Welcome to the website of the Hertfordshire Natural History Society

Covid-19: Stay safe and observe Government rules (updated November 2020)

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. Under the 'lockdown' introduced from 5 November you can travel (preferably locally) to access open space for exercise and may individually associate out of doors with one person you do not live with. 

We will continue to play our part in discouraging 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. Stay safe!

Tremella mesenterica (a jelly fungus) on an oak branch in Bishop's Stortford, November 2020 © Richard Melarange

 

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

HeartwoodProject.jpg

Social media:

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

View our Facebook page  Follow us on Twitter  View our photos on Flickr

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.