Spring Field meeting 2009, SW Scotland

Ayrshire/North Kirkcudbrightshire 1–7 April 2009

Local secretary – Liz Kungu, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh EH3 5LR (ee.kungu @ rbge.org.uk or alternative ent_field@yahoo.co.uk)

This meeting was based at Auchincruive, part of the Scottish Agricultural College just outside Ayr.

Summer 09 Field Meeting

Co. Cork, Ireland 27 June–4 July 2009

Co. Kerry, Ireland 4–11 July 2009

Organizers – Sam Bosanquet, Cnwc y Llwyn, Brechfa, Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire SA32 7QR (e s.bosanquet @ ccw.gov.uk) Chris Preston (e cdpr @ ceh.ac.uk)

Despite the richness of its hyperoceanic flora, much of south-western Ireland remains bryologically unexplored. Visitors flock to the few well-recorded hotspots, leaving large gaps between them. This meeting is aimed at recording these gaps, on the assumption that ‘mundane’ areas in such a rich region will provide plenty of interest. We tried a similar approach in 2007 when visiting what an Irish colleague described as ‘the dull bit of Co. Clare’ and found significant range extensions for several species. The first week will be centred on Clonakilty, Co. Cork, and we will record a main site each morning, then split into individual carloads to explore churches, forestry or bogland in the afternoon. The second week, based in Tralee, Co. Kerry, will include 3 days looking at the oceanic rarities in the mountains, recording their upper altitudinal limits. These days will be interspersed with days spent in under-worked lowland areas. This is a meeting that aims to cover new ground, and records of Frullania dilatata and Funaria hygrometrica will count as much as those of Lejeunea flava and Cyclodictyon laetevirens. Sam Bosanquet will help organize the first week and Chris Preston the second, with advice and guidance from Irish bryologists and botanists. To register your interest in attending this meeting, please contact the organizers, Sam Bosanquet or Chris Preston.