VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR SURVEY

An eminent botanist, Jeff Duckett, led a wonderful walk for us in 2019 on what he called 'The Blooming Bryophytes of Big Wood'. (You can find out about him at https://www.qmul.ac.uk/sbcs/staff/jeffduckett.html). 

Since then Jeff has been back several times on his own because it turns out Big Wood has several unusual and rare species. He now wants to do a proper survey of  these liverworts and mosses, and has asked the Friends  for help. 

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We are looking for 10 participants for this, which we think will take about 30 hours of your time between now and the autumn. We will start with a Zoom lecture by Jeff and then, after studying the field guide, we will go in pairs into the wood to photograph and record the bryophytes we find. 

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The Friends are spending £100 to buy five second-hand copies of the field guide to share among the participants, and we will ask you you to pay £10 to cover that. You will also need your own hand-lens. They are not expensive and as 'the possession of a hand-lens is the defining characteristic of a naturalist'  you should look at https://www.nhbs.com/blog/the-nhbs-guide-to-hand-lenses.  

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PS. A WORD OF WARNING. WE WILL BE  USING THEIR LATIN NAMES! 

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This is Jeff's current list. 

Big Wood.   Mosses 40  Liverworts  7 = 47  total

Little Wood.   Mosses 14, liverworts 3 = 17 total

contact Bruce Mackay if you are interested in participating or any questions

SEPTEMBER 2021 

ACTIVITY MORNINGS

These work mornings take place between 10am and 12.30pm with a break for tea/coffee and biscuits. Please make a note in your diaries of the following date

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Meet memorial gate at the top of Temple Fortune Hill