2018 Meetings

2018 Meetings

Showing upcoming SYBG botanical field meetings and other events in the area, and also for regional and national meetings of interest. Confirmation of your intention to attend a meeting will benefit the organisers, however, if willing but unable to attend, please submit your apologises.
southyorkshirebotany@gmail.com

14th April 2018 Saturday

Spring in Worsbrough Country Park, LNR (SE3403 & SE3503)
Leader : Gordon Bristowe
This will be a joint meeting with Barnsley Naturalist and Scientific Society who have kindly invited our group to join their field meeting.
Meet 10am in free public car park besides Transpennine Trail near Wigfield Farm on Haverlands Lane, Worsbrough. Grid Ref S34340372.

Haverlands Lane is off the A61 in Worsbrough Bridge; follow the road towards Stainborough, passing Wigfield Farm, and where the road makes a sharp left turn, the car park is straight ahead, indicated by a blue car park sign,

Worsbrough Country Park

The South Yorkshire Plant Atlas has a description of the site in the chapter entitled "A Tour of Botanical Hotspots", (page 68), listing some of the notable plant species to be found on the site.

26th May 2018 Saturday

Scoles Coppice & Keppel’s Field, LNR (SK3995)
Leader : Bob Croxton & Louise Hill
This will be a joint meeting with Sorby NHS
Meet 10am at Admiral's Crest in Scholes, by Keppel's Column SK38949470

You can park on the road at Admiral's Crest off Upper Wortley Road between Rotherham and Chapeltown, but please be thoughtful of the residents. By bus from Rotherham centre catch the 66 from just outside Rotherham Central Station.

For members of Sorby, there will be a two hour bird meeting starting at 8:00 am. The botanical meeting will start at 10:00 am. For the bird meeting it will be walk down to Wentworth lakes and back.

Keppel's Column

Schole’s Coppice is mature woodland that was once part of the Wentworth estate. Kepple’s Field was opencast in the 1950s and subsequently restored to grassland. It is now a “Local Nature Reserve” managed by Rotherham MBC. A lot of the grassland is acidic containing a number of wet flushes making for a wide variety of plants. There are good paths through the site, but they can be muddy after wet weather. Please ensure that you have suitable footware.

For further information email Bob Croxton at bats@sorby.org

10th June 2018 Sunday

Sheffield & Tinsley Canal (SK3990, SK3989, SK3889, SK3888, SK3788, SK3687).
Leader : Ken Balkow
Meet 10.30am at Meadowhall South tram stop, where there is free parking. Anyone travelling from Sheffield can catch a Yellow Route tram, which leaves the Cathedral at 10.04am and arrives at Meadowhall South at 10.22am. The survey will follow the canal from Tinsley, passing through Carbrook and Attercliffe before arriving at Victoria Quays in Sheffield. Those wishing to return to their cars can catch a tram at Bernard Road rather than proceeding into the city centre.

Narrow-leaved Ragwort

The South Yorkshire Plant Atlas has a description of this walk in the chapter entitled "A Tour of Botanical Hotspots" (p. 72) describing some of the aquatic and marginal plants to be seen from the towpath.

24th June 2018 Sunday

Kiveton's Cuckoo Way & Norwood (SK )
Leader : Louise Hill
This will be a joint meeting with Doncaster Naturalists' Society, who have invited SYBG to join then for this field meeting
Meet at 10.am at Kiveton Community Woodland free car park off Hard Lane, Kiveton. (SK494825)

The Kiveton colliery site has been partly surveyed during June 2016 jointly by Rotherham Naturalists and Doncaster Naturalist. This meeting is intended to extend the area surveyed by going westwards along the “Cuckoo Way”, following a dismantled railway track, towards the M1 Motorway underpass.

It is then proposed to survey Norwood and the Woodall Pond which lie at the southern boundary of the SYBG area. Norwood is of particular interest at this time, as it will be irrevocably damaged by the proposed High-Speed Rail, resulting in the loss of much of this woodland.

Nor Wood in early March

The return journey to the car park can be decided on completion of the Norwood survey. Early leavers can follow the footpath which uses the second M1 underpass and return along Walsecker Lane, which is also an unrecorded site. For those with plenty of energy left, then they might wish to visit Harthill Reservoir.

15th July 2018 Sunday

Firsby Reservoir near Ravenfield / Thrybergh
Leader : Louise Hill
This will be a joint meeting with Doncaster Naturalists' Society, who have invited SYBG to join then for this field meeting.
Meet at 10am on Garden Lane by the footpath leading to Firsby Reservoir

In Ravenfield village,  turn down  Garden Lane (sign posted "Firsby Reservoir"). The lane is very narrow, proceed with caution around tight left and right turns, and after passing a few houses you are on a narrow country lane (note the passing places as you go along). Follow the lane for about ¼ mile and there is a sharp left turn (lane becomes Arbour Lane). The lane is then fairly straight for about a ½ mile and the entrance to the Park is on the left. Continue along the lane for another half mile to the bottom of the lane and park at the footpath to Firsby Reservoir.
Post code for sat-nav - Ravenfield Ponds - S65 4ND

The Firsby reservoir spillway was lowered a few years ago, allowing the water level to fall. The exposed margins of the reservoir have now re-vegetated, and new swamp and wet grasslands have been created. None of this newly created margins have previously been recorded. For those wishing to explore the wetter areas, bring suitable footwear. One can change back to normal footwear for the visit to Ravenfield Ponds woodland.

Firsby Reservoir 

At Ravenfield Park, there will be a choice of several circular walks, some encompassing woodlands and the Ravenfield fishing lakes. The Ravenfield Ponds Angling Club state that the Park is an oasis of wildlife in a ‘desert’ of agriculture, which is best seen via one of the concessionary footpaths that have been established for visitors, and while both individuals and groups are encouraged to use these paths we would ask them to stay away from the ponds themselves.
We have received permission to use the fishing ponds car park on the day of the survey.
http://www.ravenfieldponds.co.uk/

Ravenfield Park.

Please note that there are a number of  places where steps will be encountered along the footpaths.

Typical of the steps on footpaths



22nd July 2018 Sunday

Isle of Skye Quarry
Leaders : Peter Burton & Louise Hill
Meet at 10.30am at Digley Reservoir, South Car Park (SE109 067)

Holme Moss
We will meet at the south car park at Digley reservoir to assess the weather and decide on survey options for the day. If weather is acceptable we will travel to our preferred survey location at the Isle of Skye quarry. As parking is limited there, and depending on numbers attending, we may decide to car share, leaving unused cars at the rendezvous point. If the weather is good and dry, then anyone who wishes to see some high moorland species on Holme Moss, which will involve some moorland walking, an optional break-away group will leave the main party after lunch and travel to the nearby Holme Moss car park from where such high altitude species as Cloudberry and Stag’s-horn Clubmoss can be seen. This will involve some rough terrain walking through heather.

Should the weather be unsuitable for the moorland trek, then a further option would be to survey the area around Digley Reservoir. As usual. please ensure that you have suitable clothing and footwear and a packed lunch.

1st August 2018 Wednesday

Treeton Dyke & Forgemaster’s Tip (SK4386)
Leader : Bob Croxton & Louise Hill
Meet at 10.am at Treeton Cricket Club on Washfield Lane. (SK431875)

Treeton Dyke
This site includes wetlands, grassland and scrub habitats on the naturally-revegetated steelworks tip beside Treeton Dyke.
A good variety of plants are to be found, including broadleaved helleborine and rare sedges.

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