Wiltshire Botanical Society

The Society

Volunteers made a thorough and detailed survey of the county’s wild flowers which was published as a book, ‘The Wiltshire Flora’, in 1993. Instead of disbanding, the members joined together to form the Wiltshire Botanical Society.

Our aims are:

• to foster botanical knowledge to spread interest in our local flora
• to increase members’ knowledge and skills
• to publicise threats to the habitats and to the survival of wild plants

Indoor meetings

Members and outside speakers give talks during the winter. Some have covered botanical trips in Britain or abroad. Others have described different habitats, groups of plants or national surveys. Also, visiting experts explain their professional work or research. Afterwards, members meet for tea and discussion.

Field trips

We arrange a full programme of outings to interesting sites in Wiltshire or neighbouring counties, the leader and members sharing their knowledge of plants. We have also had residential trips each year, visiting Devon, Dorset, South Wales, Kent and Oxfordshire. This allows us to explore and enjoy a variety of plant communities.

Monitoring and research

Members record changes in plant populations found in sites of botanical interest and submit data to the Biological Records Centre in Devizes. We also undertake other botanical research projects in conjunction with English Nature, Plantlife and FWAG. Members contribute to local knowledge of arable weeds, assist with recording work in new reserves and help to provide data to establish a Wiltshire Rare Plants Register.

Publications

The Society issues a newsletter twice a year, with accounts of its outings and indoor meetings and news of local plant life. Our scientific publication Wiltshire Botany has so far been published annually.