Butterfly Conservation - North East Branch

The North East England Branch of Butterfly Conservation runs or participates in various events throughout the year, which members and other members of the public are welcome to attend. These include field outings, conservation work parties and our annual general meeting. Details of events are given here as far in advance as possible. Details of 2009 events can be viewed here.

Safety

Any activities undertaken outdoors involve an element of risk and we would ask participants to take note of our safety guidance.

2012

18 February 2012
	Annual General Meeting
	The meeting will take place at Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve, Houghton-le Spring at 2.00 pm. Reports will be given, followed by election of Officers for 2012. Any Other Business should be directed to the Chairman no later than twenty one days before the meeting. The meeting will be followed by a talk by Butterfly Conservation's Director for Scotland, Paul Kirkland.

2011

5 August 2011
	Moth Night, Flass Vale
	Dave Wainwright, Northern England Regional Officer for Butterfly Conservation will be operating a MV moth trap to attract moths which will be caught for people to look at, identified and released. Everybody is welcome whether you are a beginner or an expert. Meet at 8.30 pm at the bench 150 yards from the King's Lodge Hotel, Flass Vale. Weather permitting the event will run as long as people are happy to stay but not beyond midnight. Bring warm clothing and shoes, insect repellent (not too strong!!!) and perhaps a folding chair as there will be some standing around. Please contact Dave Wainwright for further details.

24 July 2011
	Butterfly Walk at Weetslade Country Park
	Dave Stebbings will lead a walk around Weetslade Country Park, near wideopen. The Country Park is a former colliery site which has been planted with flower rich grassland and has grassland butterflies such as common blue, small skipper and small heath, plus grassland moths. Everybody is welcome whether you are a beginner or an expert. Meet at 11 am in the car-park which is on a minor road - the B1319, off the A189 roundabout just north of Gosforth Park (OS grid reference NZ260723). The walk will last about two hours. Please contact Dave Stebbings for further details.

17 July 2011
	Butterfly Walk at Havannah LNR
	Dave Stebbings will lead a walk around the Havannah Local Nature Reserve, near Hazelrigg village outside Newcastle. The reserve has a variety of habitats and there should be an opportunity to see a number of different butterfly species. Everybody is welcome whether you are a beginner or an expert. Meet at 10 am in the car-park at the end of the reserve nearest the airport (OS grid reference NZ215718). The walk will last about two hours. Please contact Dave Stebbings for further details.

10 July 2011
	Joint botany/entomolgy field trip to Bishop Middleham Quarry
	Butterfly Conservation memebers are invited to join this trip organised by the Natural History Society of Northumbria. Join entomologists and botanists for a day looking at the relationships between insects and plants, at this disused Magnesian limestone quarry. The quarry is now managed as a nature reserve by Durham Wildlife Trust and, as well as having a good range of limestone plants, it is a key site for butterflies, including Northern Brown Argus, Ringlet, Common Blue and Small Heath. Access to the quarry floor is by steep steps. Otherwise, walking is level, but it may be rough underfoot. The reserve is ½ mile north of Bishop Middlham village, to the west of the A177 at O.S. Ref. NZ331326. Parking, in two small roadside lay-bys near the reserve entrance, is limited, so car-sharing is advised. Booking is essential. Please contact the NHSN office for further details Tel. 0191 232 6386; . Alternatively for Butterfly Conservation, please contact Steve le Fleming, Tel 0191 386 7309;

19 June 2011
	Bugs and Botany at Close House
	The Natural History Society of Northumbria, in collaboration with the Royal Entomological Society and Newcastle University, is running a 'Bugs and Botany' Event at Close House. Catch and identify insects and see some of the experiments on plant ecology that are running at the Close House Field Station. Moth traps are also included. The event is suitable for people of all ages with an interest in insects and plants - from beginner to expert, and runs from 10am - 4pm. You can drop in for a short visit or stay for the whole day. The Field Station is on the Close House Golf Centre site; O.S. Ref. NZ128659. Access is from the old Hexham Road, B 6528, west of Heddon-on-the-Wall. Please contact the NHSN office for further details Tel. 0191 232 6386; .

15 May 2011
	Darlington Green Fair
	The North East England Branch of Butterfly Conservation will have a stand at the Darlington Green Fair. The Fair will be held at South Park, Darlington and will be open between 11am and 4pm.

19 February 2011
	Annual General Meeting
	The meeting will take place at Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve, Houghton-le Spring at 2.00 pm. Reports will be given, followed by election of Officers for 2011. Any Other Business should be directed to the Chairman no later than twenty one days before the meeting. The meeting will be followed by a talk by Robert Woods of INCA about his studies of moths in the Teesmouth area.

2010

4 December 2010
	Cancelled: Work Party at Havannah Local Nature Reserve
	We apologise but due to the present harsh weather it has been necessary to cancell the work party arranged for Saturday 4th December at Havannah Local Nature Reserve, near Hazlerigg. Hopefully we will be able to re-arrange further work parties in the New Year when conditions are more favourable.

19 October - 27 November 2010
	Exhibition of butterfly paintings
	La Fiesta Cafe in Heaton is hosting an exhibition of Andrew Mills' butterfly paintings as well as paintings of bees and abstract works based on natural patterns. 10% of all sales of butterfly paintings, prints and cards will be donated to Butterfly Conservation. Packets of wildflower seeds will also be handed out. La Fiesta is on Heaton Park Road, Newcastle upon Tyne.

4 September 2010
	Moth Night, Cowpen Bewley
	Dave Wainwright of Butterfly Conservation, in conjunction with the Stockton Borough Council Countryside Ranger service, will be leading a public moth trapping event at Cowpen Bewley from 8pm to 10 pm. For further details contact Tony Pybus, Countryside Ranger on 01642 371633 or 01642 360376.

27 June 2010
	NHSN Field Trip to the Spetchells
	The Natural History Society of Northumbria is running a field trip to the Spetchells, near Prudhoe. The Spetchells are a group of man-made chalk mounds along the riverside at Prudhoe that have developed an interesting flora and fauna and the aim of the field trip is to investigate the relationsips between the plants and insects present on the site. Because of insurance considerations the event is only open to NHSN members and so the Society has kindly arranged that any Butterfly Conservation members who wish to attend can obtain an honorary 1 day membership. If you wish to take advantage of this offer to attend this event please contact the NHSN on 0191 232 6386 in advance of the date; numbers are strictly limited.

13 February 2010
	Annual General Meeting
	The meeting will take place at Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve, Houghton-le Spring at 2.00 pm. Reports will be given, followed by election of Officers for 2010. Any Other Business should be directed to the Chairman no later than twenty one days before the meeting. The meeting will be followed by a talk on butterfly conservation by Dave Wainwright, from Butterfly Conservation's Regional Office for the North of England.