All posts by Monica Frisch

Events, News, Wildlife Trust

Great Fen Tour

Henry Stanier, who gave a talk about the Great Fen in February, tells us that the Wildlife Trust has arranged a rather special, in-depth all-day tour of the Great Fen on Saturday 14th June.

It showcases the work of the Great Fen Partnership (management & monitoring) and highlights the legacy of the conservation vision of Charles Rothschild. We investigate a range of habitats, and we get close to the wildlife (e.g. bird ringing, moth trapping, great crested newts, dragonflies, wildflowers, plus more birds and mammals)! It also raises funds for our work at the Trust.

You will visit land not open to the public and discover the past, present and future of wildlife conservation in the Fens. We will also view the next phase of the ‘Peatland Progress’ project, as we link the north and south of the Great Fen together and see the results of restoration taking place!

If you would enjoy going on this ‘safari’ at the Great Fen more details of times and costs are on the Trust website: https://www.wildlifebcn.org/events/2025-06-14-great-fen-ecotour

Events, News

Conversazione photos

The 106th Conversazione and Nat Hist Fest on Saturday 19th April went very well. There were around 30 exhibits, covering many aspects of natural history from amphibians to water resources, and including the Fen Edge Trail, moths, peregrines in Cambridge, stinging nettles and much more. The list of Exhibitors and Exhibits is available here as a pdf.

There were two entries for the Student Prize, from Kevin Siyuan Cheng on “Moth trapping around Cambridge” and from Maito Shiode on “Advancements in Stellar Calculations by Cambridge Professors”. Both were given prizes. We would like more exhibits from students – so, if you are a student, do think about exhibiting in 2026. Details of the Student Prize are here and we will announce the date for the 107th Conversazione as soon as it is fixed.

If you missed the event – as it was on the Saturday of Easter weekend we were aware that many people might be away – we have photographs of the various displays on our Facebook page: Just click here to see them:  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1117166120455639&type=3

Or go via our FB Page:  https://www.facebook.com/CNHS1857 then click:  Photos / Albums / Conversazione 2025 Photo Album.

Events, News

List of Conversazione exhibits

The 106th Conversazione and Nat Hist Fest is on Saturday 19th April and the list of Exhibitors and Exhibits in now available here as a pdf.

For over 100 years Cambridge Natural History Society has held an annual exhibition, with displays on many aspects of natural history from its members, local naturalists and local organisations. It is traditionally called ‘The Conversazione’ because it is a social event where those attending can not only look at displays but also talk to the exhibitors.

This year it will be for ONE DAY only on Saturday 19th April and in a new venue: the David Attenborough Building, adjacent to the Museum of Zoology – many thanks to CCI Services Ltd for enabling us to use the David Attenborough Building.

Admission free – all welcome

Events, News

Conversazione & NatHistFest 19th April

The 106th annual Conversazione & NatHistFest is on
Saturday 19th April for ONE DAY ONLY and in a new venue:
the David Attenborough Building, but just as central.

Exhibits will include news of Peregrines in Cambridge; Diversity in Moths; Stinging Nettles (Urtica dioica): Naughty but Nice; College Biodiversity; Local Geology and Landscape; and much more.

see you there!

Events, News

Exhibit at the Conversazione

The 106th Annual Conversazione and NatHistFest will be held

FOR ONE DAY ONLY ON Easter Saturday 19th April 2025

in the David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ

Cambridge Natural History Society’s Annual Exhibition provides opportunities

  • to meet local, national and international naturalists;
  • to meet like-minded enthusiasts and share ideas;
  • for the Society’s members to show what they have been doing;
  • for researchers to present their work;
  • for local organisations to publicise their activities; and
  • for everyone to learn about natural history and find out what is going on.

PLEASE CONSIDER EXHIBITING

Exhibits can be on any aspect of natural history and there is no charge for exhibiting. Download more details here

New exhibitors are welcome and there is a prize for the best exhibit(s) from exhibitor who was a school pupil, college or university student at the time of the Conversazione. Details here.

Events, News, Talks

CNHS autumn talks

The CNHS autumn programme has now been arranged with eight talks, two field studies, a fungal foray and a seasonal social.

The first talk is on Thursday 10th October when Brian Eversham will give a talk entitled: Overlooked wildlife, or, Why are there
so many species? Brian is a very knowledgeable and entertaining speaker and this will be a fascinating and revealing talk. It will take place in the David Attenborough Building at 6:45 p.m. Please arrive promptly. Tea and coffee available before hand. Admission is free.

The talks on 17th and 31st October and on 7th, 21st and 28th November will be in a new venue: the James Dyson Building. This is in the Department of Engineering. To find this room, go in via the main entrance to the department from Trumpington St (opposite Hot Numbers coffee shop, entrance marked by a metal sculpture). After a short distance, turn into the space on your left and go straight ahead. You will pass the main Baker Building of the department on your right and the Architecture Department on your left. The James Dyson Building is ahead of you, with some bicycle racks in front of it. The entrance is via a revolving door, but if this turns out to be locked then someone will let you in via a door just to the right of it. The seminar room is directly on your left, on the ground floor.

Please join the CNHS mailing list by emailing mailings@cnhs.org.uk This will mean you will be sent an email shortly before each event, reminding you about the event and the location.

Events, News

Come to the 105th Conversazione

Our annual Conversazione and Nat Hist Fest is this Friday 19th and Saturday 20th April 2024, with displays on many different aspects of natural history.

Come along and find out more about ermine moths, native plants on Jesus College, charcoal making, phenology in the Botanic Garden and much else. Local organisations exhibiting include Cambridge and Peterborough Amphibian and Reptile Group, Cambridgeshire Geological Society, and the Wildlife Trust. The Cambridgeshire Beekeepers’ Association will have local honey for sale.

There’s no charge and the event is open 1:00 – 6:00 p.m. on Friday and 10:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

It’s in the Department of Zoology, off Downing StThere’s no charge and the event is open 1:00 – 6:00 p.m. on Friday and 10:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.reet, Cambridge CB2 3EJ Go through the archway and the Department is on the right, opposite the Museum of Zoology, which is also worth a visit. Sorry, no parking on site.

ALL WELCOME

Events, Field studies, News

New Year plant hunts

Cambridge Natural History Society begins the New Year with the traditional plant hunting walk in the CNHS field studies area on January 1.  This year the target area returns to West Cambridge for the third time in a ten year cycle that began in 2004.

As with the first walk, we will begin at 11am where the Coton Footpath joins Adams Road.  Bring a packed lunch.  Whilst the focus is on plants we will also record all other wildlife that we encounter. 

All welcome – no need to book. If the weather is poor the visit may be postponed until January 2nd.

The Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland’s thirteenth New Year Plant Hunt will run from 30th December 2023 to 2nd January 2024. The idea is to see how many plants can be found in flower in three hours. Full details, including identification guides for the top 20 species likely to be found, are at https://bsbi.org/new-year-plant-hunt .

News, Talks

Talk Thursday 19th

The talk on Thursday 19th October will be online. It will be given by Peter Exley of the RSPB and the title is People power for nature: the challenges and opportunities.

Peter Exley has worked for the RSPB, for over 25 years, on building peoples’ support for nature, from campaigns to communities. He is currently involved in making the charity’s 170 nature reserves more visitable. In this talk he will look at the barriers, issues and opportunities, and why understanding people is essential to saving nature, using examples of projects he has worked on, from saving seabirds on islands to creating new nature reserves in the Somerset Levels.

The talk will start at 7:30 p.m. promptly.

Those on the CNHS mailing lists will be sent details of the Zoom link, which is different each meeting. If you want to receive the link, sign up by emailing mailings@cnhs.org.uk

You will join the meeting in a waiting room and will be let in at 7:30pm.  Your video and audio will be off when you join.  You will be able to use chat or Q&A to ask questions at the end of the talk, or you can raise a virtual hand from “reactions”.  The event may be recorded and Society members who cannot join the event on Thursday will then be sent a link to allow them to hear it at their leisure.  If you are not a member this is a good reason to join. Membership details here.

News, Talks

12th October: Swallowtails talk

The CNHS Autumn Programme opens on Thursday 12th October with a talk Swallowtails: Keeping them safe at home and abroad.

A British Swallowtail photo © Mel Collins

The speaker, Dr Mark Collins, is the author of Threatened
Swallowtail Butterflies of the World and Chair of the Swallowtail and Birdwing Butterfly Trust. He will give an illustrated talk about the Trust’s conservation activities in Borneo, Bhutan, Fiji, Australia, Jamaica and elsewhere, news about an upcoming conference on the Apollo butterflies and their relatives worldwide, concluding with a detailed appraisal of the existential risks facing the British Swallowtail in the Norfolk Broads, and what options we have to keep the species safe.

This talk will be in person, in the David Attenborough Building, Pembroke St, Cambridge CB2 3QZ

It will start at 6:45 p.m. Please arrive in good time or you may not be able to get into the building.

Members free; non-members £2
To be added the mailing list for events: email webmaster [at] cnhs.org.uk To become a member: click here for details.