The Meetings Held in 2012


Chapmans Pool, Dorset, 18 March 2012


A joint meeting with the Wessex Bryology Group which looked at the Chapmans Pool area on the Purbeck coast. A varied site with wayside trees, limestone and maritime chert, and soft cliffs. Report Awaited.

Race Plain, New Forest, 12 June 2012


An evening meeting at Race Plain, meeting at the Setley Pond Car Park, to record heathland lichens in two under recorded 10km nation grid squares by visiting 1km squares SZ30 99 and SZ29 99. Read report.

Beaulieu Heath West, 25 August 2012


Saturday 25th August 2012, starting from SU3572 0043, an afternoon meeting which explored the heathland, developing calcareous grassland and lumps of concrete on the old Beaulieu Air Field. Produced a mixture of specialist heathland species, more mobile downland species and concrete weeds. A rich haul, with 60 terricolous and saxicolous species, during which I learned some common concrete weeds and we found an astonishing area of heath, bulldozed in the 1940s, with an abundance of Pycnothelia papillaria and the find of the day, two sites for Cladonia firma. Read report

East Hampshire Heaths, Sunday 2nd September 2012


Following the exciting discoveries on the New Forest Heaths, a look at the East Hampshire heaths was over due. There are still rich areas of short grazed lichen rich heath on much sandier soils than the New Forest; something interesting was expected. The richest area known is the old railway sidings in the west of Woolmer Ranges. We met at 10.30am at the car park on the south west edge of Woolmer Ranges at SU7858 3193. We recorded 59 terricolous and saxicolous species and six additional species on lignum. There was a visually stunning lichen rich grass heath community, different from anything in the New Forest, and associated lichen rich heath. We made several good records, including a little Cladonia phyllophora NT (NS) and lots of Cladonia rei NT (NR). Read report.

Heathland Lichen Training Day in the New Forest Saturday 1 December 2012


A joint meeting with the Hampshire Flora Group lead by Neil Sanderson. A day looking at and recording heathland lichens in a rich area in the north of the New Forest with lichen expert Neil Sanderson. Beginners welcome but bring a hand lens if at all possible. We met in the car park at Canada Common at SU2874 1773 at 10.30. The meeting included recording1km squares for the New Forest Heathland lichen survey, some good lichen records and lots of Marsh Clubmoss as a distraction. Read report

New Year Meeting, Ocknell Sling, 28th December 2012


The New Year meeting looked at the richest Ash site in the New Forest, the riverine woodland along the Highland Water below Lucas Castle. The aim was to record the lichen flora of the Ash trees along with the other tree species, before any potential negative effects from Ash dieback. We met at 10.30am at the pull by the ride into Highland Water Inclosure by the Canadian Memorial at SU240093. Read Report