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Creating a Wildlife Record
Wildlife recording is quickly becoming a main passion of mine. The process of searching out interesting species, making notes, creating records and contributing in some…
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Blue Comfrey (Symphytum caucasicum)
Well, here we have it, the first in a new series of ‘What’s Growing‘ posts taking a look at some of the unusual, colourful or…
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Heather Ladybirds at Rothbury
Continuing this year’s quest to find and record ladybirds across the North East, back at the end of March I popped up to Rothbury in…
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Rhyzobius chrysomeloides in Tyneside
Recently, I was delighted to discover a population of the inconspicuous ladybird, Rhyzobius chrysomeloides, in Tyneside.
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Exploring the scarcer ladybirds of Newcastle
While out and about in search of ladybirds this last few weeks, I have been lucky enough to stumble across a number of scarce and…
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Winter ladybirds on conifers
Continuing this year’s Ladybird Year List and capturing records for the North East Ladybird Spot, the last few weekends have been spent admiring winter ladybirds…
North East Botany
An amalgamation of botanical blog posts, identification crib sheets, special interest pages, and assorted useful information, all centred around the wonderfully diverse plant life of North East England.
Ladybirds
Helpful articles, species profiles, and assorted titbits focused on our surprisingly diverse ladybird fauna, a relatively recent obsession of mine that, unfortunately for my free time, shows no signs of fading.
British Ferns & Clubmosses
A gradually growing library of ferns and fern allies photographed during my ongoing quest to find and enjoy Britain’s pteridophytes, alongside the occasional trip report and identification ramble. Quite unapologetically, my favourite subject of all.
Urban Flora of Newcastle
The Urban Flora of Newcastle and North Tyneside is the first comprehensive account of the wild plants growing across the Newcastle and North Tyneside conurbation, one of the largest in the UK.
Published with the generous support of the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) and Natural History Society of Northumbria (NHSN), it is essential reading for botanists, ecologists, conservationists and anyone curious about the surprising richness of nature in Newcastle and urban areas more generally.
Training & Tours
Through my role as Senior Naturalist with the Natural History Society of Northumbria (NHSN), I am lucky to spend much of my time outdoors leading trips, training sessions and guided walks for all manner of groups.
From field trips in search of ferns and orchids to multi-week courses on grasses, ancient woodlands and beginner plant identification, if you are interested in collaborating, please get in touch.
Meet James
Born and raised in North East England, James is a botanist, general naturalist and biological recorder with a passion for sharing the joys of North East nature with others.
He currently works as Senior Naturalist for the Natural History Society of Northumbria (NHSN) and volunteers as a vice-county recorder for the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI), both of which allow him to spend ample time outdoors leading trips, courses, surveys and guided walks.
