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.
Harrogate Cure: Nature, Water and Revitalising a Spa Town
February 4, 2026 at 7:30 pm
Location: Friends Meeting House, 12A Queens Parade, Harrogate
Price - £3, free to members
Harrogate grew from a landscape of complex mineral springs once described as a “brewing apparatus of nature.” These waters shaped a town designed around healing, from gardens and promenades to rituals and architecture. Much of that purpose has faded. This talk traces how Harrogate emerged, rose to prominence and declined, and explores how returning to these natural origins could shape a healthier and more connected future for people and place. The task now is to shape a new Harrogate story true to the land beneath our feet.
Event Organiser: Kerry Morrison
Presenter: George Eglise
Bats of Yorkshire- their history and distribution
February 18, 2026 at 7:30 pm
Location: Friends Meeting House, Harrogate
Price - £3, free to members
An introduction to bats, their physiology, the Yorkshire species, identification using ultrasonic recording, their history in the County and current distribution where known.
Event Organiser: Kerry Morrison
Presenter: David Watkins
Orchids of Britain, especially the Yorkshire Dales
March 4, 2026 at 7:30 pm
Location: Friends Meeting House, Harrogate
Price - £3, free to members
Since 1979 plants have played a big part in Nigel’s life. After qualifying from Askham Bryan College NIgel’s work in horticulture took him to Oxford Botanical Gardens and into the Tropical Houses to work with their Alpines, Tropical Ferns and Orchids. His work sparked his interest in native plants and orchids and he has travelled widely to seek out species. The horticultural world continues to benefit from Nigel’s expertise as he is active in a number of roles within the RHS. Nigel lives in the Yorkshire Dales. His talk will be on his travels in search of our native orchids here in the Yorkshire Dales and other counties.
Event Organiser: Kerry Morrison
Presenter: Nigel Hutchinson
Visit to energy storage system at Wormald Green
March 6, 2026 at 10:00 am
Location: Wormald Green, details to follow
Price - £3, free to members
Visit to the BESS energy storage system at Wormald Green. Tessa Fletcher of Harmony Energy will show us round, explain how it works and answer all our questions! (Harmony Energy is the firm installing the BESS units at Farnham.) The demonstration will probably last no more than an hour, with time for discussion afterwards.
Further details nearer the time. Numbers will be limited to 15.
Please book with Muff mjupsall@btinternet.com 07812 356 177
Event Organiser: Muff Upsall
Event Leader: Tessa Fletcher
Brimham Rocks geology walk
March 13, 2026 at 10:30 am - March 13, 2026 at 1:00 pm
Location: Meet at 10:30 in the main (lower) car park by the Welcome Hut. For National Trust members, car parking is free otherwise it will be £6.50 for 4 hours
Price - £3, free to members
A tour of the fascinating geology of Brimham Rocks led by Stephen Lewis. This is a follow-up to the talk Stephen gave us on 29th October.
As some of the walk will be off the main paths, decent footwear is recommended.
The walk will last between 90 minutes to 2 hours, though in fact we won’t be walking very far, it’s just that there is a lot to see.
Event Organiser: Kerry Morrison
Event Leader: Dr Stephen Lewis
Annual General Meeting
April 15, 2026 at 7:30 pm
Location: Friends Meeting House, Harrogate
Price - £3, free to members
AGM business to be followed by a talk (to be arranged).
Fungus foray
October 8, 2026
Location: tba
Price - £3, free to members
Hold the date for our annual fungus foray to be led by Andy Woodall. Details to follow.
Event Organiser: Muff Upsall
Event Leader: Andy Woodall
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View a detailed roundup of all our Field Trips in the Harrogate District and beyond.
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