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Jan
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10th
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PHOTO
COMPETITION – THE RON ARNOLD SHIELD
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We kick off the new year with the Society’s photo
competition. You may bring up to eight un-mounted prints of up to A4
size. Full rules in The Magpie
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17th
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NATURAL BORN
KILLERS – THE BIRDS OF PREY
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A look at the world of some of nature’s most successful
predators – raptors and owls – at home and
abroad. Chris Ward will show us their adaptations, behaviour & prey
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24th
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BECHSTEIN’S
BATS IN BUCKS
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One of our rarest native bat species, Bechstein’s bat,
has recently been discovered living in Bucks. Ecologist and bat
enthusiast Chris Damant will tell us the story so far.
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29th
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HANSON CENTRE
& STANTON LOW – WINTER WALK
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Sunday
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A rare winter field trip to Linford Lakes. Should be plenty of wildfowl to see and 2p.m to perhaps
over-wintering raptors and owls in surrounding fields. Ample parking
space dusk at the reserve car park.SP 844428
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31st
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HAREBELLS AND
HEATHER – A SUMMER IN THE MOUNTAINS OF SCOTLAND AND THE ALPS
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Society member Julie Lane was lucky enough to visit both
these mountainous regions last summer. Her talk tonight will compare
their montane floras
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FEB
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7th
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SRI LANKA – AN
ADVENTURE IN SERENDIPITY
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Our Chairman Steve Brady toured this ancient and
biologically diverse tropical island last year. Come and see what he
found on the mythical island of Taprobane - a land which deserves to share, with England’s smallest county, the motto: Multum in parvo … much in
little!
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14th
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SUMMER PLANNING
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If you want a say in where we visit over the summer
months, or if you are willing to lead one or more walks, make sure you
are here. Gordon Redford will be waiting with pencil sharpened. Please
bring diaries and OS Maps
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21st
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MEMBERS’ NIGHT
– 1
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A chance for you to address your fellow members. Do you
have a prized possession in your natural history collection? Maybe a
rare specimen, a special book or perhaps an unusual artefact collected
on your travels? Please bring along your favourite(s) and be ready to
tell a story.
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28th
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LIFE IN A
NUTSHELL – THE REG MILLS LECTURE
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Nature is full of countless small and minutely detailed
things, most of which go completely unnoticed by we humans. John Tyler
takes us into this miniature world, where everything from the scales on
a butterfly’s wings to a slime mould would fit comfortably into a
nutshell.
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MAR
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6th
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THE BLACK
POPLAR WORKING GROUP
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How did the UK’s black poplars reach their endangered state? What is
being done to safeguard a future for them? Alan Holmes has been working
on black poplars for some years and will update us on current action
plans to save this iconic tree.
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13th
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THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A MUSEUM ENQUIRIES OFFICER
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Mandy Holloway worked as a curator and enquiries officer
at the Natural History Museum, London. She will regale us with stories of Surrey dinosaurs, turtles and even a mermaid! If you saw the
BBC TV Series ‘Museum of Life’ you won’t want to miss this.
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20th
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ANNUAL GENERAL
MEETING
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Please come along to our AGM. This
year
to include the election of a new Chairman and Officers to the
committee.
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23rd
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ANNUAL SOCIETY
DINNER
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Friday
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At The Robin Hood, Clifton Reynes. Contact Steve Brady for full details.
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27th
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MEMBERS’ NIGHT
– 2
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A more conventional members’ evening this time. Offers to
talk to Martin please.
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APR
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3rd
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INDIA REVISITED
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Sound and vision tonight as Linda and Alan Piggott show
us the edited highlights of their Indian trip two years ago.
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10th
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NO MEETING –
EASTER BREAK
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17th
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OTTERS
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Dr Daniel Allen is the author of a major new book on
otters, which looks not only at their biology but at their place in
human culture and folklore. In tonight’s talk Daniel will show how the
animal’s identity has been shaped by human interaction.
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24th
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PRACTICAL
EVENING – WHAT’S THAT CATERPILLAR?
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Members often bring caterpillars along to meetings to be
identified, so tonight we dedicate an entire evening to these tricky
creatures. Think ‘Antiques Roadshow’ but with larvae. Messrs Wickham, Redford, Higgs and Kincaid will do their best to
identify them (or pupae) if you bring some specimens
along.
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1st
May 2012 – Next Meeting (Outdoors) – 7.00
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