Conchological Society field meetings take place between late March and early November. They usually support the Society's Marine and Non-Marine recording schemes, local recording schemes, or conservation minded landowners, but may also include activities such as visits to fossil mollusc locations. It is advisable before turning up for these meeting to check you are suitably dressed and equipped; and please check that you are familiar with the Society's general code of conduct and health and safety policy. A comprehensive list of the location of past meetings is available here.
Please contact the leader in advance if you plan to attend a field meeting; and, if you are held up while traveling to a meeting, please contact the leader if possible so that you don't make people wait for you.
CONCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY FIELD MEETINGS 2023
Members are advised to keep a regular watch on this website for updates. The Co-19 uncertainties that impacted the field programme have declined and so it is anticipated that problems and restrictions will be minimal. We will, however, be keeping a close watch on any developments; specific meeting arrangements and other changes will appear on the Society website which Society Members are advised to visit regularly. It is essential for those wishing to attend ANY of the meetings, to contact the leader in advance (ideally at least a few days before) to book a place and obtain further details. Thank you for your patience in this regard.
Last checked 4th May 2023
(Please watch this space for information updates on the 2023 programme. If you would like to offer a field meeting for this year then please do contact Martin Willing (contact details below).
Saturday 13th May 2023. FIELD MEETING (non-marine): Semley Woods and Oysters Coppice Wiltshire Wildlife Trust Reserves, near Shaftesbury, Salisbury.
Leader: Mags Cousins (shropshiremolluscs@gmail.com; 07873 532681)
Semley Woods and Oysters Coppice (OS map 118, Grid ref: ST896258) comprise damp flower rich ancient coppice woodlands, with streams and pond and very few recent mollusc records. (SP7 9AZ, What3Words: ///allies.spoil.liberty). Meet at 10.30 am. Parking at the reserve entrance is limited so we will park in the village of Gutch Common at ST8954425771; there is then a short walk to the reserve.
Saturday 3rd June 2023. FIELD MEETING (non-marine) Warburg Nature Reserve, Oxfordshire.
Leader: Tom Walker (tom@tmwalker.co.uk; 07488-231574;) Warburg is a nature reserve owned by Bucks, Berks and Oxon Wildlife Trust with areas of ancient woodland. We will be surveying much of the reserve for molluscs, in particular Ena montana, which has good populations here. Meet at 10.30am in the reserve car park (RG9 6BJ – continue from this hamlet to the end of the lane; grid ref: SU721878); toilets on site, but no cafe.
Saturday 10th June 2023. FIELD MEETING (non-marine): Knotting Green, near Bedford, Bedfordshire
Leader: Peter Topley (molluscworld@ntlworld.com; 01462 615499)
The Bedfordshire Invertebrate Group are joining a Bioblitz at Strawberry Hill Farm, a rewilding project north of Bedford (see https://www.wildlifebcn.org/strawberry-hill). Further meeting details will follow in due course.
Sunday 18th* June 2023. FIELD MEETING (non-marine): Erlestoke, Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire.
Leader: Julie Swain (jools990@gmail.com; 07990 755721) and
Keith Alexander (keith.n.a.alexander@outlook.com; 07394 251990)
A meeting focusing on survey for Ena montana. This rare snail was discovered near Erlestoke by Charles Oldham in 1917 and found again by D.G. Pickerell in 1970 (specimen confirmed by Michael Kerney) but with no records since. The 1970 information noted it as ‘common’ on a ‘steep chalk bank under beech and ash’. This meeting will be a joint meeting with the Salisbury Plain Conservation Group and will explore the area of Hill Wood which is within the northern edge of the MOD Salisbury Plain Training Area but publicly accessible and never subject to any live training. Meet at 10.30am at Tank Crossing D (SU0098 5107) on the A360 Salisbury-Devizes road just north of Gore Cross, south of West Lavington, north of Tilshead, from whence we will be led westward along a mostly tarmac lane. JS will be waiting for late arrivals in her fairly distinctive bronze Landrover Defender at the Tank Crossing to the west of the A360.
* Please note, this meeting is not on the 17th, as stated in the magazine.
Saturday 22nd July 2023. FIELD MEETING (non-marine): Whiteknights, University of Reading, Berkshire
Leader: Tom Walker (tom@tmwalker.co.uk; 07488-231574)
Molluscs are under-documented on the University grounds (only eight species on CS/NBN databases), which consists of woodland, grassland and a lake. We will explore all areas, including dipping in the lake. The findings will be presented at the regional meeting due to be held at the University on 11th November.
Meet at 10.30am in Car Park 4 on the University campus (by the Students’ Union: RG6 6EH; grid ref SU735719; contact the organiser for details of how to find this car park). Bus 21/21a runs from Reading railway station every half-hour directly to the University Campus (15-minute journey time).
Sunday 6th August 2023. FIELD MEETING (non-marine): Hook-a-Gate woods, near Shrewsbury
Leader: Mags Cousins (shropshiremolluscs@gmail.com; 07873 532681).
A small woodland with tufa-depositing streams, grid ref. SJ462093. There is no parking at the wood itself, so we'll park in the village of Hook-a-Gate and walk a short distance across fields. Meet at 10.30 am.
Saturday 12th August OR Saturday 9th September 2023 (DATE TO BE CONFIRMED).
FIELD MEETING (non-marine): Bookham Common, north Surrey. Joint with the London Natural History Society.
Leader: June Chatfield (drjunechatfield@gmail.com; 01420 82214). The London Natural History Society has been surveying this (National Trust owned) site since 1941 when Conch. Soc. past Presidents C. P. Castell and A. E. Ellis were involved as well as member Col. Bensley, but the molluscs have not been looked at for many years and the common has changed.
The final date and further meeting details will be posted here as soon as they are available and/or in the July issue of Mollusc World.
Saturday 21st October 2023. FIELD MEETING (non-marine): Wyre Forest, Worcestershire.
Leaders: Rosemary Hill* & Rosemary Winnall (*rosemaryhi@lineone.net; 0121 4431459).
This will be a joint meeting with the Wyre Forest Study Group (WFSG). Arrangements in progress: further details will be posted here as soon as they are available.
Further field meetings planned opportunistically, often at short notice, may be posted onto the Conchological Society website. Society members are encouraged to check this regularly for notification of such meetings as well for updates on the other fixed dates.
OTHER
Meeting Programme compiled by Martin Willing. For meetings related matters please contact either Martin Willing (martinjwilling@gmail.com) OR Rosemary Hill, General Secretary (secretary@conchsoc.org).
The Programme Secretary will be very happy to receive any offers to lead field meetings.