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The Decline of the Yellowhammer in the UK
Last week I posted an article regarding the woeful decline of one of my favourite garden birds: the Willow Tit. This seemed to go down…
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Guest Blog: Influences – Natalie Welden
My next “influences” blog post comes from the lovely Natalie Welden (@NatalieACWelden), someone I was lucky enough to meet for the first time on a…
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Guest Blog: Influences – Alexandra Pearce
My next “influences” guest post comes from the fabulous Alexandra Pearce (@PearceAlex1). Alex is an environmental writer working both in communications and as part of…
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Orca “Marine Mammal Surveyor” Training Day
Yesterday I had the pleasure to partake in a cetacean identification course hosted by Orca, a fantastic charity dedicated to researching whales, dolphins and porpoises in…
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The Redpoll Triumvirate
Plenty to report on from the home county over recent days, some localized twitching throwing up a good array of birds on Friday. First up…
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Guest Blog: Inspiration by Gus Routledge
For the first in installment in what will hopefully be a long and prosperous series of guest blogs Gus Routledge (@PinkfootedGus) talks about his inspiration,…
Botany in the North East
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
I’m a botanist, naturalist and biological recorder based in North East England, with a particular interest in the plants and flora of the region. I’m a BSBI Recorder and Ouse Burn Naturalist at the Natural History Society of Northumbria (NHSN), where I work with local communities to explore, record and celebrate the wildlife around them.
I’m also the author of Urban Flora of Newcastle and North Tyneside, a comprehensive account of the wild plants found across the region’s urban landscape.
When I’m not recording plants, I’m usually out looking for ferns, exploring new places or getting distracted by something else that catches my eye.
