Hertfordshire Natural History Society

Welcome to the website of the Hertfordshire Natural History Society

Covid-19: Stay safe and observe Government rules (updated July 3)

While Hertfordshire Natural History Society and the Herts Bird Club continue to welcome wildlife records submitted through our websites, we urge everyone to play their part in restricting the spread of the Covid-19 virus by observing Government rules.

Let us know about interesting sightings from home or when you are out of doors, but take recommended hygeine precautions and always observe social distancing while outside. From Saturday 4 July you may associate out of doors with up to six people from different households, or with all the members from your own and one other household.

We will continue to play our part in discouraging larger, illegal public gatherings by not publishing information we receive about sightings of rare species that might otherwise attract group interest. Observers who find rarities can safely record them knowing they will be treated with discretion. We hope you will stay safe while taking advantage of increased opportunities to spend more time outside.

Black-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum cancellatum) Wilstone Reservoir, August 2020 © Gary Mason

We promote the study and recording of wildlife in Hertfordshire and encourage a wider interest in natural history including the conservation of wildlife, habitats and geological features.

Our members share an interest in nature and observing and studying wildlife. We get real value from your observations by coordinating and compiling everyone?s records to build up a comprehensive picture of the state of wildlife in the county. This helps us understand how it is changing over time in response to the pressures of modern life and climate change.

Photos of Hertfordshire wildlife can be found in the photo galleries here and in the Flora group and Bird Club websites.

All the latest natural history news can be found on our news page. The latest and past newsletters can be downloaded here.

HNHS bookshop

Beetles of Hertfordshire (new) – £35 (save £10 on RRP)

Butterflies of Hertfordshire & Middlesex – £25

Birds of Hertfordshire – £34

Hertfordshire Geology and Landscape – £34

Moths of Hertfordshire – £15

Dragonflies of Hertfordshire – now £5

Prices do not include P&P
You can now order online and pay with your debit/credit card via PayPal – full details here

We have been studying and documenting the natural history of our county for 145 years. We endeavour to cover all branches of natural history relevant to Hertfordshire.

We encourage wildlife recording. You can submit your records on line for birds, for mammals, amphibians, reptiles and dragonflies and for plants, view the latest sightings and sightings archive (from 2010). Learn more about our objectives.

We have a network of 26 county wildlife recorders who are experts in their field and collate the records for specific groups, such as birds, mammals, insects and flowers. Their reports are published in our annual journals, The Hertfordshire Naturalist and The Hertfordshire Bird Report. We also publish books on specific subjects,

We have specialist groups that focus on birds, moths and flora and close links with other local groups such as Butterfly Conservation.

Membership is open to anyone, whether or not you live in the county.

The HNHS 1875 Awards for outstanding Hertfordshire naturalists and individuals making outstanding contributions to natural history in Hertfordshire are presented at the autumn meeting each year.

The Society depends on voluntary donations and annual subscriptions from members all of which are devoted entirely to carrying out our work, as all officers are honorary.

Data and protection and privacy: Submission of a wildlife record or photograph creates data which may be classed as personal information. Our Privacy Policy explains how the HNHS and Herts Bird Club comply with their data protection obligations towards their members and the wider public.

Safeguarding: We offer family membership and welcome children under 16 to our activities provided they are supervised by a parent or responsible adult at all times. We encourage members to read our policy on safeguarding children, young people under 18 and vulnerable adults, which is reviewed annually.

Specialist groups:

Current projects:

Hertfordshire Mammal, Amphibian and Reptile Atlas

Herts Invertebrate Project

Heartwood Monitoring Project

Social media:

To keep informed about HNHS, follow us on Facebook and Twitter and look at the stunning photographs on our Flickr page.

Acknowledgements:

The success of the HNHS and Herts Bird Club websites depends on the skills and dedication of many people, for which we are very grateful; we should particularly like to acknowledge the excellent work of the photographers.

Injured animals and birds:

Neither HNHS nor Herts Bird Club is equipped to help, please follow these links for advice on what to do:

The RSPCA the national charity that gives help and advice on sick and injured birds and animals.

RSPB has advice on injured and orphaned birds.

Tiggywinkles and the Swan Sanctuary have advice and also take in wild birds in need of care.

Trevor James BEM 1947-2020

With great sadness we report that Trevor James, Hertfordshire's long-time recorder for flora and beetles and an outstanding all-round naturalist, died peacefully in the Garden House Hospice, Letchworth on Friday 5 June.

Trevor made a remarkable contribution to the study, understanding and recording of wildlife in the county where he lived for most of his life. He actively promoted 'citizen science' through his own volunteering and the generous practical help and encouragement he offered so that less experienced enthusiasts could develop their skills.

Read more about Trevor James BEM 1947-2020

2020 Festival of Wildlife cancelled

We are sorry to report that the 2020 Festival of Wildlife, due to take place on 25 and 26 July at Panshanger Park, has been cancelled as a consequence of the continuing Covid-19 emergency.

Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust and Tarmac plc, who organise the annual festival in association with HNHS, have decided that a mass-participation event would not be appropriate at the end of July even if the current lockdown has been partially or wholly lifted by then.

Pioneering monitoring methods explained at Bird Conference

Pioneering ways to monitor bird movements, including their frustrations as well as achievements, featured at the 2020 Hertfordshire Bird Conference on Saturday 29 February.

A capacity audience at the Affinity Water offices in Hatfield, heard how a sound dish electronically capturing the calls of overflying night-time birds in a garden near the M25 has yielded records of unexpected species such as Black-necked Grebe, Common Scoter and Lapland Bunting as well as mass seasonal movements of Redwings and other thrushes.

Read more about Pioneering monitoring methods explained at Bird Conference