-
A Spotlight on Himalayan Balsam
Of all the wildflowers I enjoyed as a child, Himalayan Balsam is one of the most memorable. Mainly because, in my youth, popping the little green…
-
Scotland so far, in pictures..
With little time to blog about my Scotland experience so far this year I thought I would let my pictures do the talking, for once.…
-
#PatchChat: No Place Like Home
There really is no place like home. Having arrived back for some much needed TLC following two months surveying in the Highlands, this week I set…
-
Reblog: Reflecting on Community and Environmental Change
Ben Eagle knocks the ball out of the park once again with yet another fantastic post. This time reflecting on community and environmental change. As…
-
Guest Blog: Orchids – Alice Hunter
Orchids hold a fascination for many people around the world. For me that began when a Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) popped up in an…
-
Pondering the Prospects for Lowland Rewilding
Another intriguing post by Ben Eagle looking at rewilding in the often forgotten lowlands. Places over overlooked during talk of sprawling pine forests, prowling wolf…
Current Fascinations
By my own admission, I am prone to falling down rabbit holes from time to time. Typically, this involves deep-diving into a particular subject and learning as much as possible before, inevitably, another topic comes along to take its place. Regardless, below you’ll find my current areas of interest…
Botanical Bits
Botany is my main interest, and whether it’s ferns, snowdrops, grasses, ancient woodland plants, or even humble pavement weeds, I try to spend as much time as possible seeking out our wild plants.
North East Botany
Here you’ll find musings on plant identification, trip reports, sightings from walks and courses and just about anything else relating to botany in North East England.
Urban Flora of Newcastle and North Tyneside
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.
Based on six years of fieldwork, the book documents more than 1,120 native and naturalised plants -around a third of Britain’s entire flora.
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.
