About us
WHO ARE WE?
We are a leading botany group in the North of England with members ranging from the beginner to the professional botanist.
The group was formed in 1983 and an indication of its sustained popularity is seen in a healthy membership and an expansion in the range of its organised activities.
The aims of the Group from the very start have been to bring together people interested in botany, wild plants and the nature conservation ethic and to further this enjoyment and knowledge by means of activities including summer field meetings and winter indoor talks.
HOW DID THE GROUP FORM?
The Group was formed in 1983 out of an evening botany class which had been run over the previous four years at Mornington Villas in Bradford by Dr. Judith Frank. Judith’s influence acted like a magnet, such that, once formed, the members of her class were unwilling to separate, even after the classes had finished their extended run.
When the class reached its final session it was decided to meet the following week to decide what to do. It was at that unofficial get-together, still at Mornington Villas, having booked the room specially, that the decision emerged to form a botany orientated but socially minded regular get-together, indoors during the winter and outdoors in spring and summer.
The idea of forming such a body initially came from Brian Byrne, who accepted the post of Secretary, along with Les Barnett ‘in the chair’ and Judith Frank as Treasurer. The remaining class members also became founder Group members, numbering around 12 people. Brian did a wonderful job of bringing the Group together and developing it, largely because of his academic connections as a Bradford University lecturer. He spread the word of the Group’s intentions and proposed an itinerary of field visits. This proved very successful in almost immediately attracting others to join and so membership began to grow steadily. Les was instrumental in leading both the indoor and outdoor meetings in the early days of the Group. Early ventures, organised by Les or Brian, were centered on an opportunity to see particular plant communities. Visits included trips to the Yorkshire coast and the Yorkshire Dales as well as more local trips.
The Group continued to grow and develop thanks to the hard work and enthusiasm of many individuals over the years since its formation.
The information for this summary account has been taken from an article written by Les Barnett in the 2003 Newsletter and an article written by Geoffrey Wilmore and Les Barnett in the 2014 Annual Review which give a more detailed account of the history of Bradford Botany Group.
WHERE ARE WE NOW?
We currently have over 90 members based across Yorkshire and beyond.
We continue with the original aim of the group to bring together people interested in botany, wild plants and the nature conservation ethic. Please see our Become a member page to find out more about what we can offer you.