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Identifying Poppies
Get started identifying the wild and naturalised poppies likely to be recorded in Northumberland.
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Botanising Up North: Embleton Quarry, Bamburgh & Craster
An account of a wonderful weekend on the coast taking in Embleton Quarry, Bamburgh and other sites. Last weekend, Matt and I had the pleasure…
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Upper Teesdale in Spring
A short account of a spring visit to the botanical paradise that is Upper Teesdale. As part of an ongoing course I’m leading for the…
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Identifying Speedwells
Get started identifying wild and naturalised speedwells in a brand-new crib sheet suitable for beginners. Find keys boring? You’re not alone. While those of us…
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Exploring Alien Plants in Newcastle
A short round-up of an excellent few days spent recording alien plants in Newcastle.
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Getting to Grips with Spring Bulbs
Last weekend, I decided to take a closer look at wild and naturalised spring bulbs. From snowdrops to crocuses, here are a few spotted on…
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.
