Covid-19: Act carefully and remain cautious (updated 14 December 2021)
HNHS urges everyone enjoying and recording wildlife to continue to act carefully near other people, remain cautious and take note of Government advice.
Welcome to the website of the Hertfordshire Natural History Society
Stoat, Easenye, January 2022 © Brian Pereira
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. We welcome submissions of good-quality images of birds and of all other wildlife seen and photographed in Hertfordshire.
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
Flora of Hertfordshire – £35 (only a few remaining copies)
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 Society's Trevor James Award for an outstanding Hertfordshire naturalist and 1875 Award for an individual who has made an 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.
If you've found a bat, please contact Herts and Middlesex Bat Group.
The 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.
Recent News
'No insectinction!' campaign seeks support
HNHS members and others can learn more about practical action to protect insects by supporting the 'No insectinction' campaign launched by the Buglife charity.
New HNHS web-guide to grasshoppers, bush-crickets and allied species
Bask in the thought of warmer days to come by visiting our new website page on grasshoppers, bush-crickets, ground-hoppers and allied species that include earwigs and cockroaches.
County orthoptera recorder Ian Carle has written and designed the guide to 22 species that can be seen in Hertfordshire. Its linked to a downloadable identification guide to the grasshoppers and bush-crickets that is beautifully illustrated with his own photographs.
HNHS formally objects to Tyttenhanger housing plan
Hertfordshire Natural History Society and the Herts Bird Club have formally objected to proposals for a 6,000 home village to be built on a site used by nesting Tree Sparrows and other rare and protected wildlife.
The 'Bowmans Cross' development included by Hertsmere Borough Council in its draft Local Plan threatens the last known colony of Tree Sparrows in Southeast England and more than a dozen other bird species on the adjacent Tyttenhanger gravel pits area that have been nationally 'Red-listed' due to conservation concerns. Other protected species recorded in and around the site include Brown Hare and Hedgehog, Common Toad, Great-crested Newt and the Small Heath and White-letter Hairstreak butterflies.
