Recent News

Peter Skidmore Appeal

Many amongst the Forum's extensive network will remember that Peter Skidmore did much to highlight the extensive invertebrate interest of Hatfield Moors. Heather Skidmore, Peter's widow has launched an appeal in his memory. The purchase of this special piece of Hatfield Moors will safeguard rare biodiversity, a fitting tribute to Peter

2011 Nightjar surveys

The 2011 Nightjar surveys for Thorne Moors and Hatfield Moors are available. Thanks to Natural England for allowing us to publish them.

Hatfield Moors Definitive Recording Map

A new map of Hatfield Moors has been commissioned following extensive consultations to decide on the names and extents of the areas to be used to record species in future. The map is reproduced at A3 size with an OS map on the reverse to give an overview of the location of Hatfield Moors in the surrounding countryside. Copies of this map can be obtained from members of the Forum for a nominal charge of 60p, or alternatively by post.

New paper from Michael Archer

Archer, M. (2011). The wasps, ants and bees (Hym., Aculeata) of Thorne and Hatfield Moors in Watsonian Yorkshire. Entomologist's Monthly Magazine, 147, 177-188.
This is not available on the web, but if you are interested for further details.

Papers - Volume 8

This edition is a bumper one with 166 pages, so effectively two volumes in one! Those of you who are aware of previous Volumes may remember that Volume 7 was 74 pages and sold for £7.50 (although it actually cost us £11.50 a copy), so we offer that a case could be made that Volume 8 is a bargain! Furthermore we will also include a copy of the Hatfield map at no extra charge for the remainder of 2011. Paul Buckland & Nicki Whitehouse are to be congratulated in getting it to print & I am sure contributors and hopefully purchasers alike will regard the wait as worthwhile. We are heartily relieved that it is ‘in press’ so that we can continue with our other projects.

The £9 is inclusive of postage & packaging and in due course the volume will be available directly at events etc. for £7.50 and arrangements can be made to collect copies &c. in order to avoid p&p.

In addition to the seven papers listed on the flyer it also contains some eight additional notes as well as a revised Hatfield Moors compartment map and many colour images including the superb image by John Wozencroft of adder & grass snake basking together – a pretty unique ‘capture’ of snake behaviour!

Full details of Volume 8

Thorne and Hatfield Moors Conservation Forum

At the 2011 Annual General Meeting it was announced that Nicki Whitehouse and Pip Seccombe had decided to step down from the executive committee. There being no new candidates declared it was reluctantly decided that the Forum would not be able to continue in its previous format.

After the AGM an impromptu meeting was held in lieu of a normal quarterly meeting in which various possibilties for the future were discussed.

The remaining Executive Members agreed to continue provided the four quarterly and eight executive meetings of the Forum were suspended indefinitely. This would represent a considerable savings in time spent travelling for a widely geographically scattered group. It was also agreed that they would form a core group of the Forum, communicating as needed by phone and e-mail. Several people agreed in principle to participating in an informal outer set of groups, concentrating on specific issues, with minimal interection from the core group.

Thanks were extended to Nicki and Pip for all their hard work for the Forum over a long period of time.

Flickr group

We have set up a Flickr group called Thorne and Hatfield Moors Conservation Forum. Flickr is a photograph sharing website. We hope that this new group will develop into a valuable source for identification of plant and animal wildlife on the moors. If you have good photos of named species please add them to the group. If you are not already a member of Flickr you can sign up to Flickr (there is a free option which is perfectly adequate), upload the photos to your account, and then add them to our group.

Older news can be found in the News archive

You can return to the home page by clicking on this image wherever you see it in the website.