Events

Looking for Spring migrants, wildfowl, Spoonbills and egrets. Finishing at 4.00.

Bruce Brown will introduce us to the fascinating limestone flora surrounding Linton Falls.

Please book with the organiser.

Bellflask is a private site by the River Ure, with lakes and woodland, managed by the Morlands for many years for nature conservation. Half day meeting.

Botany at the Henge, flora and fauna at the reserve.

Meadow flowers on Meadows Day.

Botany of the area.

Tour of the tree plantation and the reserve. Details to follow.

Pauline Hogg and Elizabeth Preece are members of the Leeds and District Badger Group and will focus on four areas in their presentation: 1) Badgers and why they are special. 2) Threats faced by badgers. 3) The work of the Leeds and District Badger Group. 4) What you can do to help protect badgers.

Hold the date for our annual fungus foray to be led by Andy Woodall. Details to follow.

Where can you go in summer to find abundant bee and marsh orchids, breeding skylarks and reed warblers, together with several species of dragonfly within about two miles of York Minster? In winter, the visitors include up to 50 each of goosander and teal as well as numerous egrets. The location is filled with people too because this is the University of York. There are two campuses close to one another both including a large lake but quite distinct in their landscapes. The first dates back to the sixties but there has been much development since. A formal yew garden and ornamental trees at one end contrast with a conservation area on an island at the other end. The second campus opened in the 2010s on land that was formerly arable fields. It provides a lake that is larger and deeper than that on the old campus, bordered by extensive reedbeds and meadowland. The talk will show how the wildlife differs on the two campuses and why the new campus has been such a success for biodiversity. Finally, these campuses teach us much about nature-friendly development.