The Society holds regular indoor and outdoor meetings throughout the year. During the winter months, speakers are invited to the club to give entertaining talks on a wide variety of subjects, while in the summer months, field meetings are held at various locations where members can get to grips with the local wildlife.
All indoor meetings are held in the Quaker Meeting House, Thornhill Street, Wakefield, WF1 1NQ and commence at 7:30pm prompt. Annual membership is £10 per year, plus a £1 door fee. Visitors are welcome to attend any meeting but there is a £3 door fee per person.
2022/23 PROGRAMME OF EVENTS
OUTDOOR MEETINGS
All persons taking part in our field meetings do so at their own risk. Neither the Society or it’s officers will accept any responsibility for any injury, loss or damage howsoever sustained. Please wear suitable footwear for outdoor meetings and packed lunches are advisable on the more distant field trips.
NB All meetings subject to changes. Changes will be notified to members via email and social media
Sunday May 22nd 2022 – Wintersett
Meet Anglers Country Park Car Park 10.00am (£2.00 fee) for a walk round the Top Res for warblers, terns and insects
Sunday June 12th 2022 – High Batts Nature Reserve, Ripon
Meet at the Quarry car park 10:15am. 2hrs walk round this private reserve for birds, insects and flowers.
To get to the Reserve take the B6108 from Ripon towards North Stainley. Immediately after Lightwater Valley on your left and before you get to North Stainley, there’s a slight hill and once over the brow there is a track going off to the right to Ripon Quarry, and this leads to the Reserve. Follow this track down for about ¾ of a mile and at the first junction bear right (the left goes to the Quarry). As you near the Reserve there is a quarry haul road which crosses the road but there should be no traffic on it on Sunday and shortly after this you will come to the car park.
Sunday 10th July 2022 – St Aiden’s RSPB Reserve
A fantastic reserve at the height of the breeding bird season. Meet at 09.30 as the car park can get busy.
Sunday August 14th 2022 – Adel Nature Reserve
A visit to this super reserve for dragonflies and flowers which was closed throughout lockdown. Hopefully better weather than our last visit. Meet at 10:00am in the car park.
INDOOR MEETINGS
Tuesday 13th September – “2022 wildlife review” ~ John Gardner
A look at some of the wildlife captured in camera over 2022 from redstarts to emperor moths
Tuesday 11th October – “Hedgerows in the landscape” ~ Catherine Artindale
Catherine will enlighten us on ancient hedgerows and how to identify them
Tuesday 8th November – “The life of Bees” ~ Tom Aspinall
Naturalist Tom Aspinall presents his enthralling lecture on British bees.
Tuesday 13th December “Tanzania” ~ John Cranmer
John will show us the results of his recent successful photographic trip to Tanzania
2023 Meetings
Tuesday 10th January 2023 – “Wakefield Swifts, their lifestyle, habits and conservation” ~ Chris Swaine
Tuesday 14th February 2023 – “AGM followed by “Wild Wharfedale: Wandering around Ilkley” ~ Roger Gaynor
Roger has been busy in 2022 preparing a new lecture and tonight will be the premier.
Tuesday 14th 2023 – TBC
Tuesday 11th April 2023 – Members’ Night
The indoor meeting season closes with a selection of short presentations from our own membership. Always a great evening.
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