Meetings take place on the first and third Tuesday of each month (between October & March) at Pangbourne Village Hall from 19:45. All visitors are welcome at both our indoor meetings* and field excursions. If you wish to become a member click here.
* there is a small charge of 2 pounds for non-members at indoor meetings
2009 Winter
| Date |
Title |
Speaker |
| 6th October |
Presidential Address - Ancient Gardens: Graham is a scientist and classicist with 50 years’ interest in the natural world. The talk will look at gardening in ancient Egypt, Greece and Pompeii through the literature and archaeological records. We’ll look at some magnificent designs and some horrible pests and diseases. |
Graham Saunders |
| 20th October |
Antarctica to Ascension: Martin Sell recently took a trip on a small Russian ship through a lot of sea to a few small islands. He saw cetaceans, albatrosses, petrels and penguins, a few surprise birds and even the odd butterfly. |
Martin Sell |
| 3rd November |
Flowers and fumigants - a brief history of botany at Kew: David Mabberley is the Keeper of the Herbarium, Library, Art and Archives at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The talk will form an introduction to the scientific work at Kew. It will explore the development, complexities and global significance of botany at Kew, from its beginning to the present day. |
Prof. David Mabberley |
| 17th November |
The Darwin Conspiracy / Wallace: Charles Darwin has been hailed as the greatest scientist of the 19th century for his discovery of the secrets of evolution. But did Darwin come up with the idea of evolution himself or did he take it from a young researcher trying to impress him? So began the conspiracy by which eminent scientists promoted the ideas of Darwin ahead of those of Alfred Russell Wallace. |
Roy Davies |
| 1st December |
Diatoms and Red Tides: Marine micro-organisms are of crucial importance to life on earth, yet receive very little publicity. Jane Lewis has worked on their anatomy and physiology for many years and will describe some of her favourite species, including some that occasionally go spectacularly wrong. |
Prof. Jane Lewis |
| 15th December |
Christmas Party and Photographic Competition |
n/a |
2010 Spring
| Date |
Title |
Speaker |
| 5th January
** CANCELLED ** due to predicted heavy snowfall - there will be NO indoor meeting today
|
Beavers: This talk will be about the natural and unnatural history of the beaver in the UK, its past persecution and its future role in more natural wetland management. |
Derek Gow |
| 19th January |
Eels - a threatened species?: Eels were once important items of food and commerce in our area but little is known about many aspects of their astonishing life cycle. Brian Knights has studied them intensively in the laboratory and in the field, and will entertain us with his description of these slippery customers. |
Dr. Brian Knights |
| 2nd February |
A botanist’s view of a tourist destination - the Canarian flora: Frances Watkins is Vice Chairman of Plantlife. Visitors to the Canaries are often puzzled as well as amazed by the vegetation they see. This talk explains some of the reasons why there are such radically different habitats on the islands and shows some of the plants which grow there. |
Frances Watkins |
| 16th February |
Swift conservation: Edward Mayer is founder of the organisation London Swifts. Concerned by the decline of urban swifts, he outlines the problems of modern city life for these birds and considers some solutions. |
Edward Mayer |
| 2nd March |
Glow-worms: We take an insect’s-eye journey through the life of this fascinating creature, from egg to adult, looking at how it hunts, how it defends itself, and, of course, how (and why) it produces its magical light, as well as giving tips on how to see one for yourself. |
John Tyler |
| 16th March |
Members’ Evening, AGM and Book Sale |
|
2008 Winter
| Date |
Title |
Speaker |
| 7th October |
Presidential Address: SU76 Finding the butterflies in a 10K square. |
Jan Haseler |
| 21st October |
Mr Toad, Ratty & Mole. |
Rod d’Ayala |
| 4th November |
Otmoor, a new RSPB reserve. |
Dr Alan Parfitt |
| 18th November |
Aspects of the natural history of the Arctic. |
Prof. Peter Worsley |
| 2nd December |
Work towards a new Flora of Morocco. |
Dr. Stephen Jury |
| 16th December |
Christmas Party & photographic competition. |
|
2009 Spring
| Date |
Title |
Speaker |
| 6th January |
(Mis)adventures in Tien Shan. |
Prof. Chris Bucke |
| 20th January |
Pollen and archaeology. |
Dr. Michael Keith-Lucas |
| 3rd February |
The wildlife of Peru and Ecuador. |
Andy Tucker |
| 17th February |
The fall and rise of farmland birds in Britain. How can we make agriculture work for wildlife in Britain? |
Prof. Keith Norris |
| 3rd March |
Mad March Hares. |
Prof. Stephen Harris |
| 17th March |
Member’s evening, AGM & book sale. |
|
Previous seasons
2007 Winter
| Date |
Title |
Speaker |
| 2nd October |
Moor Copse - the Wildlife Haven on our Doorstep |
Jan Haseler |
| 16th October |
Coral Reefs - the Jewels of the Sea |
Dr. David George |
| 6th November |
The Ridgeway |
John Tyler |
| 20th November |
St. Kilda |
Alastair Mackay |
| 4th December |
Bengal Tigers |
James Butler |
| 17th December |
Christmas Party |
|
2008 Spring
| Date |
Title |
Speaker |
| 8th January |
Bird Watching Identification - a New Approach |
Terry Bond |
| 15th January |
Fungi of the Rain Forest |
Prof. John Hedger |
| 5th February |
The Natural History Museum - an Insider’s View |
Stuart Hine |
| 19th February |
Stop Climate Chaos |
David Nobbs |
| 4th March |
Greenham Common |
Andy Phillips |
| 17th March |
AGM and Members’ Evening |
|
2006 Winter
| Date |
Title |
Speaker |
| 3rd October |
Presidential Address - December in Patagonia |
Prof. Chris Bucke |
| 17th October |
Purple Emperor mythology & Silver-studded Blue |
Matthew Oates & Grahame Hawker |
| 7th November |
The New Forest |
Mike Read |
| 21st November |
Fungi of Wales
(Fungi of the Rainforest by Prof. John Hedger postponed at short notice) |
Dr Gareth Griffith |
| 5th December |
Christmas Party (including photo competition) |
|
2007 Spring
| Date |
Title |
Speaker |
| 2nd January |
The Nightjar |
Philip Palmer |
| 16th January |
Namibia & its flora |
Dr Michael Keith-Lucas |
| 6th February |
The Galapagos Islands |
Prof. Sir Ghillean Prance |
| 20th February |
Moths |
Martin Harvey |
| 6th March |
The Hedgehog |
Dr Pat Morris |
| 20th March |
Member’s Evening (including AGM & book auction) |
|
2006 Spring
| Date |
Title |
Speaker |
| 3rd January |
Butterflies of the Harris garden |
Jan Haseler |
| 17th January |
South Africa - Land of contrasts |
Barry Oxley |
| 7th February |
The importance of ponds |
Dr Stephen Head |
| 21st February |
Flowers & wildlife of Iran |
Ian Green |
| 7th March |
Bat conservation in Oxfordshire |
Reg Tipping |
| 21st March |
Member’s evening
(including AGM & book auction) |
|
2005 winter
| Date |
Title |
Speaker |
| 4th October |
Footprints in the mud (Java) |
Prof. Chris Bucke |
| 25th October |
Lundy - Island of contrasts
(N.B. 4th Tuesday not 3rd Tuesday) |
Prof. Jennifer George |
| 1st November |
European Dragonflies |
Graham Vick |
| 15th November |
Returning wild flowers and better farming to the countryside |
Charles Flower |
| 6th December |
Christmas party
(including a photo competition) |
|
