Charles McIntosh, the Birnam Postman, was an accomplished local naturalist, musician and member of the Perthshire Society for Natural Science. He was also a friend of Beatrix Potter. This short leaflet was produced for the Centenary of his death.
Category Archives: News
Video Talk – 40 years of monitoring rare arctic-alpine plants on Ben Lawers
by Sarah Watts, Ecologist and Conservation Manager.
Sarah is a plant ecologist with a strong focus on upland vegetation, restoration ecology and applied science. She is the Conservation Manager of Corrour in the Scottish Highlands and is currently researching her part-time PhD entitled “Improving outcomes in montane woodland restoration”. From 2013-2020 she worked as an ecologist for the National Trust for Scotland at Ben Lawers NNR.’
Curious Minds and Section Videos
Missed a CM or Section talk because you had something else to do? Now you can have the best of both worlds.
Click this link for PSNS Curious Minds Recorded Talks
Click this link for PSNS Archaeology and History Recorded Talks
Click this link for PSNS Ornithology and Botany Recorded Talks
Video Talk – Tracking Short Eared Owls
John Calladine, Senior Research Ecologist, BTO
John tells a fascinating story of where these owls may wander off to, having spent much time and effort to follow their movements by tracking. You’ll be amazed.
Ornithology Newsletter Nov 2021
Curious Minds is Back – Season 6 – 2021/22
Curious Minds is back – with an even bigger and better programme of live talks in the Soutar Theatre PLUS simultaneous participation by Zoom from the comfort of your own home.
The live talks and Zoom are open to the general public. To start with, we are limiting the numbers of live attendees to well below the Covid guidelines. That will be constantly reviewed. But there is no limit on Zoom participation. Tickets for the live events, and for Zoom, will be available on the Culture Perth & Kinross website at www.culturepk.org.uk/curiousminds6
See our Curious Minds page for full details of all the talks.
PSNS Doors Open Days 2021 – Year of Coasts & Waters
Featured
Doors Open Day and PSNS Library
Doors Open days is on 18th and 19th September and the PSNS Library will be open to welcome visitors. A part of the PSNS collection of over 5000 Natural History publications will be on display as well as selected volumes with content related to this year’s theme “The Year of Coasts and Waters”. PSNS members will be there to share their knowledge of the library room and its remarkable collection.
Ornithologists Newsletter June 2021
Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2021
A mind-bending photograph of an orangutan with the sky reflected in water has won first prize in the Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2021 competition.
Perth Festival of the Arts: Photographic Section Exhibition
We are pleased to announce that our Photographic Section, the Perthshire Photographic Society, are holding an online exhibition in association with the Perth Festival of the Arts, from now until June 20 2021.
Read more about it and visit the exhibition on their webpage: PPS: the exhibition is open
Botanical Section excursion programme
The COVID-19 restrictions are easing off, but we must remain vigilant; there is guidance in the programme. Our programmes have always provided opportunities for physical and mental health and they have a role to play in the easing of restrictions.
Two sites are covered in the programme, each with two visits, to maximise numbers who can attend. The first meeting will finish in the middle of the afternoon and the second about 8.30 pm. You can book to come on both meetings on the same day and fill the gap as you choose. Or book to come on both meetings on different days, or book on just one meeting.
Our programme will evolve as we continue to follow the advice of the Scottish Government and any changes that it makes. We should remain positive and retain a tradition that has lasted 150 years of recording and enjoying our Perthshire flora.
New Video – Coal mining and the seashores of the Forth
Bird Photographer of the Year 2021 finalists revealed
Featured
The finalists for the Bird Photographer of the Year 2021 (BPOTY) competition have been chosen from more than 22,000 entries from 73 countries.
40 Years of Change and A Year of Covid – Share Your Thoughts
Dear Member,
This is a request for your thoughts and observations on how the world has changed locally since the 1980’s (or earlier) and/or how Covid has affected the pursuit of your interests and its impact on the natural world locally.
The subjects currently being worked on range from photographic techniques, ecology, climate, access and storage of social archives, to what we see on our daily walk.
Photographs, audio recordings, self recorded Zoom, short videos, scanned scribbles, sketches, artwork – they are all welcome, from rants to more measured and researched thoughts.
What will be done with them? At the very least they will be put in a 2020/21 Folder and archived for future generations. The archive will be linked to the PSNS website for ease of access. Anonymity can be arranged, copyright protected.
A few members have already written articles. Some are short, simply presented as a few paragraphs. Others are longer, some showing off excellent desktop publishing skills.
For some examples from differing ends of the spectrum, click here.
Margaret Borland-Stroyan, David Perry, Jeff Banks, Malcolm Lind, John Jessop, Clare Scanlon, Frances Whittet, and Roben Antoniewicz are all available to help.
We hope you can see the pleasure that a wide range of topics and styles will bring to our fellow and future members as well as promoting the Society to the wider public.
David Bowler
President
secretary@psns.org.uk