The London Natural History Society (or LNHS as it is commonly known) is a local natural history society within the UK concerned with recording the wildlife of
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, covering a circular area covering a 20-mile radius from
St. Paul's Cathedral. The society aims include to foster the appreciation and study of London's wildlife and natural environment and assisting in the conservation of wildlife in the London area by helping to record London's wildlife. Society activities include running both indoor and outdoor events throughout the year and producing a number of publications, including the annual London Naturalist and London Bird Report. The LNHS library is housed at the
Natural History Museum, London
The Natural History Museum in London is a museum that exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history. It is one of three major museums on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, the others being the Science Museum an ...
.
History
The LNHS traces its roots back to 1858 when the Haggerstone Entomological Society was founded in June of that year. By the end of the year, it had 35 members, who met one evening per week in the Carpenters' Arms, a pub in
Haggerston
Haggerston is a locale in East London, England, centred approximately on Great Cambridge Street (now renamed Queensbridge Road). It is within the London Borough of Hackney and is considered to be a part of London's East End. It is about 3.1 miles ...
. By 1887 the society had changed its name to The City of London Entomological and Natural History Society and had moved to a more central meeting point at
Albion Hall.
In 1886 four boys at the Grocers' Company School in
Hackney founded the Clapton Naturalists' Field Club, which met in members' houses. This society grew rapidly, and in 1892 changed its name to the North London Natural History Society. It covered all branches of natural history, a term which at that time was understood to include all the natural sciences including astronomy, meteorology and geology. In 1893 the Society admitted ladies for the first time. Local groups were formed in some parts of London, and the programme of activities included field trips, regular indoor meetings, exhibitions, and even music recitals and fund-raising dances.
In 1913 the City of London Entomological and Natural History Society and the North London Natural History Society merged and the London Natural History Society was formed, its study area being set as a 20-mile circle around St Paul's Cathedral (as it still stands today).
Society Sections
The LNHS is split into 5 sections, each focusing with a specific biological recording aim:
* Bookham Common Survey Section
* Botany Section
* Ecology & Entomology Section
* Hampstead Heath Survey Section
* London Bird Club
References
{{Reflist
External links
London Natural History Society - Official website
Zoology organizations
Environmental organisations based in the United Kingdom