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 2024/25 NEXT MEETINGS
Gosport, Hampshire (VC11). PROVISIONAL DATE Sunday 9 March 2025
Leader: John Norton. A tour of some interesting habitats on the south Hampshire coast, including saline grassland, coastal shingle, soft coastal banks and artificial substrates. We should see some rare and uncommon species including Aloina ambigua, Bryum algovicum, Didymodon tophaceus subsp. sicculus, Grimmia laevigata, G. orbicularis, Tortula pallida and T. wilsonii, many of which should be fruiting at this time.
Meeting time and location to be confirmed.
Danebury Hill, Nether Wallop, Hampshire (VC12), DATE TO BE CONFIRMED
Leader: Jonathan Sleath. Meet at 10.30am in the car park at SU329377. Danebury Hill SSSI is an area that includes the Iron Age hill fort Danebury Ring, which was excavated in the 1970s and dates back to about 500BC. The hill fort consists of concentric rings of mounds and ditches which provide varying topography and aspect. The chalk turf supports a rich vascular flora but there are few bryophyte records although Abietinella abietina, Entodon concinnus and Brachythecium glareosum have been recorded in the past. It is a relatively small site, but one with potentially a lot of interest. There are mature beech trees on the slopes so it would be good to look out for Campylophyllopsis calcarea.
Please email Jonathan Sleath (jonathan.sleath[at]btinternet.com) if you plan to attend. The meeting may be cancelled or at postponed at short notice if the weather is bad. Bring suitable footwear for walking on steep slopes.
REPORTS OF RECENT MEETINGS
For full reports of recent meetings see the BBS website (click on Events and under Categories: Local, Southern Group full link). I hope to post summaries here in due course.