FROM THE PRESIDENT / EDITORIAL
FROM THE PRESIDENT
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irst of all, congratulations to two of our longIbeganalocalexplorationofsitesforFingered standing members, on their New Year’s Honours. Sedge (Carex digitata), which continues as I have DrJudyWebbBEM,isanOxfordshirebotanist, now realised it is winter-green, so I can record it and Dr Steph Tyler OBE, is joint recorder for throughout the year. But I needed another species Monmouthshire and chair of the Committee for to target and have selected Mezereon (Daphne Wales. This news was too late for me to include in mezereum) and Spurge Laurel (D. laureola), both of the January issue. whichareuncommonandinowernow.Asafriend February was a cold, wet, windy and inhospitable said, ‘You can smell Mezereon before you see it’, and month, during which many people longed for the thatdenitelyhelpslocateitinthewoods.Spurge spring to arrive and to see green shoots emerging. Laurel is more widespread and less choosy in its As I write this, March is coming in with strong winds requirements,whereasMezereondenitelyprefers andrain.Itseemedmoredifcultthiswinterand well-drained slopes in dappled shade on limestone I realised how much I depend on plants to lift my rocks. Fingered Sedge likes those conditions too. spirits. Plants perk me up, they help purify the Many of the committees have met recently and are environment and they prolong life. taking our work forward in diverse ways. Despite not In preparing a presentation with Louise Marsh meeting in person, this has led people to come up for the Bucks Members Environmental Recorders’ with new ideas and ways of achieving progress. Quite Conference (BMERC) about the BSBI, I also became when we will be able to meet in reality will be seen aware that I enjoy recording plants partly to see their in the future. Perhaps the September issue of BSBI patterns (distribution), to help share my knowledge News will reveal how our lives will have ‘regrown’. and enthusiasm (passion) with others, and of course, WehavejustappointedanewChiefExecutive to help protect the plants and habitats (places). Ofcer,andIcanconrmthatJuliaHanmer,who Being part of a network and contributing to a much previously worked for the Bat Conservation Trust, will wider purpose is added value for me. (Have you be joining us from 6th April. We all look forward to spotted the common thread yet?) welcoming her into the Society. Now the Wild Garlic is popping up, Lesser Lynne Farrell CelandinesareinowerandDaisiescontinueto lynneonmull@btinternet.com open up when the sun peeps through. Last March
EDITORIAL
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s promised in BSBI News 145 I am pleased to BSBI has been looking at ways of going greener, include an article in this issue outlining BSBI’s andweexperimentedbyprintingthelastissueof newPolicyonNatureConservationsee ( nextpage) BSBI News on slightly lighter weight paper. No-one which I think will be welcomed by many members. seems to have noticed and the printing quality and There is also the latest update to the British Red ‘feel’ of the newsletter are virtually the same as Data List of vascular plants (p. 27), which I found before, so we will continue with this for the current particularly interesting, even though it deals mainly and future issues. There will be a very small saving withthemoreobscuretaxa,includingmanyrecently in the amount of raw materials used to make the named (or re-named) critical species, subspecies paperwhich ( isenvironmentallycertiedbyFSC)and and other segregates, most of which I’d not even asmallbutsignicantcost-savinginprintingand heardof.Theupdatementionsseveraltaxain postage. We’ve considered potato starch packaging; groups covered by recent BSBI handbooks, such as however, we’ve decided for now to continue sending Eyebrights and Gentians, and also some included in out BSBI News in brown paper envelopes, since the latest published volume of Sell & Murrell’s Flora they are made from 80% recycled pulp and are fully of Great Britain and Ireland. recyclable. We’ll continue to take steps to reduce This issue also has more news of botanical BSBI’s environmental impact and we hope you discoveries, including Great Pignut on the South approve of our efforts. Downs and Jersey Pink in Hampshire. Are they native John Norton or ‘naturalised’? Read the articles and decide for john.norton@bsbi.org yourself!
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BSBI NEWS 147 | April 2021
