BBS Southern Group meetings
The British Bryological Society’s Southern Group meets about once a month during October to March to record bryophytes in Hampshire and occasionally parts of neighbouring counties, including the Isle of Wight, Dorset and West Sussex (often combining forces with our neighbouring groups). Because some meetings are arranged at short notice and may be cancelled due to bad weather we operate an email contact list for the group, so please get in touch if you would like to be put on this list to receive advance notification of meetings. Beginners are welcome. Meetings start at 10.00 or 10.30 (check details before attending), end at around 3–4 pm and usually take place on weekends. Wellington boots (as well as rainproofs, food, drink, etc.) are advisable for most meetings but stout walking boots may be preferable for those on dry or hilly ground. Don’t forget to bring a hand lens. If you are coming to a meeting for the first time, please take a moment to read the BBS health and safety information.
Winter 2025/26 NEXT MEETINGS
Marlborough Deeps, New Forest, Hampshire (VC11), Sunday 26 October 2025
Leaders: John Norton and Andrew Branson. This meeting will explore a less well recorded part of the New Forest in the south west of the National Park, consisting of forestry plantation with some relict areas of pasture woodland and some open heathland. A series of old marl pits support Calliergon giganteum, Kandaea elodes and Rhizomnium pseudopunctatum, the last species seen in 2011. There is an old record from the 1960s of the rare Drepanocladus sendtneri, which was looked for without success in 2001. There are also old records for Scorpidium revolvens and Palustriella falcata.
Please contact Andrew Branson to book or via John Norton (see link to contacts on home page). Meet at 10.30 at the car park off Holmsley Road (B3058) SZ 2266 9943. Please note that space here is limited, so please share cars if possible. Despite the dry summer there will be wet and boggy areas, so wellingtons are recommended.
REPORTS OF PAST MEETINGS
Summaries of past meetings are included in the downloadable Flora News bryophyte reports. Fuller reports of some recent meetings have been posted on the BBS website (click on Events and under Categories: Local, Southern Group full link).