Recent News
Trevor James shortlisted for national recording award
Congratulations to Trevor James, author of our acclaimed new book Beetles of Hertfordshire on being shortlisted for the 2018 UK Awards for Biological Recording and Information Sharing.
Trevor's remarkable contribution to the study and recording of wildlife not only includes his landmark work on Coleoptera, but also his Flora of Hertfordshire (2009) that similarly set new standards for the content and presentation of county atlases.
Consistent sales over the past nine years mean that our current stocks of the Flora book are very low indeed. Demand since July for Beetles of Hertfordshire has, meanwhile, exceeded expectations and required a second impression to be printed.
Autumn Meeting and AGM – bring slugs!
Don't miss our Autumn Meeting on Saturday 3 November, together with the Society's Annual General Meeting. It is taking place from 2pm to 5.30pm at the offices of Affinity Water in Tamblin Way, Hatfield, AL10 9AZ.
The keynote speakers are Matt Dodds, Planning and Biodiversity Manager at the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, and limacologist Chris de Feu, whose efforts to gain a fair hearing for slugs have included an appearance on the BBC's 2018 Springwatch programme.
Matt will be talking about his role in scrutinising development proposals in our county with a view to protecting, improving and creating wildlife habitats. Chris, in addition to sharing his enthusiasm for slugs will be holding an identification workshop. You are actively invited bring your own slug finds to the meeting (click 'read more' for Chris's collecting and transportation advice)!
Launch events for 'Beetles of Hertfordshire'
Forty HNHS members and beetle enthusiasts gathered at the headquarters of the Royal Entomological Society near St Albans on the evening of 31 July to celebrate the publication of Trevor James's landmark book Beetles of Hertfordshire. A second, daytime event at Rye Meads Visitor Centre (by kind permission of the RSPB Manager) on 10 August brought together more beetles fans, keen to have their copies signed by the author.
Trevor's 496-page book is the first publication to not only list all the species that have been reliably recorded in a single county, but also provide tetrad-level distribution maps and photographs for the more commonly recorded species as well as habitat information. The book describes 2,483 species that had been recorded at the time it went to press. These include many records contributed by Trevor himself during 40 years as county recorder.