About the Awards
The new BSBI Awards were launched in 2022, with two categories: an outstanding contribution to botany in your area (county, region or country); and an outstanding contribution to British and Irish botany.
Chris Miles, Chair of BSBI Board of Trustees, said: "The award of Honorary Membership and the Presidents’ Award are only available to a small number of people doing really outstanding things for botany and the BSBI. We wanted to recognise that many others do exceptional things to support and enthuse their fellow botanists often on a more local basis. Thank you to members who have nominated fellow botanists for recognition in these new BSBI awards. After consideration by the Board’s Nominations, Awards and Governance Committee the following are recognised for their contributions to BSBI life under the two categories. They or a family member have received a certificate and the details below also appeared in the April 2023 issue of our membership newsletter, BSBI News".
Awards 2022: an outstanding contribution to botany in your area (county, region or country)
Michael Philip, nominated by Alison Rutherford
Michael is nominated for transforming botanical recording and field work in Lanarkshire, Dunbartonshire and Renfrewshire in west central Scotland. His botanical networks approach has built a considerable team of active botanical recorders. He is commended for his enthusiastic and friendly organisational and communication skills both in getting people active, getting them learning and in targeting their recording efforts. He is also producing
newsletters to keep all in touch with what is found and achieved. He has willingly shared his approach more widely in BSBI.
Martyn Stead, nominated by Delyth Williams
Martyn is nominated because of his sustained contribution of reliable and meticulous records over a long period in most of the North Wales vice-counties and to several recording groups in north Wales and NW England. He has made a particularly large contribution to recording in Denbighshire and Cheshire since 2000. Alongside this he is commended for his patient and enthusiastic support for learners and young professionals. He regularly
supports the County Recorder in tutoring at learning days and has been instrumental in attracting new people to
the recording groups.
Bryan Yorke, nominated by Jon Dunn
Bryan is nominated as an inspirational naturalist who communicated his love of the flora of the English North West. He made an insightful study of the Epipactis species and hybrids on Hutton Roof where he annually monitored each plant and protected them from grazing. He is particularly nominated for his pioneering online presence. Using the media of blogs, Twitter and Facebook, Bryan put his daily diaries, illustrations, photography and even poetry online where others could see it and use it as a research resource. His blogs have had over 600k
views. Bryan died suddenly in May 2022.
Awards 2022: an outstanding contribution to British and Irish botany
Fred Rumsey, nominated by Nominations, Awards and Governance Committee
Fred is nominated for his long standing contribution to research, publications and fieldwork on British and Irish botany. He is regarded as one of our top field botanists and co-authored the England Red List. He has published important studies on Hyacinthoides, Orobanchaceae and Euphrasia. He has co-authored BSBI handbooks on Euphrasia and Orobanche. He is a regular and popular speaker at BSBI meetings, able to communicate how genetic studies help (or hinder) field botanists. He regularly leads training meetings particularly on ferns. He is BSBI Referee for a number of genera. He has also published work on the Flora of Macaronesia.