-leaved Helleborine (pictured) & a report on changing ranges of 20 orchid species over 40 years.
Papers on whitebeams in Wales, birches in Cambridgeshire & two centuries of tricky hawkweeds!
Atriplex, Vulpia, a new name for a Rubus & an old name for a poppy.

Read the new issue

Field meetings coming up

We have a great selection of field meetings coming up in the next few weeks, wherever you are based and whatever your area of interest:

Recording meetings on The Burren in Co. Clare (pictured), in London, in Dunbartonshire & two meetings in Ross & Cromarty.
Training meetings in SW Scotland (for sedges, rushes & grasses) & in Wiltshire/Somerset (for Rubus).
General meetings in Herts, Kent, Carmarthenshire & Co. Longford.

Visit the Field Meetings page

Aquatic Plant Project events in July

Bookings are now open for July's events as part of Ireland's Aquatic Plant Project.

2nd July: pondweed webinar including guidance on how to make a grapnel.
10th July: aquatics field meeting in Co. Clare aimed at improving ID skills.
21st July: introductory webinar on bladderworts & water-milfoils.

More events are planned over the summer - all free thanks to NPWS funding.

Visit the APP webpage

Sponsor Julie to support members in hardship

This Sunday, BSBI Finance Manager Julie Etherington is running her first ever half marathon to raise money for the newly-launched BSBI Hardship Fund which aims to help existing members who find themselves unable to renew their membership due to unforeseen financial difficulty.

I caught up with Julie to find out how her training is going, as the big day approaches, and how you can sponsor her and support the Hardship Fund.

Read the interview

News from the President

This month Lynne was in Caernarvonshire, where she enjoyed meeting up with fellow botanists and looking at plants in the field, at our Welsh Annual Meeting and AGM.

She was also out and about at coastal sites in Cumbria, looking at Sea Bindweed, Variegated Horsetail and the coastal ecotype of Field Pansy. Fortunately Mike Porter, co-author of the BSBI Handbook on Violas, was present to pronounce on the Viola!

Read Lynne's blogpost

Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland, 28 Chipchase Grove, Durham, DH1 3FA
Website: www.bsbi.org
E: [email protected]
T: 07725 862 957
Our enquiries email and phone line are open Monday to Friday, 10am - 7pm.

Registered as a charity in England and Wales (1152954) and Scotland (SC038675) and as a company in England & Wales (8553976).