We hope you find it interesting and stimulating, and hope you will join the Association and swell the numbers of Britain’s Naturalists.

Join the BNA the national body for naturalists, founded in 1905, and extend your interest in the British countryside by taking part in a wide range of activities together with fellow enthusiasts of all ages. With the help of our experts, you will be able to learn more about our native flora and fauna and develop an in-depth understanding of how our natural world develops and changes increasingly important in view of the changes in our climate.

At national level, the BNA organises lectures and exhibitions, publishes Country-Side, British Naturalist, the BNA website and the BNA holds occasional conferences and Field Trips at a different location each year.

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Support the BNA by donating via this link>>Donate here

or scan this QR code

Check out our Wild News page here>> Wild News to see how wildlife, conservation and the environment are coping with the changing climate.

National AGM Saturday May 30th 2026
Via Zoom Portal

Details can be found on this link at the bottom of the page:

https://bna-naturalists.org/about-us-2/

and will be sent to all members nearer the date

What to look for in May from the BNA

By D. Farrar

Woodland flowers are at their best this month, together with meadows which are beginning to bloom. There are lots of butterflies around but don’t forget to look out for moths and caterpillars, they can be colourful, spectacular and fun to find.

Ragged Robin – Silene flos-cuculi.  Commonly found growing in damp grassland or wet woodland areas, these distinctive flowers are unusual. They appear in clusters on stems growing to height of around 80cm. Petals are divided into four segments, giving them their name of ‘Ragged Robin’.

Ramsoms – Allium ursinum. The first thing you might notice is the smell of garlic as you walk through a woodland when ramsoms are in flower (they are also known as Wild Garlic). The white star shaped flowers are in clusters on fairly short stems and they can carpet the woodland floor.

Elephant Hawk-moth – Deilephia elepenor. These attractive moths are coloured pink and green with a wingspan of up to 60mm. They can be found this month from dusk and can sometimes be seen during the daylight resting amongst their foodplants, such as honeysuckle and fuchsia.

Drinker Moth Caterpillar– Euthrix potatoria. These large, hairy caterpillars can reach up to 7cm. After hibernating, they emerge in spring to begin feeding on grass or reeds and are common in damp areas. They are typically dark brown in colour with yellow speckles and have a row of white spots along each side of the body.  This particular caterpillar was wandering across a footpath, so be careful where you walk!