NHSN Botany Group

NHSN’s Botany Group aims to provide inclusive, accessible opportunities for botanists, beginner and expert alike, to come together to learn about, record and enjoy wild plants across the North East.

Please note that the NHSN Botany Group is a new initiative. Trips will begin in 2026 but interested individuals are welcome to register their interest now to be kept informed of new opportunities.

About the Group

The NHSN Botany Group is an open, friendly group of botanists meet regularly to record and enjoy our region’s wild plants. The group aims to:

• Encourage regular meetings encouraging the enjoyment, study and recording of wild plants
• Nurture botanical knowledge and understanding among beginner and intermediate botanists
• Build identification, surveying and recording skills
• Carry out field visits, surveys and recording
• Support the wider aims of NHSN and regional citizen science focused on wild plants

Who Can Join?

Everyone is welcome. This includes beginner and expert botanists, surveyors, ecologists, conservation professionals, students and anyone looking to build skills in botanical identification and recording.

Trips and Surveys

As of 2026, trips will take place at least monthly to various sites across Tyneside, Northumberland and County Durham.

On occasion, these will focus on the identification of specific groups of plants or searches for special or under-recorded species. On other occasions, trips will focus on specific sites. Group members are encouraged to suggest places to visit, lead trips and share their knowledge of their local area.

For trips to sensitive sites, the number of people attending may be limited. In these instances, booking will be encouraged via Eventbrite.