Sorby Botanical Group

Contact:	Christina Doar
Email:
Recorder (Vascular Plants):	Alan Woodcock, 11 Fulford Place, Sheffield S9 5PS.

Members have an interest in a variety of plant groups, including a small but experienced number of individuals who study and record bryophytes and lichens. Some members are contributing to surveys for new floras for Derbyshire and South Yorkshire. The group aims to cater for all levels of experience.

Field meetings are organised to a variety of sites, both urban and rural, within the Sorby area. There is a good variety of habitats available reflecting the changing geology of the region, with some excellent nature reserves. Visits are also arranged to poorly recorded sites and there are occasional trips further afield, for example to the Sefton coast in 2005. New botanists are welcome and can usually find a helping hand at most meetings.

Training courses are occasionally organised, for instance covering aquatic plants and grasses over the past two years.

Lectures and indoor meetings are arranged as part of the overall Sorby programme.

Recording - Members are encouraged to send in their records to the Recorder who maintains a detailed database using RECORDER software. The database has 100,000+ records, many accompanied by details of habitat associations. The database is available for members to consult (by appointment with the Recorder) for their personal research.

Publications - Articles published in the annual Sorby Record. Margaret Shaw's Flora of Sheffield (1988).