BSBI News: latest issue has been mailed out

Bob Gibbons' image of
Anemone nemorosa features on the
front cover of the latest issue

It's always a red-letter day when the Editor of BSBI News emails to say that the latest issue has gone to press! 

This is the second issue with Andrew Branson at the helm. Andrew has been a BSBI member for around 30 years and is currently Chair of the Dorset Flora Group. After a long career in publishing, including founding and running British Wildlife for almost 25 years, he is now semi-retired and tells me he is "thoroughly enjoying using his publishing skills to bring a new look to BSBI News".

The April issue is winging its way to you as we speak and once again we can give you a sneak peek of what you have to look forward to this time:

A featured article by Pete Stroh and Kevin Walker (aka the BSBI Science Team) about progress towards Atlas 2020: five pages on changes since the 2002 Atlas and a heads-up on what Atlas 2020 will look like.  

Interrupted Club-moss features in Pete & Kevin's
article about changes in the British & Irish flora
 since the last atlas
Image: John Hawell 

Peter Marren offers an excerpt from his latest book Chasing the Ghost, which chronicles Peter's attempts to find all the wild plants of Britain.

An article about the 2018 New Year Plant Hunt.

Simon Harrap looks at the mythical Diapensia lapponica - few have seen it - Peter Llewellyn is one person who has (and told News & Views readers about it several years ago in this serialised story! 

Gosh, is it possible that this blog scooped the mighty BSBI News? Sshhh let's not tell Andrew and Simon!) 

Moving swiftly on...

Creeping Marshwort in Oxfordshire
Image: Judy Webb

Creeping Marshwort in England - is it on the brink of extinction? Pete Stroh and Fred Rumsey (Natural History Museum) tell us more.

There's a new Dandelion for the British Isles - Simon Leach and John Richards have the inside story.

In this issue's Beginners Corner, John Poland talks about bud burst in trees and shrubs - what it looks like, what causes it and when it happens! 

There's news about British & Irish Botany, the 'replacement' for New Journal of Botany which ceased publication at the end of 2017.

There are also reports of some rather unusual plant finds in Bradford, on Brownsea Island and in Surrey... and lots more full articles and short notes than we have room for here! 

Tucked inside the latest issue are flyers with details of pre-publication offers on John Poland's forthcoming Twig Key and on Chris Metherell's forthcoming Handbook Eyebrights of Britain and Ireland. 

Diapensia lapponica
Image: Peter Llewellyn

There is a flyer for the forthcoming 2nd edition Wild Flowers of the Isle of Purbeck, Brownsea & Sandbanks (which also has a pre-publication offer for BSBI members).

There's also a flyer allowing you to book onto the BSBI Recorders' Conference, to be held this October in Shrewsbury. 

A reminder that if you are not yet a BSBI member, you won't have the pleasure of a print copy of BSBI News dropping through your letter-box this week.

Neither will you be able to benefit from pre-publication offers and discounted prices on titles such as Eyebrights of Britain and Ireland, or Wild Flowers of the Isle of Purbeck, Brownsea & Sandbanks, or enjoy early-bird booking on the Recorders' Conference. 

But as soon as you join BSBI we can send you a chunky membership welcome pack which includes the most recent issue of BSBI News and lots more! Head over to this page to find out more about what's on offer for you.