BSBI Recorders Conference 2013. 

Polly Spencer-Vellacott, Jim McIntosh and Jane
Houldsworth (l to r), Recorders Conference 2013
Image: L. Farrell

I hear the Recorders Conference, held a fortnight ago, was a great success. I couldn't make it, so missed one of the botanical world's annual highlights - a plague on double bookings! 

So, many thanks to all of you who sent me gossip, news and photographs like this one (right) of BSBI Country Officers Polly (Wales) and Jim (Scotland) catching up with Head of Operations, Jane Houldsworth.  

Irish Officer Maria Long came over too (seen below with Conference speaker Richard Bateman). Hoping to meet up with Maria at the AEM in November. I hear that Richard Bateman (one of our most prolific NJB authors and BSBI's Co-referee - with Ian Denholm - for all UK Orchids apart from Epipactis) held his audience enthralled on Dactylorchids, a subject on which he is both passionate and mind-bogglingly knowledgeable.

Maria Long & Richard Bateman
Shrewsbury 2013
Image: L. Farrell

Grrr, I'm so cross that I missed this conference! Especially when I read the report that Sarah Stille (VCR for Merioneth) has just posted here on her Blog.

It sounds like a really great weekend and I love Sarah's photo of "a gaggle of botanists watching Tim Rich at the river's edge". 
Actually, Sarah, I'm not sure about 'gaggle' as the appropriate collective noun - consider a bunch of BSBI members hunkered down over an interesting plant - a rump of botanists? Better suggestions to publicity@bsbi.org.uk please and if we get enough contenders... would a poster at the AEM be just too silly?

You can go straight to Sarah's Blog - and others by BSBI members - by clicking on the links below right. Happy browsing!