April / Ebrill 2026

NATIONAL MEETING

 

Saturday 18th April 2026 10:30am

Annual General Meeting

The AGM will be held by Zoom, starting at 10:30. To register for the event and receive a link please click here. A link to the AGM will be emailed to you just before the event.

 

The Agenda can be found here (AGM Agenda PDF)

 

scottish group 

 

Sunday 19th April 2026 6pm

Evening talks

 

We will launch our 2026 programme with a virtual meeting, featuring two Illustrated talks:

Heather McHaffie: “An introduction to eight common ferns”

Kevin Bannon: “Restoring the historic Palm House at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh”

There will also be a chance for general discussion, including our plans for the 2026 season. All are welcome. If you are interested, please contact Bridget Laue, who will provide details of how to join the zoom meeting. E-mail: scotland@britishfernsociety.org.uk

 

NATIONAL MEETING

 

Saturday 25th April 2026 10:30am

BPS Annual Spring Meeting, Learning Centre at RHS Harlow Carr, Harrogate

"What's new in the fern world!"

Details to be posted soon.

May / Mai 2026

SCOTTISH grouP 

 

Sunday 17th May 2026

 

Holyrood Park, Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh

Visit to survey the colony of Adder’s tongue (Ophioglossum vulgatum) in Hunter’s Bog. Also expect to see several species of Equisetum, as well as Forked spleenwort (Asplenium septentrionale)

Leader: Bridget Laue email: scotland@britishfernsociety.org.uk

 

EDUCATION group

 

Friday 22nd May 2026 13:00 - Sunday 24th May 2026 17:00 

Ferns: Ecology and Identification HAU

Field Studies Council Rhyd y Creuau, North Wales

A two and half day course introducing you to the world of pteridophytes, including ferns, horsetails, clubmosses, and quillworts. Hosted by the Field Studies Council and part of the Harper Adams University Master's programme this residential course places a strong emphasis on field idenfication and accurate biological record creation.

 

See the FSC website or contact northwales@britishfernsociety.org.uk for more information.

 

June / Mehefin 2026

 

SCOTTISH GROUP 

 

Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th June 2026

Dumfies and Galloway Weekend

 

Leaders: Liza Downie & Chris Nicholson

We have a tour of Logan Botanic Gardens (RBGE), led by garden manager Alan Hannah, booked for the morning of Saturday 13th June. 

On Sunday 14th June we will visit Threave Garden and Nature Reserve (NTS), near Castle Douglas. 

 

When we know who intends to come, and when, we will discuss possibly meeting for meals on Friday and Saturday evenings. We will try to arrange shared transport where possible.

If you are interested in joining us, please e-mail Liza at lizadownie@protonmail.com.

 

Logan Garden, Port Logan, Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway, DG9 9ND (entry fee £9.70/£8.10 concession; free to RBGE members/staff)
Threave Garden and Nature Reserve, Castle Douglas, DG7 1RX (entry fee £10/£8 concession; free to NTS members)

 

 

EAST ANGLIA GROUP 

 

Saturday 27th June 2026 11:00am

Cockshoot Broad and Winterton Dunes field visit. 

Target species include Thelypteris palustris, Ophioglossum vulgatum and Polypodium vulgare.

 

To register please contact Peter Blake via eastanglia@britishfernsociety.org.uk

 

SOUTH WALES GROUP

 

Saturday 27th June 2026

A visit to two woods in Monmouthshire

A day’s visit to two contrasting woods near Chepstow in Monmouthshire. We will meet at 10:30 at Great Barnets Wood near Chepstow and move to Croes Robert Wood near Trellech for the afternoon. This is organised by the South Wales Group and to find more information and be sent any updates, contact Brian and Sue Dockerill on southwales@britishfernsociety.org.uk

 

July / Gorffrnnaf 2026

SCOTTISH GROUP

 

Saturday 4th July 2026

Mountain trek for Woodia ilvensis

 

Leader:  Andy MacGregor

A stroll in the hills to find Britain’s rarest native fern (details to follow). To register please email: scotland@britishfernsociety.org.uk

August / Awst 2026

 

SCOTTISH GROUP

Early August 2026 (date to be confirmed)

Fern Fossils at East Wemyss, Fife

 

This is an easy site to visit, with nice plant fossils from the Carboniferous, about 335 Myr ago. (You do not have to dig, and can spend all of your time just looking for interesting things). 
Typical findings include: Stigmarian root systems, Lepidodendron trunks, Calamites branches, and bits of Annularia.  

Date to be confirmed (dependent on tides).

Leaders: Heather McHaffie, Bridget Laue, Michael Sundue

To register please email scotland@britishfernsociety.org.uk

 

SOUTH WALES GROUP

Saturday 8th August 2026

Two field sites near Neath in South Wales

We will be visiting the South Wales Miners Museum, which is one of relatively few sites for Dryopteris aemula in Glamorgan. We hope to link this to a visit with the nearby Melincourt Falls, which has a fantastic range of ferns. This site is currently closed due to a landslip, so we will plan an alternative second site if this is not resolved by August.

This is organised by the South Wales Group and to find more information and be sent any updates, contact Brian and Sue Dockerill on southwales@britishfernsociety.org.uk

 

EDUCATION GROUP 

20th-23rd August 2026

 

Southport Flower Show

Come and visit the BPS stand in the Charities tent. The stand will include spore sowing demonstrations, aquatic ferns, merchandise and educational resources, plus hopefully a trophy!

 

SCOTTISH GROUP

Saturday 29th August 2026

Autumn meeting, Muirburn (near Biggar)

Hosts: Frank Katzer and Steve Taylor

Garden tours, fern propagation workshop and talks:
Diego Sanchez Ganfornina: “Exploring the evolution of spiral leaf arrangements in lycophytes”    
Alex Quinlan: "A case study of ferns and fire in the Central Highlands of Vietnam"
 
Lunch, coffee/tea provided. Please register with Bridget scotland@britishfernsociety.org.uk

 

September / Medi 2026

SOUTH WALES & BORDERS GROUP

 

Saturday 12th September 2026 11:00am

Two Gardens in Herefordshire

In the morning we will go to the garden of Ben Adams at Stoke Lacy near Bromyard.
This was formerly the garden of his mother, Veronica Cross, who sadly passed away
a few years ago. She had amassed an amazing collection of plants, including ferns,
snowdrops and woody species.

We will be arranging a pub lunch locally, and then moving on to the garden of Stuart
Donachie a few miles away at Sollers Hope. This is again a plant collectors paradise
and Stuart is continuing to expand the garden as more areas are brought into
cultivation. He will provide refreshments and there will be a charge of £10 per person
to go to charity, which we will collect on the day.

To register please contact Brian and Sue Dockerill on southwales@britishfernsociety.org.uk

 

EAST ANGLIA GROUP

 

Saturday 19th September 2026 11:00am

Norwich indoor meeting and plant sale 

To register please contact Peter Blake via eastanglia@britishfernsociety.org.uk