The British Plant Gall Society

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Affiliated to the British Entomological and Natural History Society (BENHS)

The Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, who manage this site, are eager to follow up our initial discovery We remind you that most of the site is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and part has been declared a National Nature Reserve .The Reserve is not only of Biological interest, it also contains two Geological Conservation Review sites. (For more information Google Charnwood Lodge Nature Reserve). In terms of gall records, the site is still virtually virgin territory.

Access to the site is strictly restricted, so those wishing to participate should contact Chris Leach who will be leading the “Gall” elements of this event. Chris’s contact details are: 0116 2711991 or email: c.leach23@btinternet.com. He will provide both Directions and Access information to those notifying him of their intention of attending. The access point can also be found under Charnwood Lodge on the Internet. The gates are locked when LRWT members are not on site

Saturday 7th September 11 am. 

Marbury Country Park, near Northwich, Cheshire.Leader - Norman Bamforth

Meet Main Car Park (Near Budworth Mere) at SJ651764.  From M56 turn south at J10 onto A559 and right in about 3 miles to Gibb Hill and Comberbach and follow signs.

We were very impressed at a workshop held last year and think the sight is worthy of further exploration.

Sunday 8th September

Newmillerdam Country Park near Wakefield

Tom Higginbottom 01302 725978 tomhig@icloud.com

Please meet in the car park at Newmillerdam,  SE 331157  OS Explorer 278  Post Code WF2 6QQ at 10:30 am Car park fee £1.70.  Please bring a packed lunch. There are toilet facilities and a nearby pub.

Newmillerdam is located 3.5miles from Wakefield by the A61 Barnsley Road, the car park is beside the A61.There is a lake surrounded by good paths with broadleaved and coniferous woodland on the slopes.

The park is a local nature reserve which in the nineteenth century was owned by the Pilkington family and the site was managed for game. The site was not open to the public and gamekeepers protected it from poachers. 

The Arboretum on the top of the hill offers an appealing venue for our gall explorations. There are a variety of different species of:  Acers, Alder, Beech, Birch, Cherry, Oak, Pear, Sorbus  etc. There are many trees of our usual indigenous species all growing in fairly open areas. We should also find galls on herbaceous plants growing in these habitats.  All the unusual species are clearly labelled such as: Acer saccharinum (Silver Maple), Alnus cordata (Italian Alder), Corylus colurna (Turkish Hazel) Quercus coccinea (Scarlet Oak) Sorbus domestica (True Service Tree) etc. It would be interesting to discover galls on these trees. Once we have explored the Arboretum the final part of our walk will be beside the lake where we will find galls on the Alders, Sallows and the other waterside plants before we return to the car park.

Friday 20th – Sunday 22nd September.  

AGM weekend Mid-Wales

This year we are based in the Commodore Hotel, Llandindrod Wells. The cost is £195 per person. (not as previously advertised due to a miscalculation by the treasurer).

Further details will be available in due course but book the dates NOW!

A full itinerary will be available in the late Summer to all those who have booked up for the AGM

Saturday 28th September

The fifth of the annual visits to one of the “Magnificent Seven” Victorian Cemeteries of London. So far we have detected a most interesting variety of galls in these expansive areas with a great diversity of tree species, both native and exotic. Noteworthy galls have also been located in the grassland areas.

Cemetery no. 5 in 2019 will be Nunhead embedded in the southern London suburbs. Meet at 10.30 a.m. at the main entrance to the Cemetery in Linden Grove on the north-western side of the site. Parking is normally possible within the cemetery grounds or in nearby streets. Nunhead Railway Station is close by and is served by trains to London Victoria, Gravesend, Kentish Town and Sevenoaks. Please bring a packed lunch.

Leader : Keith Palmer.

Sunday 6th October  

Brocks Hill Environmental Centre (10am - 4pm)

Washbrook Lane, Oadby, Leicester.  [Grid ref: SP619997].

The BPGS Invertebrate group annual workshop.

“Gall Causers in Focus”

Whether you are an expert Cecidologist, a talented photographer or simply interested in galls, this year’s Workshop is designed to provide you with a further  opportunity to see gall causers and their associated parasitoids  

In addition to flagging this event, this note is also an invitation to you to make a contribution (a few slides perhaps, live/preserved specimens etc). Your contribution can take the form of a poster, a collection of specimen tubes, microscope slides, or a short presentation (Please let Chris Leach know so that the appropriate resources (time, display boards etc.) can be allocated).

We prefer participants to pre-book and since the number of places is limited by the room available to us, early booking is advised to avoid disappointment. There is a cafe on site (now under new management) which can provide sandwiches, soup and similar etc. (these need to be ordered by 10:30am). Historically this has been a little unreliable so you may prefer to bring your own.

Booking

There is no charge this year except for your food but please book so we know how many to expect.   

Details of venue and an updated programme will be sent to all registering.

Invertebrates Workshop. Contact Chris Leach on 0116 2711991, 07818 828454 or via email: c.leach23@btinternet.com

The Venue  

Brocks Hill Country Park, Washbrook Lane, Oadby, Leicester LE2 5JJ . The entrance to Washbrook Lane is on the south side of the B582 Wigston to Oadby Road, at traffic lights and opposite Brabazon Road. Proceed along the lane [passing Parklands Leisure Centre on the right]. Brocks Hill Environment Centre is straight ahead. Anticipate that the car park will be quite busy.

Workshop organiser:-  

Chris Leach ( c.leach23@btinternet.com or  0116  271 1991 )

The Cecidological Calendar for 2019

The BPGS has an extensive programme of field meetings each year. These events are an excellent way to learn more about galls, and beginners are very welcome.

PLEASE REFER BACK REGULARLY TO THIS PROGRAMME

FOR ANY AMENDMENTS, ADDITIONS, or MODIFICATIONS.

Note some events require pre-booking

Download the 2019 programme (pdf)

Saturday 10th August

Knepp Castle Estate, West Sussex at 11 a.m.

The Estate covers some 3500 acres and has been the subject of the inspirational ‘Rewilding ‘ project which began there in 2000 and is the subject of the book ‘Wilding’ by Isabella Tree, published in 2018 and well worth a read. There is plenty of suitable gall habitat available, but so far rather few gall records.

A list of what has been recorded there should be available on the day.

We will be met by their ecologist Penny Green who will join us in the field.

She has kindly offered to give us a short presentation and coffee on arrival.

Meet on site at New Barn Farm, TQ150203 Directions and map are here

Also please note that, should anyone would like to make a weekend of it then there are various glamping/camping options at Knepp which can be booked.

See website at: https://www.kneppsafaris.co.uk/Stay

Sunday 18th August

Escomb village and by the River Wear, County Durham                                

Leader Steve Robbins  

Contact: Tom Higginbottom 01302 725978 tomhig@icloud.com

Please meet by Escomb Parish Church NZ 188302   OS Explorer 305   

Post Code DL14 7SY at 10:30 am.                                                                            

There are no toilet facilities. Please bring a packed lunch.

The church is one of the most complete surviving Anglo-Saxon churches in England. It is a Grade 1 listed building and well worth a visit.

Our gall explorations will begin by the church passing through neighbouring fields to a nearby lake. Then we will explore what was once an old iron slag area which should prove an interesting habitat for further gall discoveries. Eventually we make our way to the River Wear where we will search the trees and plants on the riverside for galls before we have lunch.  We will return to Escomb by another path while continuing our searches.

Saturday 24th August

White Hill, Shoreham, Kent. Meet at 10.30 a.m.

This chalk down-land site and butterfly reserve was covered during the BPGS AGM weekend in Kent in 2016 but is worthy of further exploration. One of the features here in September 2016 was Timaspis lusitanica forming swollen stem galls on Rough Hawksbeard Crepis biennis.

The Reserve is situated close to the A225 opposite Shoreham (Kent) Railway Station between Eynsford and Otford. Here there is a long lay-by which will take many cars which where we will meet to visit the Reserve.

Please bring a packed lunch.

Leader : Keith Palmer.

Sunday 1st September

Burley Wood, Oakham. A joint meeting of the BPGS and Rutland Natural History Society. Meet on the A606 road at SK 892093 at 1030 a.m.

Thursday 5th September (9:30am -3:00pm)  

Charnwood Lodge Nature Reserve

Do we have a new gall?

We visited this site at the same time last year and recorded a large number of galls. Of special interest is a gall, found by Ian Farmer ,which does not match the description of any we can find in the literature. We have been monitoring this gall through the winter and we are hopeful of capturing any emergent. However, only the single specimen was found. We would like to use the expertise of BPGS members to help us find more of this gall during 2019 so that we can make a proper identification.