Latest News Items
Survey on Midwife toads - 16/02/2025
Steve Allain, the Reptile and Amphibian Recorder for Cambridgeshire is supervisor to a student conducting a survey on midwife toads. He would be interested in any members who wish to completing the survey by following this link.
FIELD TRIP ORGANISERS URGENTLY NEEDED FOR 2025 - PLEASE CAN YOU HELP? - 16/10/2024
We urgently need someone, or several people, to coordinate a programme of field trips for 2025, so if you think you might be able to help, please contact Mike Robinson at bnhsevents@bnhs.org.uk to find out more.

If you enjoy our field trips, exploring different parts of the county and meeting up with other members, please do consider helping the Society by volunteering for this important role. You can find some information about organising events in the July issue (210th issue) of Wild about Beds that was emailed to members. You will join the team of Mike Bird who kindly stepped up to arrange the indoor meetings, Mike Robinson who is emailing out information about meetings that have been arranged and Julia Powell who is continuing to organise attendance at outside events.
Online payments and new membership database - 17/09/2020
It is now possible to order and pay online for the new BNHS publication Bedfordshire – our changing habitats and wildlife. See the publications page on this website.

We have set up a new membership database using the Membermojo software which will enable people to join or renew their membership online. See the membership page on this website.

The new database contains all current members of the BNHS and the Bird club and will use email to send reminders to renew and a link to the database to enable renewal using online payment. If you have changed your email recently it would be helpful if you could send your new email to the membership secretary so that the database can be updated.

If you did not renew your membership this year you can rejoin the BNHS or the Bird club (or both) by clicking the Join Now button on the membership page.
AGM Postponed - 14/03/2020
The BNHS AGM due to take place on Tuesday 17th March 2020 has been postponed until further notice
2018 Conference Slides - 31/01/2019
The 2018 Insects Conference Presentations are now available from the 2018 Conference page.
2016 Conference Proceedings Updated - 26/01/2019
Martin Harvey has provided us with an annotated version of his 2016 Conference presentation Soldierflies & Bee-flies. This new version is now available from the 2016 conference page.
Events in the next few weeks

THIS IS A PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME ONLY. Details may change and additional events may be organised at short notice. All places must be booked in advance.

BIG – Bedfordshire Invertebrate Group, book your place with Andrew Green, emailsawflies(at)bnhs.org.uk telephone 01234 772555

Please book a place for other events as mentioned in the write-up with bnhsevents@bnhs.org.uk

Thursday 24th April : WOODWALTON FEN MAP

10:00am Guided walk around Woodwalton Fen
Following on from February's inspiring talk via Zoom given by Henry Stanier, the BNHS is arranging a group guided walk around Woodwalton Fen from 10 to 12.30pm. There is a charge of £7.50 per person and this will be collected in cash on the day but please contact Mike Bird on council14@bnhs.org.uk to reserve a place on the tour. The Wildlife Trust staff can accommodate a maximum of 20 people so places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Booking is essential.
Woodwalton Fen is famous for being the first reserve of its kind in the UK and it formed an important focal point for the Great Fen Project which continues to expand across Cambridgeshire.
The meeting point and car park for the guided walk is along the drainage bank at the entrance to the reserve on Chapel Road, Ramsey Heights, PE26 2RS TL244848. If you prefer to park at the Ramsey Heights Nature Reserve there will be an extra half mile walk to the Woodwalton Fen entrance.
More details can be found at greatfen.org.uk/woodwalton-fen
Please note there are no toilet facilities in Woodwalton Fen reserve although these are available at the Wildlife Centre at the Ramsey Heights Nature Reserve. We suggest you bring a picnic lunch.
Leader: Mike Bird 
Saturday 24th May : TURVEY

10:00am Visit to the disused railway line running through the Turvey Estate to view plant life in particular but also the many invertebrates, birds, lichens and mosses that flourish here. Orchids should just be beginning to flower. Other plants in or around the railway line have included Adders Tongue Fern, Black Spleenwort, Rusty-back Fern and Houndstongue. Hobby breed nearby. Butterflies include Purple and White-letter Hairstreaks. Tony Smith always hoped for Grizzled Skipper too. Timing and access arrangements will be confirmed on the BNHS website and by email in due course.
Leader: Brother John Mayhead, Monastery of Christ Our Saviour, Turvey. 
Friday 30th May : KENSWORTH MAP

2:00pm Visit to the Kensworth Quarry NR. An afternoon visit to the nature reserve, which is in a restored area of the chalk quarry, as well as to surrounding areas. Hopefully the White Helleborine and Common Twayblade will be flowering well. There are steep and sometimes slippery slopes, so walking shoes or boots should be worn. Meet at 2pm in the National Trust Chiltern Gateway Centre car park, LU6 2GY, TL008195. The car park is pay and display (Free for National Trust members).
Leaders: Richard and Geraldine Hogg. 
2023 Freshwater Invertebrates Conference
Link to 2018 conference proceedings
Look out for a full Conference report in a forthcoming Bedfordshire Naturalist, journal of the BNHS.

Presentations given at previous conferences are also available.
Recent Publications
The society produces many quality publications such as a newsletter (Wild About Beds), books and two annual journals (the Bedfordshire Naturalist and the Bedfordshire Bird Report).
Wild about Beds title, links to index Wild About Beds

View the latest Winter 2023/2024 edition of Wild About Beds our members newsletter.

Or visit our Newsletter section where you will find all issues from Winter 2009/2010 onwards.
Photo Bedfordshire book cover
Bedfordshire - our changing habitats and wildlife

A new book entitled Bedfordshire - our changing habitats and wildlife by Richard Revels, Graham Bellamy and Chris Boon, was published by the BNHS in May 2020. The book documents changes affecting Bedfordshire's habitats and wildlife over the last two decades, with stunning photographs by Richard Revels FRPS, and clear commentary - your essential guide.

View sample pages here   Sample Pages and an Order Form

You can order and pay for this book online, see our Publications page

Close-up journal Bedfordshire Naturalist
Close-up journal Bedfordshire Bird Report Bedfordshire Naturalist and Bedfordshire Bird Report

The annual journal for 2023, The Bedfordshire Naturalist, Volume 78 was published in December 2024. The Bedfordshire Bird Report, Volume 77 for 2022 was published in December 2024.

The Bedfordshire Naturalist covers wildlife, as well as meteorology and geology. The Bedfordshire Bird Report is the annual report of the Bedfordshire Bird Club, which is a specialist section of the BNHS.

Non-members may purchase copies for £15 (incl. p&p) from the Membership Secretary, or Order and pay online.

Bedfordshire Naturalists for the period 1946 to 1998 are available as searchable PDFs

Photo of cover of Bedfordshire Dragonflies book Dragonflies of Bedfordshire

Grab one before it's too late...

A few copies are still available, at only £5 + P&P. from:
  • Wildlife Trust office in Priory Country Park Visitor Centre MAP
    Call 01234 364213 to reserve a copy and to check when someone will be there

Raise funds for the BNHS:
Link to easyfundraisingEasyFundraising
Purchase goods, or search the web, through EasyFundraising and the BNHS gets money!