Events
All are welcome to our field meetings and lectures, which are free to members, and are open to visitors on payment of a fee of £3 per person.
Lectures take place at fortnightly meetings held between October and March (inclusive) on Wednesday evenings at 7.30 pm in the Friends Meeting House, 12A Queen Parade, Harrogate HG1 5PP.
Field meetings are held throughout the year and give opportunities to pursue specific interests and learn about biodiversity in different habitats.
Reports of past excursions can be found on this website (under Trip Reports).
Please note the following precautions for field meetings: stout footwear and suitable outdoor clothing should always be worn. Bring plenty of food and drink, with sun blocker and insect repellent when relevant. Participants take part entirely at their own risk and are responsible for their personal safety and the security of their personal belongings.
Of course the weather can never be guaranteed, so some events may have to be altered slightly to work around any inclement precipitations! Also note that return times are approximate only.
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Notes for botanical field trips
Please email or ‘phone the organiser to say you are coming, this will make it possible to car share – many of the venues have little parking; also changes to the printed programme may have occurred. Please bring next-of-kin name and phone number.
Contact Details:
Contact: Kerry Morrison or Muff Upsall (see membership card or Members' Area for contact details)
Notes for ornithological meetings led by Mike Smithson
All meetings are self drive / car share but the resumption of the coach trips is being kept under review. Please contact Mike Smithson beforehand if you intend to come (contact details in the Members' Area).
Please also supply Mike with an emergency name and phone number either prior to coming or when you arrive. As with most field meetings a packed lunch and suitable clothing is recommended.
Spiders in the Garden
March 5, 2025 at 7:30 pm
Location: Friends Meeting House, Harrogate
Price - £3, free to members
Gardening for wildlife has become a major topic in recent years but there is still an emphasis on attracting bees and butterflies. Spiders are equally important. Geoff will explain some of the biology, and often bizarre lifestyles, of a selection of the common spiders to be found in Yorkshire gardens, and how to encourage them to take up residence.
Event Organiser: Kerry Morrison
Presenter: Geoff Oxford
Trees of Valley Gardens
March 8, 2025 at 2:00 pm - March 8, 2025 at 4:00 pm
Location: Please park in Cornwall Road. There is a pedestrian entrance into the Gardens, from Cornwall Road, approx SE293551. We will meet alongside the Magnesia Well.
Price - £3, free to members
Sue Wood has a very detailed knowledge of these trees. A group of members enjoyed a walk Sue led here before,, in the summer of 2021.
Event Organiser: Kerry Morrison
Event Leader: Sue Wood
Ilkley Tree Trail – an introduction to trees
April 4, 2025 at 10:30 am - April 4, 2025 at 1:00 pm
Location: Meet in Ilkley Car Park (parking charges).
Price - £3, free to members
A walk along the river and around the swimming pool area of Ilkley following the Tree Trail leaflet to see 40 notable trees.
More details later. Book with Kerry.
Event Organiser: Kerry Morrison
Gouthwaite and Scar House
April 22, 2025 at 10:00 am - April 22, 2025 at 4:00 pm
Location: Meet at Gouthwaite Reservoir car park
Price - £3, free to members
Birding Gouthwaite reservoir and then on to Scar House.
Event Organiser: Mike Smithson
Event Leader: Mike Smithson
Askham Bog
May 7, 2025 at 10:00 am - May 7, 2025 at 12:30 pm
Location: Park at the nearby Askham Bar Park and Ride car park and take a short walk to meet at the Reserve Car park, SE 57454792.
Price - £3, free to members
Led by Prof. Alastair Fitter. Alastair has an unrivalled knowledge of the biodiversity and the history of Askham bog .
Renewing the boardwalk has now been delayed until 2026 so the car park is available and we will use the boardwalks.
Please meet at 10,00 at the small YWT car park for this reserve, SE 5745 4792.
Event Organiser: Kerry Morrison
Event Leader: Prof Alastair Fitter
RSPB Fairburn Ings
May 7, 2025 at 10:00 am - May 7, 2025 at 4:00 pm
Location: RSPB Fairburn Ings Car Park
Price - £3, free to members
All-day birding trip to Fairburn Ings.
Event Organiser: Mike Smithson
Event Leader: Mike Smithson
YWT Ledsham and Lime Roach Hills, Kippax
May 13, 2025 at 10:00 am - May 13, 2025 at 5:00 pm
Location: tba
Price - £3, free to members
Several exciting rare plants, especially the single Pasqueflower at Ledsham, one of only five sites in the country where it is found, which hopefully will be in flower.
More details later. Book with Muff.
Event Organiser: Muff Upsall
Birk Crag and Oak Beck
May 21, 2025 at 10:30 am - May 21, 2025 at 2:00 pm
Location: Meet at RHS Harlow Carr, Car Park 3, SE281542
Price - £3, free to members
With our Leader, Kevin Walker, expect to find a number of species that have escaped the RHS Harlow Carr gardens, such as Aconite leaved Buttercup, Ranunculus aconitifolius, Caucasian Pennycress, Pachyphragma macrophyllum, and Broad leaved Cuckoo flower, Cardamine raphanifolia.
This is a joint meeting with members of Wharfedale Naturalists. Early booking is necessary to ensure a place as numbers will be limited.
Book with Kerry.
Event Organiser: Kerry Morrison
Event Leader: Kevin Walker
Winskill Stones Nature Reserve and Lower Winskill Farm
June 5, 2025 at 10:00 am - June 5, 2025 at 5:00 pm
Location: tba
Price - £3, free to members
The Winskill Stones, near Settle, is a Plantlife site famous for its rich limestone flora. Andy Kearsey of Plantlife will lead us; in the afternoon we hope to visit Tom Lord’s farm at Lower Winskill, a working farm which is also farmed for wildlife, retaining rich natural habitats and also preserving the long history of the farm. (See this article).
There will be a fee for Andy’s time, TBA.
More details later. Book with Muff.
Event Organiser: Muff Upsall
Event Leader: Andy Kearsey
RSPB St Aidans
August 12, 2025 at 10:00 am - August 12, 2025 at 4:00 pm
Location: RSPB St Aidans Car Park
Price - £3, free to members
All day birding around St Aidans reserve.
Event Organiser: Mike Smithson
Event Leader: Mike Smithson
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