Conference in memory of Trevor James - Saturday 9 September
Members of the HNHS, Herts Bird Club and wildlife enthusiasts are warmly invited to attend a conference in memory of the outstanding Hertfordshire naturalist Trevor James BEM.
The event will take place from 11am to 4pm on Saturday 9 September in the Swendell Hall at Redbourn Parish Centre, The Park, Redbourn AL3 7LR.
Website updated as new dragonfly season starts
As reports arrive of Hertfordshire's first dragonfly sightings for 2023, county recorder Roy Woodward has updated the HNHS website with tetrad maps for every species located during the 2022 season.
These, memorably, include the first records of Scarce Blue-tailed Damselflies in Herts for three-quarters of a century. They were the highlight of the first year of a six-year county-wide survey of dragonflies set to continue until 2027.
Reducing raw sewage in rivers and streams
Welwyn Natural History Society has organised a talk by Thames Water's Sustainability Director, Richard Aylard. on the topical issue of river pollution from storm overflow water containing raw sewage (8pm, Wednesday 26 April, Welwyn Civic Centre, AL6 9ER)
He will describe a new operational system for monitoring storm overflows and discuss how discharges can be reduced.
Tackling crimes against wildlife
Hertfordshire and Middlesex Badger Group are inviting members of wildlife-friendly groups across the county to a talk on Tuesday 4 April by PC Tim Armstrong of Hertfordshire Police's Rural Operation Support Team (ROST) which is in the front line tackling wildlife crime.
Conference hears concerns over threatened waders and dwindling wildfowl
National concerns over how to protect breeding populations of wading birds and local worries about dwindling numbers of winter wildfowl featured at the 2023 Hertfordshire Bird Conference.
More than 80 HNHS / Herts Bird Club members and guests learned how the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is supporting efforts to halt an alarming reduction in the number of Curlews and other internationally important breeding populations of wading birds in Britain.
They also heard from Josh Kalms of the Hertfordshire & Middlesex Wildlife Trust about the bird life of Stocker's Lake near Rickmansworth, including signs of 'short-stopping' where fewer winter wildfowl cross from the continent. Anyone who missed the conference, or would like to watch the main presentations again, will find video links posted below.