Hertfordshire Natural History Society Management Committee ... · The 138th Annual General Meeting,...
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Events Autumn Conference and AGM The meeting was held at Woolmer Green Hall on Saturday 19 October and over 100 people attended. The speakers included: Susannah O’Riordan from Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust who described the Woodlands for People and Wildlife project aimed at restoring woodlands in South Herts and getting local communities involved and inspired; Edward Darling from Greys Farm at Therfield told us how by working with conservation bodies he has transformed his farm to increase its value for wildlife, including Grey Partridge and finally David Curry talked about managing churchyards and the opportunities for promoting wildlife in these unique spaces. The HNHS 1875 Awards for 2013 were presented to Michael Clark and John Catt. The 138th Annual General Meeting, chaired by Ronni Edmonds-Brown, was held as part of the Society’s Autumn Conference on 19 October 2013. The officers and trustees elected at the AGM are listed on page 92. Herts Bird Club Conference This popular annual event introduced by Herts Bird Club chairman, Ken Smith was held at Woolmer Green Hall on Saturday 22 March 2014 with an audience of over 100. Mike Ilett introduced the amazing range of birds seen at Amwell Nature Reserve and Graham Knight teased us with all the best birds in Herts in 2013. Catriona Morrison, a young research ecologist at the BTO, answered the question ‘where have all the Willow Warblers gone?’ by describing her research project on causes and consequences of population change of long-distance migratory birds, which was partly funded by BTO members. Rosemary Setchfield, from the RSPB told us about her research Tree Sparrow Recovery Project Volunteers from Herts Bird Club are monitoring the last remaining breeding colony in the county by fitting selected birds with tiny electronic tags. This is already revealing fascinating information about the birds. The Club provides supplementary feeding for the Tree Sparrows at both Coursers Farm and Tyttenhanger Farm all year round. The Herts Flora Group continued to assist with recording for the London Flora, which includes about a third of Hertfordshire. The group are also now engaged in sample 10km field recording for the Botanical Society of the British Isles’ new Atlas 2020 Project. Publications Transactions of the Herts Natural History Society 2013, Volume 45 The Hertfordshire Bird Report 2011 (edited by Ted Fletcher) was published in July. The Hertfordshire Naturalist 2013 (edited by Stuart Warrington) was published in September. Birds of Hertfordshire Work continued on the new Avifauna based on the results of the 2007-2012 county- wide bird survey and a complete update of birds recorded in the county. Hertfordshire Natural History Society Management Committee Report for the year April 2013-March 2014 Aim and purposes Hertfordshire Natural History Society promotes the study and recording of the flora and fauna of Hertfordshire and encourages a wider interest in natural history including the conservation of wildlife, habitats and geological features for the purpose of environmental protection or improvement. Achievements and performance We are pleased to report that the Society continues to flourish. We have been able to attract new members and our membership has increased to over 420, despite the financial climate. We want to encourage all our members to be actively involved with the work of the Society. With the availability of websites and social media it is easier than ever to submit wildlife sightings and the number of records submitted has grown substantially. We receive around 100,000 bird records each year and in January the one millionth moth record was added to the database. An award to mark the event was presented at the Moth Group meeting in March (see photo). The growth of the data in electronic form means we are able to make meaningful data available for research and conservation purposes. Wildlife recording We are delighted that in November 2013 the new Hertfordshire Environmental Records Centre (HERC) was formally established within the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust. The Centre is part funded by Hertfordshire County Council and the archive of records from the former Herts Biological Records Centre (HBRC) has been transferred to HERC. One of our Trustees, Ken Smith, is a member of the steering Group for the centre. A note by HERC Manager, Ian Carle, who is also one of our trustees, is published in the Hertfordshire Naturalist. We intend that in due course all the county recorders will pass a copy of all their records to the Centre. We continued to encourage volunteers and professionals to collect and submit records of wildlife in the county. This can be done through our websites, via national schemes such as BTO Birdtrack, or direct to the relevant recorder by email or on paper. Our websites were the main focus of day to day activities, augmented by our Facebook, Twitter and Flickr accounts. Surveys and projects Monitoring developments at Heartwood Forest The joint Woodland Trust and HNHS Heartwood monitoring group met twice and extended the monitoring programme. This now includes sapling survival and growth, bats, badgers, small mammals, breeding and wintering birds, butterflies and other invertebrates, flora, lichens and fungi. The results are published on our website at www.hnhs.org where there is a link to ‘Heartwood monitoring project’. Graeme Smith received an award for the one millionth moth record from Ronni Edmonds Brown. Heartwood Volunteers. Photo Louise Neicho. Michael Clark (left) and John Catt (right) receiving their awards at the Autumn Conference. Photos Tim Hill. Birds of Hertfordshire Hertfordshire Natural History Society C W Dee, J D Fearnside, M Ilett, K W Smith and G J White
Transcript of Hertfordshire Natural History Society Management Committee ... · The 138th Annual General Meeting,...
86 Trans. Herts. Nat. Hist. Soc. 46(2) 2014 Trans. Herts. Nat. Hist. Soc. 46(2) 2014 87
Events
Autumn Conference and AGMThe meeting was held at Woolmer Green Hall on Saturday 19 October and over 100 people attended. The speakers included: Susannah O’Riordan from Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust who described the Woodlands for People and Wildlife project aimed at restoring woodlands in South Herts and getting local communities involved and inspired; Edward Darling from Greys Farm at Therfield told us how by working with conservation bodies he has transformed his farm to increase its value for wildlife, including Grey Partridge and finally David Curry talked about managing churchyards and the opportunities for promoting wildlife in these unique spaces. The HNHS 1875 Awards for 2013 were presented to Michael Clark and John Catt. The 138th Annual General Meeting, chaired by Ronni Edmonds-Brown, was held as part of the Society’s Autumn Conference on 19 October 2013. The officers and trustees elected at the AGM are listed on page 92.
Herts Bird Club ConferenceThis popular annual event introduced by Herts Bird Club chairman, Ken Smith was held at Woolmer Green Hall on Saturday 22 March 2014 with an audience of over 100. Mike Ilett introduced the amazing range of birds seen at Amwell Nature Reserve and Graham Knight teased us with all the best birds in Herts in 2013. Catriona Morrison, a young research ecologist at the BTO, answered the question ‘where have all the Willow Warblers gone?’ by describing her research project on causes and consequences of population change of long-distance migratory birds, which was partly funded by BTO members. Rosemary Setchfield, from the RSPB told us about her research
Tree Sparrow Recovery Project Volunteers from Herts Bird Club are monitoring the last remaining breeding colony in the county by fitting selected birds with tiny electronic tags. This is already revealing fascinating information about the birds. The Club provides supplementary feeding for the Tree Sparrows at both Coursers Farm and Tyttenhanger Farm all year round.
The Herts Flora Group continued to assist with recording for the London Flora, which includes about a third of Hertfordshire. The group are also now engaged in sample 10km field recording for the Botanical Society of the British Isles’ new Atlas 2020 Project.
PublicationsTransactions of the Herts Natural History Society 2013, Volume 45
The Hertfordshire Bird Report 2011 (edited by Ted Fletcher) was published in July.
The Hertfordshire Naturalist 2013 (edited by Stuart Warrington) was published in September.
Birds of Hertfordshire Work continued on the new Avifauna based on the results of the 2007-2012 county-wide bird survey and a complete update of birds recorded in the county.
Hertfordshire Natural History SocietyManagement Committee Report for the year April 2013-March 2014
Aim and purposesHertfordshire Natural History Society promotes the study and recording of the flora and fauna of Hertfordshire and encourages a wider interest in natural history including the conservation of wildlife, habitats and geological features for the purpose of environmental protection or improvement.
Achievements and performanceWe are pleased to report that the Society continues to flourish. We have been able to attract new members and our membership has increased to over 420, despite the financial climate. We want to encourage all our members to be actively involved with the work of the Society. With the availability of websites and social media it is easier than ever to submit wildlife sightings and the number of records submitted has grown substantially. We receive around 100,000 bird records each year and in January the one millionth moth record was added to the database. An award to mark the event was presented at the Moth Group meeting in March (see photo). The growth of the data in electronic form means we are able to make meaningful data available for research and conservation purposes.
Wildlife recordingWe are delighted that in November 2013 the new Hertfordshire Environmental Records Centre (HERC) was formally established within the Herts and
Middlesex Wildlife Trust. The Centre is part funded by Hertfordshire County Council and the archive of records from the former Herts Biological Records Centre (HBRC) has been transferred to HERC. One of our Trustees, Ken Smith, is a member of the steering Group for the centre. A note by HERC Manager, Ian Carle, who is also one of our trustees, is published in the Hertfordshire Naturalist. We intend that in due course all the county recorders will pass a copy of all their records to the Centre.
We continued to encourage volunteers and professionals to collect and submit records of wildlife in the county. This can be done through our websites, via national schemes such as BTO Birdtrack, or direct to the relevant recorder by email or on paper. Our websites were the main focus of day to day activities, augmented by our Facebook, Twitter and Flickr accounts.
Surveys and projectsMonitoring developments at Heartwood Forest The joint Woodland Trust and HNHS Heartwood monitoring group met twice and extended the monitoring programme. This now includes sapling survival and growth, bats, badgers, small mammals, breeding and wintering birds, butterflies and other invertebrates, flora, lichens and fungi. The results are published on our website at www.hnhs.org where there is a link to ‘Heartwood monitoring project’.
Graeme Smith received an award for the one millionth moth record from Ronni Edmonds Brown.
Heartwood Volunteers. Photo Louise Neicho.
Michael Clark (left) and John Catt (right) receiving their awards at the Autumn Conference. Photos Tim Hill.
Birds of Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire Natural History Society
C W Dee, J D Fearnside, M Ilett, K W Smith and G J White
88 Trans. Herts. Nat. Hist. Soc. 46(2) 2014 Trans. Herts. Nat. Hist. Soc. 46(2) 2014 89
on Corn Buntings in cereal crops, their breeding performance and habitat preference and Murray Orchard introduced the Herts Corn Bunting survey for 2014. In the final talk Ken Smith previewed the new Hertfordshire Avifauna, highlighting some of the main changes in the fortunes of our birds 60 years on from publication of the first Avifauna in 1959.
Wallace 100 EventOver 90 people turned out on a cold November evening to celebrate the centenary of Alfred Russel Wallace, who died 100 years ago on 7 November 1913. Tom Gladwin, our own eminent Hertfordshire natural historian, gave a presentation tracing Wallace’s life and achievements. Wallace was an intrepid explorer, brilliant naturalist and leading evolutionary thinker, who proposed a theory of evolution by natural selection independent of Charles Darwin and became known as the father of biogeography (zoo-geography). This remarkable man spent his childhood in Hertford and attended Hertford Grammar School from 1831-36.
Project Wild Thing – film and discussionThe Society joined forces with the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust to host a screening of this thought
provoking film. Project Wild Thing is a film led movement to get more children (and their families!) outside and reconnecting with nature. The feature-length documentary takes a funny and revealing look at a complex issue, the increasing disconnection between children and nature. We were pleased to attract an audience of about 130. The Trust are analysing the feedback from the evening and taking forward some of the ideas. More information and a trailer for the film are at http://projectwildthing.com/.
Many thanks to Tim Hill for organising all these events, to all the speakers and contributors and to Society members for their support.
HNHS 1875 Awards for 2013 The annual 1875 Award recognises an outstanding Hertfordshire naturalist and/or someone who has made an outstanding contribution to natural history in Hertfordshire on a voluntary basis. This year the awards went to Michael Clark– an outstanding Hertfordshire naturalist and John Catt – for his outstanding contribution to natural history in Hertfordshire.
Support for specialist groups Our website provides a focus for interest in natural history in the county. Our site hosts the websites for the Herts Bird Club, Herts Moth Group and Herts Flora Group and individual web pages for other specialist areas, lichens (new this year), mammals, amphibians, reptiles, dragonflies and the Heartwood monitoring project. We also co-ordinate a diary of wildlife events, meetings and field trips on behalf of all natural history and wildlife groups across the county. The diary of events is published on our website and distributed in paper form as appropriate.
Financial reviewThe Society reserves have increased again and, at year end, our total reserves stood at £76,646 with £25,497 readily available in cash funds to cover annual costs as well as one-off projects. As, once again, income from subscriptions, gift aid and routine fund raising continues comfortably to cover our routine running costs, we do not believe there is a need to increase annual subscriptions.
The accounts are prepared on a cash basis in accordance with Charity Commission guidance. We have changed the format this year to follow the template provided by the Charity Commission which more clearly distinguishes between cash reserves and other less accessible assets as well as showing how income and expenditure is allocated to different funds. We have also, as agreed at last year’s AGM, simplified our reserves policy, so we now maintain
two unrestricted funds – a ‘General Fund’ to cover our regular running costs, including our two annual publications (the Hertfordshire Naturalist and the Bird Report), meetings and website; and a ‘Project Fund’ to be used, for example, to fund one-off publications and website upgrades. We have, with the agreement of relevant parties where appropriate, transferred the balances of the three Restricted Funds into the ‘Project Fund’. We will in future only use Restricted Funds where this is necessary to account for funding which cannot be used for any other purpose.
Responsibilities of trustees: The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. As the Society’s gross income for the year is less than the £25,000 threshold, there is no need for an independent review of the accounts.
VolunteersThe Society is managed and run entirely by volunteers. We would like to thank all the volunteers who work so hard to keep the Society going, in particular the county recorders, the editors of our two journals, Stuart Warrington and Ted Fletcher and those moderating and updating the websites, Jack Fearnside, Alan
Gardiner, Linda Smith, Steve Blake, Graham Knight and Steve Chilton.
In memoriamWe are very sorry to note the deaths of three HNHS members, Arthur Goodall and Vaila Walker earlier this year and Maurice Pyle in 2013.
Structure, governance and managementThe Society is a registered charity, governed by a formal constitution last amended in 2002. The twelve Trustees of the Society are elected each year at the Annual General Meeting and form the Management Committee. During the year the Committee met twice, on 25 July 2013 and 9 January 2014. The membership of the Society has remained stable through the year and stood at 422 at 31 March 2014.
Administrative informationThe Society’s registered address is 24 Mandeville Rise, Welwyn Garden City, Herts, AL8 7JU.
Members of the management committee are elected at the AGM in October or November each year and each serve a term of one year.
The Wallace statue in the gardens of the Natural History Museum, London. Photo Anthony Smith.
Members of the Management Committee: elected at the AGM in 2012 and 2013
Role 2011/12 2012/13Chairman Veronica Edmonds-Brown Veronica Edmonds-BrownTreasurer Peter Tallantire Peter Tallantire Secretary and Registrar Linda Smith Linda SmithChair Herts Bird Club Ken Smith Ken SmithEditor Herts Bird Report Ted Fletcher Ted FletcherEditor Hertfordshire Naturalist Stuart Warrington Stuart WarringtonSpecial Projects (webmaster) Alan Gardiner Alan GardinerSpecial Projects (events) Tim Hill Tim HillSpecial Projects (recording) Sarah Jane Scott Agneta BurtonSpecial Projects (social media) Steve Chilton Steve ChiltonSpecial Projects (archivist) Trevor James Trevor JamesSpecial Projects (recording) Ian Carle Ian Carle
HNHS Management Committee – July 2014
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Section A – Receipts and payments
General fund to the nearest £
Project fund to the nearest £
Restricted funds
to the nearest £
Total funds to the nearest £
Last year to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
Subscriptions 6,989 6,989 6,467
Dividends & interest - 2,253 - 2,253 2,187
Donations 82 82 276
Gift Aid 1,430 - - 1,430 1,000
Sales of annual publications (Note 1)
460 - - 460 1,141
Sales of Geology & other HNHS books (Note 2)
1,003 1,003 2,143
Meetings 917 - - 917 1,217
Exceptional items 56 - 56 1,000
Trading sales (Note 8) 456 860 - 1,316 3
- - - -
- - - - -
Sub total (Gross income for AR) 10,252 4,255 - 14,508 15,435
A2 Asset and investment sales
Receipts from sale of investments - - - - -
Total receipts 10,252 4,255 - 14,508 15,435
A3 Payments
Meetings (Note 6) 793 - - 793 1,446
Printing and distribution of annual publications (Note 4)
6,053 - - 6,053 4,592
Printing and distribution of books (Note 5)
- 1,037 - 1,037 2,091
General Administration (Note 3) 749 - - 749 674
Website 924 - 376 1,300 624
Grants - - - -
Tree Sparrow project - - 175 175 257
Trading payments 169 275 - 444 -
Exceptional items - - - - -
Sub total 8,688 1,312 551 10,550 9,685
A4 Asset and investment purchases
Purchase of investments - - - - -
Total payments 8,688 1,312 551 10,550 9,685
Net of receipts/(payments) 1,564 2,943 -551 3,957 5,750
General fund to the nearest £
Project fund to the nearest £
Restricted funds
to the nearest £
Total funds to the nearest £
Last year to the nearest £
A5 Transfers between funds - 2,799 -2,799 - -
A6 Cash funds last year end 9,322 8,867 3350 21,540
Cash funds this year end 10,887 14,609 0 25,497 5,750
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
General fund to nearest £
Project fund to nearest £
Endowment funds
to nearest £
B1 Cash funds
Lloyds Current Account 10,679 - -
Santander account 8,922
Lloyds Deposit Account - 4,886 -
Paypal account 116 673
Virgin Money Account 92
Amazon account 129 -
Total cash funds 10,887 14,610 -
Fund to which asset belongs
Cost (optional)
Current value (optional)
B2 Investment assets
M&G Charity Fund (Note 7) Project Fund 51,224
Fund to which liability
relates
Amount due (optional)
When due (optional)
B5 Liabilities
Nat. Forum for Biol. Recording General 20 cheque 174 written
Speaker expenses General 55 cheque 184 written
-
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees
Signature Print Name Date of approval
Peter Tallantire 16 July 2014
Notes to accounts 31/03/20131. Annual publications
Income from the sale of the Society's annual publications, primarily the Bird Report and Hertfordshire Naturalist.
Includes sales of previous years’ editions.
2. Income from booksSales of geology and other HNHS books includes sales through various outlets of all our books (excl annual
publications) and including 23 copies of the Geology book and 16 Flora over the year.
Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2014
92 Trans. Herts. Nat. Hist. Soc. 46(2) 2014 Trans. Herts. Nat. Hist. Soc. 46(2) 2014 93
HNHS County Wildlife Recorders
County Recorders are local experts who have volunteered to help the Society to collect, verify, collate and keep records of the wildlife and other natural history features of the county.
Records of the county's wildlife are essential to the work of the Society – so please keep notes and send your records to the appropriate recording scheme.
Please submit your records for plants, mammals, amphibians and reptiles through our website at www.hnhs.org, and those for birds to www.hnhs.org/birds. Otherwise please send your observations and records of species in Hertfordshire to the relevant recorder.
When submitting records please state the ‘4 Ws’: • What has been recorded (species and number seen)• Where (location including grid reference and
nearest town)• When (including the year), and • Who (name of recorder).Recorders may also be able to help to identify specimens, but please do contact them before sending material in the post.
Flora: vascular plants: Trevor James, 56 Back Street, Ashwell, Baldock, SG7 5PE; Tel: 01462 742684; email: [email protected]
Bryophytes (mosses and liverworts): Dr Agneta Burton, Department of Human and Environmental Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, AL10 9AB; Tel: 01707 284517; email: [email protected]
Fungi: volunteers from the Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire Fungus Group; email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Lichens: Andrew Harris, 136 Trowley Hill Road, Flamstead, St. Albans, AL3 8DZ; email: [email protected]
Mammals, reptiles and amphibians: Jenny Jones, 23 North Road, Hertford, SG14 1LN; Tel: 01992 552407; email: [email protected]
Birds: Ken Smith, 24 Mandeville Rise, Welwyn Garden City, AL8 7JU; Tel: 01707 330405; email: [email protected]
Aquatic Crustacea: Phil Belfield, Environment Agency, 2 Bishops Square, St.Albans Road West, Hatfield, AL10 9EX; email: [email protected]
Arachnida (spiders and related species): Doug Marriott, 19 Winton Drive, Croxley Green, WD3 3RF; Tel: 01923 228079; email: [email protected]
Mollusca (aquatic) and Hirudinea (leeches): David Leeming, Spindlewood, 45 West End, Ashwell, SG7 5QY; Tel: 01462 743810; email: [email protected]
Insects: Ephemeroptera (mayflies): Nina Mayes, Environment Agency, 2 Bishops Square, St.Albans Road West, Hatfield, AL10 9EX; email: [email protected]
Plecoptera (stoneflies) and Trichoptera (caddisflies): Ronni Edmonds-Brown, Department of Human and Environmental Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, AL10 9AB; Tel: 01707 285254; email: [email protected]
Odonata (dragonflies): Roy Woodward, 62c High Street, Cheshunt, Waltham Cross, EN8 0AH, Tel:01992 620322 or 07855 567332; email: [email protected]
Orthoptera (grasshoppers and related insects): Ian Carle, Herts & Middx Wildlife Trust, Grebe House, St Michael's Street, St Albans, AL3 4SN, Tel: 01727 858901; email: [email protected]
Terestrial Heteroptera (land bugs): Post vacant.
Aquatic Heteroptera (water bugs): Stuart Warrington, (see water beetles, below)
Neuroptera (lacewings and allies): Tom Gladwin, 99 Warren Way, Digswell, Welwyn, AL6 0DL; Tel: 01438 714700; email: [email protected]
Lepidoptera (moths): Colin Plant, 14 West Road, Bishops Stortford, CM23 3QP; Tel: 01279 507697; email: [email protected]
3. Admistration costsOf the total of £748.64: insurance was £197, the cost of sending out renewal notices was £240, subscriptions to
other organisations of £114, and fees for the Virgin Money account of £45.
4. Printing and distribution of annual publicationsBird Reports £2,255Herts Naturalist £3,223AGM papers £89Other £486
Total £6,053
5. Printing and distribution of booksllustrations for the Hertfordshire Avifauna £860Postage for books sold (mainly online) £177
In accordance with the Society’s policy all stocks of books are valued at NIL for balance sheet purposes, although at year end we had 30 and 48 copies left respectively of the Geology and Flora books.
Next year, we are likely to incur substantially larger costs with the publication of the Hertfordshire Avifauna.
6. MeetingsCost of running two conferences including venue hire, speaker’s costs and refreshments
£793
7. Capital Movements Opening Bal 2013 IncreaseM & G Charifund £46,273 4951.24
8. Trading£860 was raised in income from provision of bird record data to companies and organisations involved in major construction projects, particularly HS2. The remaining trading income was mainly from the sale of cards.
£275 was incurred in costs extracting the required data from the Bird Club record database. £168 was spent on printing cards for sale.
