The New Year is here – and with it we start celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of the Hertfordshire Natural History Society, which includes the Herts Bird Club.

Keep an eye on the website for information about anniversary year activities, and make a diary note of these three upcoming events:

Entomologist Adrian Dutton will give the 2025 Gerald Salisbury Memorial lecture which takes place on Wednesday 22 January in Welwyn Civic Centre* (8pm).

He will talk about the saproxylic beetles of Panshanger Park, reporting on exciting findings from his recent survey work with Tarmac and Natural England supporting efforts to improve the site's wildlife potential.

The 1,000 acre park, near Hertford, has emerged as one of the most important habitats nationally for saproxylic beetles, which require decaying wood habitats.

There was good news and bad when recorder Andrew Wood reported on the changing status of Hertfordshire's butterflies at the Society's Autumn Meeting on Saturday 16 November.