About Whitby Naturalists' Club

The Whitby Naturalists' Club seeks to study, promote interest in and conserve natural history, local history and archaeology, particularly in the Whitby area. Membership is open to anyone with a genuine interest in these topics, and new members are very welcome. Existing members range in skill and experience from interested beginners to specialists in their chosen field. Club Special Interest Groups cover amphibia & reptiles, archaeology, birds, freshwater fish, fungi, geology, insects (Lepidoptera), insects (other), local history, mammals, microbes & protists, other invertebrates, plants, sea & shore life, and weather. The Club, which celebrated its centenary in 2013, has a President, Executive Officers and an Executive Committee appointed in accordance with its Rules. It produces an annual report, maintains a library of books, maps, films and tapes, and organizes the following activities:

 ● Environmental conservation. The Club's Conservation Subcommittee provides its focal point for issues relating to environmental conservation. 

● Exhibition of specimens. From time to time, the Club organizes displays at local village shows and similar events. For the Club's centenary, there was a display of artefacts and publications relating to the Club itself over the one hundred years of its existence, and a full-scale exhibition devoted to the Fungi. At the start of a new centenary for the Club, there are plans for another exhibition. 

● Field meetings and visits to places of interest. Field meetings and visits to places of interest are organized, often in connexion with themes of the lecture programme. Most field meetings occur in spring, summer and autumn. 

● Lectures. Between October and late February with a break in December, there is a programme of illustrated lectures every Saturday afternoon in the Normanby Room at the Whitby Museum in Pannett Park. Meetings start at 2:0 pm and normally finish at about 3:30 pm. Each Special Interest Group is covered, and lectures are given by members and external specialists. Visitors to these meetings are welcome (a contribution of £2 is invited). 

 ● Recording. The Club has an active programme of recording natural history, local history and archaeology, particularly of the Whitby area. This includes maintaining lists of species recorded from the Whitby area. Observations relating to these topics can be submitted to the relevant Special Interest Group [how to submit records]. Selected records are published in the Club's Annual Report. Recorders responsible for biological records collectively form the Recorders' Subcommittee.   

● Workshops. One- and two-day workshops are organized from time to time on a range of naturalist themes. Details of each workshop are posted on the Forthcoming events page at least 4 weeks prior to it taking place. The Club is also affiliated to a range of other associations and societies. Information about those affiliations is shown on the Archives and library page of this website.