This evening after an appeal on behalf of BCNWT by Jenny Mercer and an update on website matters from Martin Ferns and Jagoda Zajac we were treated to contributions from Sue Hetherington (7:00 minutes in), Steve Cousins (27:00), Julie Cuthbert (43:00) and Paul Lund (52:30) covering topics ranging through urban geology, the nature/future of eco-systems, predator/prey/cleptoparasitic drama in the Brickhills and photographic insights from our summer meetings.

To view the recording of the meeting, click on the link below and enter the passcode when prompted to do so. The recording will be available to view for 30 days.

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/xsFRiz42yMfIKcs2f7MX-gzCvptdshHJdVdab5yDp0LV42TzAwLlxCaSLG0W45qD.5_tRh5OHEbs-nH-C

Passcode: 69*0Q!EX

Links related to Sue Hetherington’s contribution:

There is a geo walk around UCL, and wider than that, see https://www.ucl.ac.uk/mathematical-physical-sciences/earth-sciences/outreach/public-engagement/geology-london

Sue recommended the Geologists’ Association Festival of Geology https://geologistsassociation.org.uk/events/ga-festival-of-geology/ details come out 6-8 weeks beforehand.  It’s free and you don’t have to be a member. There are many treasures to be seen inside Burlington House.

For some information about the geology to be seen in Central Milton Keynes shopping centre:
http://www.bucksgeology.org.uk/milton_keynes_shops.html 

Jane Grisdale and Julian Lambley describe the place and recount the story of the MKNHS weekend visit to How Hill in July 2025.

To access the recording go to: https://youtu.be/Eq6JStiRxa8

This presentation was given to Milton Keynes Natural History Society on 7th October 2025.

On Tuesday 30 Sept, MKNHS member and expert mycologist,Justin Long gave an excellent and very entertaining talk, inspired by recent events in Australia over the summer.

Justin dug deep into our fascination with deadly fungi – how to identify them, what are the consequences of eating them, and some interesting cases of the most deadly fungi in the world – some of which will surprise you

To access the talk go to https://youtu.be/OLcLSTCiBvw

It is located on the Society’s YouTube channel, where you will also find a number of other interesting videos.

A recording of a talk given to members of the Milton Keynes Natural History Society on 23 September 2025.  To watch it, go to the following link, on the Society’s YouTube channel :

https://youtu.be/kz_F3x1WiB4

After a brief introduction by Nida Al-Fulaij, Chief Executive of the People’s Trust for Endangered Species, Henrietta Pringle spoke about the National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme, a citizen science project which aims to monitor hedgehog abundance in Britain, but which may have relevance for other mammals.

For more details on the National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme, or to take part, go to www.nhmp.co.uk

For more information about the People’s Trust for Endangered Species, go to https://ptes.org/

Jon Balaam is development director of the Greensand Trust.  He spoke to us about the work of the Trust which covers the Greensand Ridge between Leighton Buzzard and Waresley in Cambridgeshire.  The Trust has also very recently opened a brand-new nature reserve at Clophill Lakes and Jon gave us a summary of the characteristics and different habitats of the reserve and described the work behind its creation.

This recording is on YouTube and can be found at https://youtu.be/MEHeTGJU4QY.

Subtitles can be switched on if desired, by clicking on the CC button at the bottom of the recording frame.  The recording will not expire and no password is needed.

This is not the talk in the published programme.  The speaker for the planned talk on deer had to withdraw at extremely short notice as a result of computer problems.  Tim Arnold stepped in to give an improvised presentation on some of the wildlife he had seen while on a historical and archaeological tour of Albania in late May and early June this year.

At the time of the talk, he had not completed work on identifying some of the species.  This video has been produced by editing the recording of the talk to add captions with additional or corrected identifications and two revised commentaries.

The recording is on YouTube at the link below.  No password is necessary.

https://youtu.be/vN99Ma4ptbU

On Tuesday 10 September, Paul Duberry and Emma Rix gave a very interesting presentation about the Save Wolverton’s Swifts and Martins group – why it was set up and what it does. 
This local conservation group has only been running for a few years but has already achieved great results for swifts and house martins.

To view the recording, go to:  https://youtu.be/wgzIsxmWzXk

and if you would like more information about the group and its work, write to swsm@btinternet.com