Suffolk's Biological Data Centre

Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service is Suffolk's biological data centre, we have a database with over 6 million records. 
We collate, manage and share species and site data to help inform better decisions and actions to benefit Suffolk's wildlife.

 

Latest news

Call for articles

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Newsletter time is coming around again!
The next issue of our newsletter will be published in November, and we’d love to share your stories.

We welcome articles that showcase local biodiversity projects, or share environment, ecology and wildlife news, training and funding opportunities (with photos where possible). Previous articles have included the work of community groups, charities, statutory bodies, AONB partnerships, businesses, local authorities, and more. To see previous issues, please click here.

The newsletter is seen by over 450 people from the private, corporate, statutory, and charitable sectors, as well as individual subscribers, and is widely shared online.

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To send us your story use the Contact Us link at the bottom of the page, the deadline for the next issue is 25 October

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Emma Aldous, Communications Officer, 
Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service




leaflet with text as transcribed below

Norfolk & Suffolk Community Online Webinar

Mon 14 Oct, 19:00 – 20:00 • Wed 16 Oct, 14:00 – 15:00

As we create the Local Nature Recovery Strategy, we aim to enhance the positive effects of nature on community wellbeing, contributing to improved mental and physical health through direct and indirect benefits. Our spatial strategy has the potential to unlock opportunities for communities to deliver key measures and embed nature recovery locally.

Therefore, the Norfolk and Suffolk Nature Recovery Partnership invite you to attend an online webinar, where we aim to update you on the current progress of the strategy, share our shortlisted priorities and demonstrate the mapping tools developed to identify where action for nature will have the most impact. This will enable you to signpost and highlight potential for your local area to deliver key measures and embed nature recovery in your community.

Please follow this link to register your interest.




Westleton meeting poster

Suffolk Naturalists' autumn meeting

21 September 2024
Westleton Village Hall, IP17 3AD 1.30pm – 6pm

Programme – timings are approximate!
After refreshments and a look at the exhibits there will be 2 talks and then outside for two activities one on the Common – invertebrate surveying and identification and the second at Westleton pit for Suffolk Geology. The SNS gazebo will be at the Common as a base to examine what has been found and for the swap over between 2 activities. These will be interactive sessions with guidance on techniques and identification. If you have collecting equipment please bring it along.
1.30 doors open
Refreshments, bookstall, exhibits including: Hawk Honey, Hymenoptera; Joan Hardingham, woodlice; Gavin Deans, Compost Critters under the microscope.
2.20 Talks
Simon Jackson (Ipswich Museum) – “the Maidenhall Mammoth” discovered in Ipswich in 1975.
John Bebbington (Westleton Parish Council) – Introduction to the history and management of the Common.
2.55 Introduction to activities out on the Heath and at Westleton Pit
Howard Mottram – Geology of East Suffolk with reference to Westleton Pit.
Peter Vincent and Ross Piper- How to survey for invertebrates and basic identification.
3.15 To the Heath a 5-10min walk up Bakers Lane or parking is available off the lane to the left where the SNS
gazebo will be located.
3.25 Activities
Either How to survey for invertebrates and basic identification with Peter Vincent and Ross Piper.
Or Geology of East Suffolk with reference to Westleton Pit with Howard Mottram.
4.20 Return to the gazebo to swap over activities (if you wish).
5.10 Return to hall refreshments and exhibits.
6.00 Finish

Directions: What Three Words ///snips.hatter.airbrush.
North of Yoxford, off the A12 take signs to Dunwich. Turning left in the village the hall is on the left.
Parking: The car park outside the hall is limited to 6 cars plus disabled parking. There is plenty of parking on the roads either side of the Hall. Please do not park opposite the hall car park entrance.
Contacts: For information please email [email protected], if you provide your email we can send updates.
On the day – Joan Hardingham: 07848 007807




Forthcoming events

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Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management: CIEEM 2024 Scotland Conference Reshaping Scotland: Nature Restoration in Action

Conference • Level: Suitable for all

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Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management: Plant Identification and Botanical Keys

Online Training • Level: Beginner - Intermediate

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Volunteering with Suffolk Coast and Heaths National Landscape: Blackthorn Hedge Coppicing

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Viking Forest, Shotley
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Field Studies Council: Birdwatching: Autumn Migration

Location: Flatford Mill, Duration: 3 days Price: £205 - £292, Level: Open to all, Tutor: Carl Chapman
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Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management: Design considerations for BNG river and stream enhancement

Online Training • Level: Beginner - Intermediate

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Bat Conservation Trust: BatFest Bat Care for Non-Bat Carers workshop

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Ideal for ecologists, vets and vet nurses or anyone who might come across a bat unexpectedly. This workshop is free, but you are invited to make an optional donation towards BCT's conservation work if you are able.
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Species Recovery Trust: Great Crested Newts - Ecology, Conservation and Survey ONLINE

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Royal Entomological Society: Online Talk – Ecological Entomology

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Join us for our October online talk given by the Royal Entomological Society\\'s President Elect, Jane Stout of Trinity College Dublin. In association with our journal Ecological Entomology and free for members.
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Volunteering with Dedham Vale National Landscape: cp-color2" style="opacity: 1;">- Meadow Management

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Steeple Bumpstead
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Bat Conservation Trust: Introduction to Sound Analysis Workshop, online via Zoom

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This session provides an introduction to bat call analysis using sound analysis software. We will use Wildlife Acoustics Kaleidoscope software as this can be downloaded free of charge, but the analysis techniques covered will be applicable to a range of different programs. As well as species ID we will look at the links between species’ ecology and call characteristics. Attendees will be given a library of recordings of bat calls to work through which they can keep afterwards for their own use.
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Biological Recording Company: Fungi Field Recorder Day

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Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management: Indicator Plants, Relationships and Habitats - beginners

Online Training • Level: Beginner

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London Natural History Society: Research in Rewilding: the Good, the Bad and the Boaring by Connor Lovell

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Mammal Society: Grey Long-eared Bats: Ecology, roosts and survey techniques

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Volunteering with Dedham Vale National Landscape: Rhododendron / Snowberry Control

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Polstead
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Suffolk Bird Group: Landguard Bird Observatory

Outdoor meeting. Leader: Nigel Odin
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Mammal Society: National Harvest Mouse Survey Training (in-person)

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Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management: Statutory Biodiversity Metric Training

Online Training • Level: Intermediate - Advanced

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Biological Recording Company: Can Earthworms Be Identified Using Photos and AI?

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Field Studies Council: Discovering Water Voles: Biology, Ecology and Surveying

Location: Virtual, Duration: 3 weeks, Price: £45.00, Level: Beginner, Tutor: Vivien Kent   
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Biological Recording Company: Cave Spiders: Behavioural Adaptations in Webs, Foraging and Dispersal

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Bat Conservation Trust: Introduction to Sound Analysis Workshop, online via Zoom

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This session provides an introduction to bat call analysis using sound analysis software. We will use Wildlife Acoustics Kaleidoscope software as this can be downloaded free of charge, but the analysis techniques covered will be applicable to a range of different programs. As well as species ID we will look at the links between species’ ecology and call characteristics. Attendees will be given a library of recordings of bat calls to work through which they can keep afterwards for their own use.
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Volunteering with Dedham Vale National Landscape: Meadow Management/Dead Hedging

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Kedington
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Field Studies Council: Discovering Bryophytes

Location: Virtual, Duration: 4 weeks, Price: £60.00, Level: Beginner, Tutor: Diego Sánchez-Ganfornina  
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Bat Conservation Trust: BatFest Wonderful World of Bat Sounds

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Explore the wonderful world of bat sounds!
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Species Recovery Trust: Heathlands and Acid Grassland - Species and Habitat Survey Online

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Suffolk Bird Group: East Anglia’s Rivers and Coasts: From river snorkelling to world heritage

Talk by Nicola Crockford, RSPB • Woodbridge Community Hall, Station Road, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 4AU • 7.30pm • £3, non-members most welcome; full-time students free.
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Volunteering with Suffolk Coast and Heaths National Landscape: Heathland Management

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Bixley
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Mammal Society: Monitoring Small Mammals (2-day, in person workshop)

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Field Studies Council: Autumn Fungi: Introduction and Beginner Identification

Location: Flatford Mill, Duration: 2 days Price: £160, Level: Beginner, Tutor: Chris Ford
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Butterfly Conservation, Suffolk: Suffolk Butterfly Conservation A.G.M & Members Afternoon 2024

Norfolk AGM 2019 Butterfly Brothers Q&A

Suffolk Butterfly Conservation A.G.M & Members Afternoon 2024
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Anglian Microscopy Group: Marine Plankton

Various small planktonic life forms seen under the microscope
© NOAA photo library, Flickr

Guest speaker Elizabeth Beston - SUNDAY MEETING! • Crowfield Village Hall, Stone Street, Crowfield, Suffolk, IP6 9SZ
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Species Recovery Trust: Aquatic Plant ID Online

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Bat Conservation Trust: What bats eat around the world

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We all know bats eat insects and blood, but what else do bats eat? Join BCT Trustee Matthew Terry as we explore what bats eat around the world and the special skills and adaptations different species have to help them feed. This workshop is free, but you are invited to make an optional donation towards BCT's conservation work if you are able.
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Volunteering with Dedham Vale National Landscape: Willow Coppicing

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Conrard Mere
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Biological Recording Company: Natural History Online Training Virtual Symposium

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Biological Recording Company: Freshwater Leeches of the UK

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Mammal Society: Dormouse and Development

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Volunteering with Dedham Vale National Landscape: Rhododendron Control

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East Bergholt
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Suffolk Bird Group: Walton on the Naze

Outdoor meeting. Leader: Ashley Gooding
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Biological Recording Company: Earthworm Society AGM 2024 + Talks

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Suffolk Bird Group: Birding in Sichuan, China and the Kruger Challenge, South Africa

Talk by Sarah Glyde • Hintlesham Community Centre, Timperleys, Hintlesham IP8 3PS • 7.30pm • £3, non-members most welcome; full-time students free.
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Biological Recording Company: Biodiversity Net Gain: What Could BNG Mean For Pollinators?

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Bat Conservation Trust: BatFest: Bats vs Beetles

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A fun, interactive event where both teams share fun facts to try and prove their animal is the best - but ultimately the final vote is by the audience - who will you vote for? Already joining Team Beetle this year we have Suzanne Burgess, Ashleigh Whiffen and Sally Morris from Buglife as well as author and beetle enthusiast MG Leonard. And assembling for Team Bat, we have Naomi Webster, Philip Briggs from BCT and Gail Armstrong and her bats from North Lancashire Bat Group. This free online event is open to all ages. There is an optional donation which will be split between BCT and Buglife.
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Biological Recording Company: Earthworm Sampling Day

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Volunteering with Dedham Vale National Landscape: Groundworks at Black Poplar Nursery

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Alphamstone
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Biological Recording Company: Damselflies of the UK Part 2

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Royal Entomological Society: New Scientist Live 2024 – External Event

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New Scientist Live 2024Sat 12  - Sun 13  Oct | Schools\\' Day Mon 14 Oct ExCeL Centre London, Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, London E16 1XLCome and see the RES at New Scientist LiveThe RES will…
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Field Studies Council: Identifying Broadleaf Trees in Winter

Location: Virtual, Duration: 3 weeks, Price: £45.00, Level: Beginner, Tutor: Gini Morandi  
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Royal Entomological Society: Insects as Food and Feed: Delivering insect proteins in the UK

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We are delighted to welcome back our annual Insects as Food and Feed (IAFF) conference in partnership with Michelmores. Join us to hear the latest information and take part in discussions outlining new developments and challenges that face the IAFF sector.
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Volunteering with Suffolk Coast and Heaths National Landscape: Cut & Rake

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Sizewell
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Suffolk Bird Group: Orfordness weekend trip

Outdoor meeting. Leaders: Gi Grieco and Eddie Bathgate
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Royal Entomological Society: An afternoon at Manchester Museum

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Join Barbara Tigar, RES Northern England Representative, and Diana Arzuzas Buelvas, Curator of Entomology, Manchester Museum, for an opportunity to go behind the scenes and visit the Museum’s Entomology Collection.
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Species Recovery Trust: Woodlands - Botanical Survey Online

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Royal Entomological Society: Orthoptera Special Interest Group (SIG) 2024

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Join our Orthoptera Special Interest Group event on the conservation of grasshoppers, crickets and related insects.
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Volunteering with Dedham Vale National Landscape: Grassland/hedge Management

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Langham
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Bat Conservation Trust: Advanced Sound Analysis

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This workshop will look at the theory of signal processing, tips on making more precise measurements when analysing bat sounds, and species identification including some more unusual/challenging calls. Techniques will be demonstrated in Anabat Insight, BatSound, Kaleidoscope and Sonobat. Although some knowledge of sound analysis is helpful this workshop will also have information included for beginners.
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London Natural History Society: How Big is a Buttercup? by John Warren and Botany Section AGM

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Bat Conservation Trust: British bats, their ecology and conservation - 6 session course

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Online course with 6 live, weekly workshops lasting 60-90 minutes online with opportunities to interact with the tutors on Zoom and ask your questions. Recordings of each session will be available afterwards for 1 month. You can book individual sessions if you are particularly interested in one or two topics, or book all six for a full overview of British bats.
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Mammal Society: Introduction to bat ecology and bat surveys

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Royal Entomological Society: Sustainable Agriculture: Innovations in research and practice

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Join our Sustainable Agriculture Special Interest Group (SIG) for a day delving into the latest innovations in research and practice across agricultural entomology.
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Volunteering with Dedham Vale National Landscape: Rhododendron Control

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East Bergholt
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Field Studies Council: Seal Field Skills to Inform Conservation

Location: Virtual, Duration: 4 weeks, Price: £75.00, Level: Intermediate, Tutor: Sue Sayer
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Mammal Society: Mammal Society Local Groups Conference

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Field Studies Council: Bee Nesting Ecology

Location: Virtual, Duration: 2 weeks, Price: £30.00, Level: Intermediate, Tutor: Aaron Bhambra
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Species Recovery Trust: Habitat Indicator Species Online

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Volunteering with Dedham Vale National Landscape: Tree Guard Removal

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Higham
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London Natural History Society: Urban Garden Wildlife: Culture and Practice by Noel Brock and Hampstead AGM

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Volunteering with Suffolk Coast and Heaths National Landscape: Plantation Thinning

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Trimley Marshes
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Suffolk Bird Group: Dunwich

Outdoor meeting. Leader: David Walsh
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Anglian Microscopy Group: Owl pellets

Owl pellets
© Jon Hayes, Flickr

Owl pellet dissection, prey species identification • Crowfield Village Hall, Stone Street, Crowfield, Suffolk, IP6 9SZ
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Mammal Society: Skull and Bone Identification of British Mammals (2-day course)

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Species Recovery Trust: Invasive Species Online

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London Natural History Society: Rewilding Our Skies: Bringing Back the White Stork and London Bird Club AGM

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Field Studies Council: Native Winter Tree Identification at Flatford Mill

Location: Flatford Mill, Duration: 4 days Price: £299 - £427, Level: Open to all, Tutor: Ros Bennett
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Volunteering with Dedham Vale National Landscape: tbc

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Arger Fen
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Species Recovery Trust: Around Britain in 25 Sedges Online

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Volunteering with Suffolk Coast and Heaths National Landscape: Plantation Thinning

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Trimley Marshes
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Mammal Society: Malts and Mammals - Online Whisky Tasting

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Suffolk Bird Group: Lynford Arboretum

Outdoor meeting. Leader: Val and Ivan Lockwood
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Species Recovery Trust: UK Wildlife and The Law Online

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Volunteering with Dedham Vale National Landscape: Woodland Planting

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Stoke by Nayland
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Bat Conservation Trust: Halloween, Christmas, and Bats

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Join us to celebrate Halloween, Christmas, and Bats! A FREE talk exploring the link between bats and our favourite winter holidays. Book your space to find out why we associate bats with Halloween, what bats have to do with Christmas treats and how UK bats will be spending the winter months! Spend an hour learning fun facts and interesting connections to share with your friends and family over the festive period, spreading the joy of bats whilst they're busy hibernating for the winter.
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London Natural History Society: The London Butterfly Atlas by Leslie Williams following the Society AGM

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Volunteering with Dedham Vale National Landscape: tbc

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Arger Fen
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Royal Entomological Society: Online Talk – Medical and Veterinary Entomology

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Join us for the last online talk of 2024, with Amoret Whitaker and Molly Mactaggart of the University of Winchester. In association with our journal Medical and Veterinary Entomology and upcoming Special Issue on Novel Approaches and Advances in Forensic Entomology.
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Volunteering with Dedham Vale National Landscape: Hedge Planting

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Glemsford
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London Natural History Society: The Missing Musk and the Underground Mosquito by Bob Gilbert and LNHS AGM

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Volunteering with Suffolk Coast and Heaths National Landscape: Hedge Planting & Aftercare

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tbc
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Suffolk Bird Group: Shotley Gate

Outdoor meeting. Leader: Anne Wright
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Species Recovery Trust: Winter Tree ID ONLINE

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Volunteering with Dedham Vale National Landscape: Coppicing/Dead Hedging

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Assington Mill
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Volunteering with Dedham Vale National Landscape: Hedge Planting & Aftercare

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tbc
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Anglian Microscopy Group: Christmas plants

Damaged plant cells at 250X magnification.
© Kevin Dooley, Flickr

Making slides from Christmas plant sections & pollen • Crowfield Village Hall, Stone Street, Crowfield, Suffolk, IP6 9SZ
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Royal Entomological Society: Young Verrall Lecture 2025

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Saturday 1 March, 2024 Stoke-on-TrentJoin the Amateur Entomologists’ Society and Royal Entomological Society for the Young Verrall Lecture taking place on Saturday 2 March, at 14:30 (GMT) at The Catalyst Building, Staffordshire University.This free talk…
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Royal Entomological Society: Verrall Lecture 2025

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Join us at our 2024 Verrall Lecture given by Professor Iain Couzin, Director of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior. This is a public event and free for all to attend.
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Royal Entomological Society: Student Forum 2025

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Are you a currently studying insect science? Join us at our annual two-day student forum to network and discuss ideas with your peers, consider options for your future careers and share your research in a welcoming space.
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Royal Entomological Society: Insect Week 2025

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Insect Week returns for 2025! Insect Week is our annual celebration of the ‘little things that run the world’, dedicated to encouraging people of all ages to learn more about insects.
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Our Flickr gallery

SuffolkBIS.org.uk - Suffolk Wildlife Photos

To contribute please join our Flickr Group. See a map of our photos Click here

Ancient Woodland link

 

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bee on a flower
Suffolk's Hedgerows link
Flock of birds flying over water