2026: Thurs 1 Jan to Sun 4 Jan 2026

The BSBI New Year Plant Hunt - takes place in the first four days over the new year every New Year and people contribute from all over Britain.

See the national results for 2026 here. for the 1983 surveys carried out

It took me two separate walks (one on 1 Jan and one on 2 Jan to cover the route I had managed in 1 day previously.
1 Jan: 14 spp (3 hours) back alleys off Church Street, cobbles in front of Pet shop, Castleberg Crag, Bypass bridge over river;

2 Jan: 14 spp (2 hours): Mill close elecricity sub station gravel area; Queens Rock, Sowarth Industrial Estate, Cammock Lane Allotments

Total over both days, including 1 extra on Day 1 that i forgot to label, and 5 different omes on day 2 = 20 species: (This ranked about 400th out of the 1983 surveys

Someone called Ian Hughes entered his results for Settle and though the WeBSBI website says he found 3 in flower, he actuallye entered 16 species but did not mark them down as in flower. I assume they were actually in flower - and his list includes nore species.

SO I think we can say a total of 26 species were found in Settle in flower over the new year.

ANd if another three walks had taken place that would have increased the score further.

THe highest score on the BSBI website is 110 in swanage, and the highest northern place is Morpeth ranking 12th with 76 species

--------------------------

I also looked for pllants in flower on the Settle Harriers Winter Handicap but found noe in flower on the race route - the hazel was not fully out. However in Clapham village (not a full survey) I noticed 3 species including pellitory-of-the-wall which does not grow in Settle.

3 Jan: Clapham (after the Settle Harriers winter Handicap: 3 species incl Pellitory-of-the wall (20 min)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

See our results for CCG for 2025 amongst all the national results here

In 2022 five members joined the parish walk at Keasden Head (See pictures),

Past CCG NYPH events: 2022 , 2021 (42 species - a record), 2019 , 2018 , 2017, 2016, 2015. It is easy to send in results using an app on a mobile phone.

I did surveys on two different days - one gave 14 species In fact f(not 15 as is entered) and one with 10 plants,(giving a total of 21 DIFFERENT species) then and entry for 12 and an entry for 13 (recorded as near Giggleswick Golf Club)

but the total of different species for Settle is 27

https://nyph.bsbi.org/results.php

1
plus 4 briefly.

YNU Zoom Chat Meeting 7:00pm-8:00pm Actually to 8:15pm as we include breakout groups , a coffee break and an announcement time.

Tonight three mini-talks: each with time for discussion and questions.

Love on the web: Spiders by Andy Baxter
Bumblebees - by Sandy Whitton
Aurora Borealis: Joyce and Paul Simmons

To register and get the zoom link goto
https://www.ynu.org.uk/news-events/news

Talk: "We bought a Nature Reserve" by Steve Garland

An entertaining talk about the problems involved about the new nature reserve that a goup of four people have just bought just south of Carnforth.

Steve Garland is a retired museum professional, an entomologist amember of the Lancashire WT and of the Cumbria WT, and a trustee of The Folly and  North Craven Building Preservation Trust

 
Settle Methodist Church, Church St, Settle BD24 9JH
, £5  non-members, school students £1, members free - family membership only £10

YNU Zoom Chat Meeting 7:00pm-8:00pm Actually to 8:15pm as we include breakout groups , a coffee break and an announcement time.

Tonight three mini-talks: each with time for discussion and questions.

• Shining a Light on Yorkshire's Rarest Invertebrates (non-leps) by Vicky Wilkins
• Evidence on recording - by Simon Warwick
• Thistle Broomrape - by Kay McDowell

Settle Eco-Explorers - for families with children aged 4-10 4pm - 5 pm st John's Methodist Church. Meet fornightly - and will go for walks outside when the days get longer - Led by Sally Waterson and Judith Allinson.

Today: Snow Drops and Hazel Catkins

Talk on Garden Wildlife by Les Chandler

Les runs Settle U3A Bird Group. He was once the RSPB's youth officer for the North of England.

Les says:

“Having watched amazing TV programmes about the world’s wild places and its wildlife you probably think that the wildlife found in your garden is pretty uninteresting. Think again!”
 
Settle Methodist Church, Church St, Settle BD24 9JH
, £5 non-members, school students £1, members free -
family membership only £10

All welcome

Guided visit to the Woodland Trust Snaizeholme project.

Visit to Snaizeholme, near Hawes to see the Red Squirrels.

THis is for CCG members only. It is necessary to book. philhinde@btinternet.com or text him at 07434 174333

Snaizeholme is a unique and complex habitat restoration and nature recovery project which involves planting and careful habitat restoration that will bring huge benefits to people and wildlife, including:

• the creation of a vibrant mosaic of habitats
• a wildlife haven for rare species including red squirrel and black grouse
• a link to other vital restoration projects across the upland landscape, from peat bog and limestone pavement to riverside meadows
• a resilient landscape that will help fight the effects of climate change, lock away carbon, improve water quality and alleviate flooding.

Meet at Snaizeholme barn at 10am on Tuesday 3rd March

How to get there – access to Snaizeholme is a sharp right turn ‘Snaizeholme Road’ off the B6255 at Widdale Bridge about three miles before reaching Hawes, if coming from Ribblehead. Everyone can park at the main barn at Snaizeholme just over a mile after leaving the main road.  Don’t drop down too early towards “Stonegill Foot” farmhouse, keep going till you see the big new timber bridge leading directly across to the main barn.  

If you are intending to come please notify Phil Hinde at philhinde@btinternet.com or text him at 07434 174333 so we can manage numbers.

If you need a lift from Settle or would like to car-share please contact Phil

YNU Zoom Chat Meeting 7:00pm-8:00pm Actually to 8:15pm as we include breakout groups , a coffee break and an announcement time.

Tonight three mini-talks: each with time for discussion and questions.

Yorkshire Naturalists' Union Conference in York.

on Recording.

Some members of CCG will be attending. CCG has a limited number of bursaries to subsidise the entrance fee to this conference, and may be able to offer shared transport or go by train.

Thur 26 March

7.30pm

Talk by a representative of the Friends of the Dales Society.

Settle Methodist Church, Church St, Settle BD24 9JH, £5 non-members, school students £1, members free -
family membership only £10

Yorkshire Naturalists' Union (YNU)

Now you can find out about events run by the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union (YNU) at their website and by some of the forty or so other natural history societies throughout Yorkshire which are affiliated to the YNU

Mid Yorkshire Fungus Group, Download their events pdf and go to the Craven Section to find out about events nearer us.

Colt Park Thursday Volunteers:
Volunteering for Natural England At Colt Park Barn - usually on Thursdays. Please contact Natural EnglandSee Ingleborough NNR Facebook and Ingleborough NNR Twitter

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust - See YWT North Yorkshire opportunities for volunteering
Grass Wood Work Party Days - check the list just above - N Yorkshire

ACE Settle: Action on Climate Emergency have a biodiversity group that goes tree planting.

North Craven Heritage Trust

Yorkshire Dales National Park Guided Walks and guided walks of other organisations.
Guided Walks in the the Yorkshire Dales, on various natural history topics. Run by the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Although aimed primarily for tourists, These are very good value for money for locals too. and we don't have to travel far to get to the walks.

Edith's Wood Working Parities (near Ingleton) with the Woodland Trust.

Plantlife - Own the Nature Reserce: Winskill Stones.

Rainforest-save.blogspot.com - Judith (webeditor)'s blog on raising money to save wildlife habitats and wildlife activities in Craven

North Craven Heritate Trust - Good articles in past issues.

Tony Dilger Photography - TG is a CCG member. Good photos

Craven Speakers Club, Skipton -

English names of mosses

Friends of Dales Rail

Identifying molluscs- easy online key to garden slugs and snails

Yorkshire Dales National Park Biodiversity Action Plan

Craven District Council Local Biodiversity Action Plan (outside YDNP)

Harlequin ladybird survey - News- A new ladybird has arrived in Britain . But not just any ladybird: this is the harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis , the most invasive ladybird on Earth.- Look out for sightings in Craven as it comes north.

Fungi Links
See also the websites of
The Mid Yorkshire Fungus Group

Sites that link to us:

Horon-in-Ribblesdale Parish website

Wharfedale Naturalists

YNU