Welcome to the Harrogate & District Naturalists' Society
Since 1947, the Harrogate & District Naturalists’ Society has been inspiring people to engage with the wonderful wildlife found within this beautiful part of the world. We are a friendly group of natural history enthusiasts with a wide range of members, from complete beginners to wildlife professionals. Together we celebrate, observe and record the natural world in towns, gardens and the countryside surrounding Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon and the whole of Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Get Involved
From heather moorlands and broadleaved woodlands to
species-rich hay meadows, waterways and reservoirs, the Harrogate District is full of special habitats for wildlife. There are many ways you can get involved, ranging from becoming a member to submitting a sighting or venturing out and visiting local wildlife sites.
Become a Member
Joining is is easy and your annual membership fee gives you access to a range of benefits. Our members regularly get together to share their knowledge and experience with each other and join in lively discussions. You will also have the chance to get involved with the running of the Society, from wildlife recording to volunteering at Farnham Gravel Pit.
Latest wildlife sightings
Hornet
One on buddleia. Photo available if required
Cuckoos at Staveley
2 Cuckoos calling and seen at Staveley Nature Reserve through most of May.
Otters
One otter running up bank and going under a large fallen tree. Multiple squeaks heard then a much bigger otter ...
Our next events
RSPB St Aidans
All day birding around St Aidans reserve.
August 12, 2025 at 10:00 am - August 12, 2025 at 4:00 pm
RSPB St Aidans Car Park
Species in the wrong places? Should we love or hate the biological inheritors of the Earth?
Chris Thomas is Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of York, where he established the Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity, of which he was Director from 2019 to 2024. Chris has published over 350 articles in the scientific literature, for which he has received a number of academic prizes; he is a Fellow of the Royal Society and former President of the Royal Entomological Society. He has also authored a popular science book, Inheritors of the Earth: How Nature is Thriving in an Age of Extinction. Chris has engaged with environmental policy, particularly highlighting the impacts of climate change on biodiversity, the importance of connected, landscape-scale conservation projects, and the need for conservation to accept and to adjust to the inevitability of continuing environmental change. But he is happiest when watching birds, butterflies and flowers in his own wildlife meadow.
October 1, 2025 at 7:30 pm
Friends Meeting House, Harrogate
Reports of our most recent trips
Burton Leonard Quarry, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve - 12 July, 2025
Undeterred by a weather forecast above 30°C, HDNS members assembled at the Burton Leonard quarry entrance armed with sun hats, sun cream and plenty of water. The day was intended as a refresher course for grasses and sedges, led by Kevin Walker. There...
Farnham Gravel Pit Members’ morning - 5 July, 2025
It was a cloudy and blustery morning when a few intrepid members spent the morning looking for flowers and insects around the South Lake at Farnham Gravel Pits. A first delight was the large number of Pyramidal Orchid in and around the enclosure made for them. The...
Latest News
Local Nature Recovery Strategy consultation
A public consultation for the North Yorkshire & York Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) will be launched on Monday 30th June for a six-week period & will close...
Birk Crag Chestnut Click Beetle Hunt
North Yorkshire Council are encouraging visitors to Birk Crag in Harrogate to keep an eye out for the Chestnut Click Beetle (Anostirus castaneus), which only has modern records...
Farnham Gravel Pit
Farnham Gravel Pit is a site rich in wildlife. Designated as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC), this 80 hectare area located one mile from Knaresborough includes two lakes and a range of habitats. Closed to the general public, members of the Society have special permission from the landowners to visit the site
Locations
There is amazing diversity of habitat and wildlife in our area. Here are some of our favourite locations for you to explore.
