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Field Meetings

All are welcome to our field meetings, which give opportunities to pursue specific interests and learn about biodiversity in different habitats and the relationships between species involved. Field meetings are free to members. Non-members are welcome on payment of a day membership fee of £3 per person. 

Reports of past excursions can be found on this website (under Trip Reports).

Please note the following precautions: stout footwear and suitable outdoor clothing should always be worn. Bring plenty of food and drink, with sun blocker and insect repellent when relevant. Members 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 trips run 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.

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: Meet at 10:30 on the road from Langcliffe to Malham. Park by the side of the road near the start of the tarmac track, NGR SD 834659.

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). If the latter is not possible we plan to drive a few miles further up the road to the boardwalk at Malham Tarn, another beautiful and plant-rich site.

There will be a fee for Andy’s time, TBA.

This is an all day event so please bring lunch.

Book with Muff.

Event Organiser: Muff Upsall

Event Leader: Andy Kearsey

Farnham Mires SSSI

June 14, 2025 at 10:00 am

Location: Park by the protected verge at SE351604

Price - £3, free to members

A Saturday trip to see the botanical riches of this private site. There is very limited parking at the site so meet at 10:00 at SE351604 and park by the protected verge, where we will return for more interest after walking down the road to the Mires. This private SSSI  has limestone grassland, calcareous fen and mesotrophic grassland. Former site for Bird’s-eye Primrose, but lots of botanical interest including Adder’s-tongue-fern, orchids, Parsley-leaved Water-Dropwort, etc.

Event Organiser: Muff Upsall

Event Leader: Kevin Walker

Burton Leonard Quarry

July 12, 2025 at 10:00 am

Location: Meet at 10 AM at the reserve entrance, NGR SE 32440 63193. You will need to park in the village and walk down Lime Kiln Lane.

Price - £3, free to members

Unfortunately, the Visit to Bishop Monkton Ings with Kevin Walker will have to be changed, due to the presence of threatening cattle!

Instead, Kevin will lead a grasses and sedges “refresher course” at YWT Burton Leonard Quarry. This is a lovely little site on the magnesian limestone with particularly diverse flora – there will be many interesting plants to see as well as the grasses and sedges, and butterflies too if the weather obliges.

In the afternoon, if time allows, we will visit Bishop Monkton Railway Cutting, another YWT site nearby.

Meet at 10 AM at the reserve entrance, NGR SE 32440 63193. You will need to park in the village and walk down Lime Kiln Lane.

BOOK WITH MUFF

Event Organiser: Muff Upsall

Event Leader: Kevin Walker

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

Members Area

View the Society's latest publications in this area of the website reserved for Members.

Trip Reports

View a detailed roundup of all our Field Trips in the Harrogate District and beyond.

Latest News

The latest wildlife news from around the Harrogate District that may be of interest to naturalists.