Recorders' Meeting 2024

Preston Montford is the traditional home for BSBI Recorders’ and Training meetings, with the most recent one taking place in October 2023. We return again in April 2024, to provide skills and training sessions, particularly for botanists wanting to progress to recording, though they will be of general interest and for discussions amongst all attendees. The programme is deliberately flexible in order to accommodate any weather window that will allow a group visit to a local site or sites. The sessions and talks will be given by participants.

Book your place

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The 2024 Recorders’ Meeting is based at the Field Studies Council Preston Montford Centre near Shrewsbury and runs from April 19 to 21. The meeting is aimed at anyone who wants to start making plant records for the BSBI, and it will also benefit existing or potential County Recorders and referees. It is intended that workshops will include plant ID sessions, practical recording work, talks and a group discussion. Potential skills sessions include map reading, recording (use of the BSBI app, paper forms etc), what people do (consultants, VCRs, referees, Natural England, BSBI staff etc), use of the DDb, how and what to record, taking images and more. The timing is leisurely and may change at short notice in order to accommodate a weather window for a group excursion. In order to ensure that everyone (including speakers) can attend all the sessions we do not intend to run parallel sessions and will not record the talks unless requested to do so by the speaker.

Preston Montford offers the standard FSC centre accommodation, with breakfast, DIY packed lunch and an evening meal. The centre is licensed. Most rooms are single en-suite, and there are some for multiple occupancy. Non-residents are welcome to join the group during the day and/or for meals. Participants are welcome to suggest topics for workshops etc, and should be prepared to give them if appropriate.

Tickets

The weekend rate FSC Preston Montford is £150 for single accommodation, breakfast, DIY packed lunch and dinner per person. If you are sharing accommodation the rate is £135 per person. If you are non-resident and would like lunch and dinner the rate is £18 per day. Everyone pays a registration fee, which helps to cover some of the associated costs. You do not have to stay the whole weekend, though priority for rooms will be given to those who are. If you are only able to stay for one night, please contact us before booking.

You will be able to choose your tickets when you click the 'Buy Tickets' link, but for example:
For one member staying all the long weekend, the full residential cost including registration and meals is £175 (£25+£150), for two non-members sharing a room the total cost is £350 (£40x2+£135x2). For non-resident members wanting lunch and dinner only, the total cost including registration is £61 (£25+£18x2) per person; breakfast is an additional £6 per day.

Programme

Friday 19th

From 1.00 pm Arrival & registration at FSC Preston Montford. Lunch is not provided. You may not be able to access your room until later in the day.

2.00 pm - Welcome talks from the FSC and Committee for England.
2:15 pm - Plant ID session 1
3:30 pm - Tea, cakes & discussion
4.15 pm - Plant ID session 2
6:30 pm - Evening meal
8.00 pm - Talk
9.00 pm - Bar & discussion

For the plant ID sessions please bring a few specimens with you. These can be easy or challenging, or things that you would like identifying.

Saturday 20th

8.00 am - Make your packed lunch
8.00 am - Breakfast
9.00 am - Session 1
10.30 am - Coffee & discussion
11.00 am - Session 2
12.30 am - Lunch
1.30 pm - Session 3
3.00 pm - Tea, cakes & discussion
4.00 pm - Session 4
6.30 pm - Evening meal
8.00 pm - Forum
9.00 pm - Bar & discussion

Summerfield Books will be in attendance. You can advance order, or request that they bring books that you might like to purchase. If possible the excursion will be on Sunday, but if the weather forecast dictates it may be brought forward to Saturday morning or afternoon.

Sunday 21st

Excursion (weather dependent), otherwise as Saturday morning or afternoon. Please clear your room by 9.30 am.

14.00 pm approx. - End of meeting

If you would prefer to pay by cheque or make a direct bank transfer please contact the Meeting Organiser, Jonathan Shanklin: fieldmeetings@bsbi.org

Recorders' Meeting 2023

BSBI's 2023 Recorders' Meeting took place over the weekend of 6th-8th October at FSC Preston Montford in Shrewsbury and featured workshops, talks, training sessions and site visits, all aimed at botanical recorders.

A number of the talks were recorded and are available below:

Recorders' Meeting 2022

If you missed the talks from 2022, you can get a flavour of what was discussed by clicking on the links below and downloading a pdf: