Category Archives: Talks

4th November: Hobson’s Brook

The title of the talk on 4th November is Biodiversity of the Hobson’s Brook Corridor

Dr Steve Boreham will talk about the biodiversity of the area surrounding Hobson’s Brook, a chalk stream and historic water course that rises at Nine Wells springs. As a geologist, ecologist and Trustee of Hobson’s Conduit Trust, he will also discuss conservation initiatives and threats to this important green corridor that leads in to the heart of Cambridge City.

The talk is ONLINE via Zoom and will start punctually at 7:30 p.m.

Members and those on the mailing list will be emailed login details nearer the time. To be added the mailing list, email webmaster [at] cnhs.org.uk

To become a member, which brings further benefits, see the website: https://www.cnhs.org.uk/membership/

28th October: A Choice

Jonathan Shanklin, the speaker for our next online talk, on Thursday 28th October, is well-known both to members of CNHS, being a past President and having been involved in the Society for many years. He is also known more widely as one of the team who discovered the ozone hole in 1985.

He is offering the audience a choice of titles:

  • Marvel at the Moon
  • The Flora of Antarctica (and South Georgia & Falklands)
  • The Natural History of Comets
  • An astronomer in Antarctica

Do join us for this talk on Zoom. Even if he does not give the talk you would choose, it will be informative and entertaining. He is an extremely knowledgeable speaker and able to speak authoritatively on all these subjects. He adds that “all will contrive to include mention of climate change and the ozone hole”.

Members and those on the mailing list will be emailed login details before the meeting.
To be added the mailing list for events email webmaster [at] cnhs.org.uk
To become a member, which brings further benefits, see the website: https://www.cnhs.org.uk/membership/

Wildlife Trust Cambridge Group talks

The Cambridge Local Group of the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire has a programme of monthly online talks this autumn.

The first is on Monday 25th October 2021, when Keira Wingader will talk about “The natural history of the Dingy Skipper butterfly”.

On Monday 29th November 2021, Henry Stanier will give a presentation on “Stonechat research at the Great Fen”.

The December talk is earlier in the month than usual, on Monday 13th December 2021, when Iain Webb will talk about “Planning the return to in-person events”.

All talks are online at 7:00 p.m. and tickets are available through the Wildlife Trust’s events page. Tickets cost £3.09 for Wildlife Trust members, and £4.68 for non-members, of which £2.50 and £4.00 (respectively) goes directly to supporting the local Wildlife Trust’s work. 

Trees for Streets 14th October

The second talk in the CNHS autumn programme is this Thursday, 14th October 2021 when Simeon Linstead, the Project Director for Trees for Streets, will explain this scheme to get more trees planted in cities by encouraging local involvement, and why this is important.

Members and those on the mailing list will be emailed login details before the meeting.
To be added the mailing list for events email webmaster [at] cnhs.org.uk
To become a member, which brings further benefits, see the website: https://www.cnhs.org.uk/membership/

Hunts FFS

Huntingdonshire Fauna and Flora Society (http://www.hffs.org.uk/) have sent us details of their autumn programme. Please note the information regarding covid precautions.

Dates of forthcoming meetings

All the meetings will start at 7.30pm and will be held at the Countryside Centre at Hinchingbrooke Country Park in the Kestrel Room.

14th October – “Air Pollution and its Effects on Wildlife – the Answer is Blowing in the Wind”   by Gordon Wyatt.

Gordon will attempt to summarise and demystify the complex issue of air pollution; including how the pollutants of concern have changed over the years, and the growing scientific understanding of the various ways in which air pollution impacts upon wildlife.

18th November – Details to be confirmed, but probably Bats by Aidan Matthews

2nd December – Christmas meeting. Details to be announced near the time, so we comply with the latest Covid advice.

2022 meetings on 20th January, 17th February and 26th March – AGM are to be arranged.

Covid advice and restrictions

We have taken advice from various organisations and the NHS. We are therefore applying the following Covid restrictions at our winter (indoor) meetings.

We ask that you only attend if you have been double vaccinated and also ask that you wear a cloth face mask during the meeting. Clear visors are not acceptable. These are frowned upon by the National Health Service because they do not restrict air flow around the nose and mouth. The doors and windows will be open to allow circulation of air throughout the room. It is probable that the room will be cold with the air circulating, so wear adequate clothing to keep yourself warm. Chairs will be spaced apart, but couples who live together can move the chairs next to each other. There will not be any refreshments served after the meeting, so if you think you might need a drink please bring your own. You will be asked to leave the meeting as soon as possible after the talk has finished, so please minimise getting together in groups, especially indoors. 

Do not attend the meeting if you have received a positive Covid test within two weeks of the meeting. Do not attend the meeting if you have any symptoms that could relate to Covid: Headache, Sore throat, Continuous Cough, loss of taste or smell, a high temperature or generally feeling unwell. 

At present we plan to see how well the October meeting is attended and depending on how good the turnout is we will decide if we should continue with the following meetings. If the following meetings go ahead they will be subject to change, even at short notice, because the Covid and possible Flu situation can change rapidly. We want to keep members as safe as possible, so we will follow the latest guidelines issued at the time of each meeting. Members will be notified by e-mail to let you know if the following meetings are going ahead, so please check before each meeting just in case we have to cancel at the last minute.

Autumn talks

The future of nature conservation and the Wildlife Trusts’ 30:30:30 vision

The first talk in the autumn programme will be on Thursday 7th October at 7:30 p.m. and, like the spring talks, it will be held via Zoom.

We are delighted that Brian Eversham, Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire, will give a talk in which he will outline new approaches to conservation and the aim of increasing the area of land protected for nature by 2030.

Photo shows The Great Fen © Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire


Members and those on the mailing list will be emailed login details nearer the time.
To be added the mailing list for events email webmaster [at] cnhs.org.uk
To become a member, which brings further benefits, see the website: https://www.cnhs.org.uk/membership/

Wildlife and development:is there sufficient protection? 25 March

The last talk of the spring programme will be on Thursday 25th March from 7:30 – 9:00 pm

Kevin Hand, ecologist and wildlife travel leader, will talk about how to monitor “protected” UK mammals, what protection wildlife legislation is meant to provide and what really happens, and the lessons he has learnt from monitoring wildlife and meeting activists on the route of HS2. This talk should appeal to those interested in the ecology of our rarer mammals,and in how proposed rural development plans work on the ground.

ONLINE via Zoom. Members will be emailed login details nearer the time.
To be added the mailing list for events email webmaster [at] cnhs.org.uk
To become a member see details on the website: www.cnhs.org.uk

Wild Reach 18 March

On Thursday 18 March, Dr Steve Boreham will talk aboutconservation and rewilding initiativesaround the fen edge village of Reach.

Talks this term will be presented by zoom and will start at 7:30 p.m.

All members will be sent the zoom links for the talks. If the talk is recorded members will be sent a link to allow them to hear it again or if they were unable to attend, at their leisure. Membership costs only £6 (£5 if paid by standing order). See our membership page for full details of the benefits of membership and how to join.

To receive information on CNHS events, including the zoom links, without the other benefits of membership, join the email list by contacting webmaster [at] cnhs.org.uk to be added to the list. Please make sure that your spam filter (yahoo email addresses in particular) does not reject the messages.

Bringing back beavers 11 Mar

7:30 pm 11th March 2021

Josh Harris, a recent graduate from Cambridge now working for the Beaver Trust, will talk about beavers and how reintroducing them can restore our rivers.

Talks this term will be presented by zoom and will start at 7:30 p.m.

All members will be sent the zoom links for the talks. If the talk is recorded members will be sent a link to allow them to hear it again or if they were unable to attend, at their leisure. Membership costs only £6 (£5 if paid by standing order). See our membership page for full details of the benefits of membership and how to join.

To receive information on CNHS events, including the zoom links, without the other benefits of membership, join the email list by contacting webmaster [at] cnhs.org.uk to be added to the list. Please make sure that your spam filter (yahoo email addresses in particular) does not reject the messages.

Wildlife Gardening: Myths and realities 4 March

The CNHS talk on Thursday 4 March will be given by Dr Steve Head. He is a founder Trustee of the Wildlife Gardening Forum (www.wlgf.org), the only charity dedicated to promoting the importance for biodiversity of domestic gardens.  Did you know that gardens are the most biodiverse habitat in Britain? Steve will present a general background on garden wildlife, and focus on some of the myths and misconceptions that have held ecologists and gardeners back.

Talks this term will be presented by zoom and will start at 7:30 p.m.

All members will be sent the zoom links for the talks. If the talk is recorded members will be sent a link to allow them to hear it again or if they were unable to attend, at their leisure. Membership costs only £6 (£5 if paid by standing order). See our membership page for full details of the benefits of membership and how to join.

To receive information on CNHS events, including the zoom links, without the other benefits of membership, join the email list by contacting webmaster [at] cnhs.org.uk to be added to the list. Please make sure that your spam filter (yahoo email addresses in particular) does not reject the messages.