The BENHS Conservation Working Group

The Society's Conservation Working Group was formed in 1994. Its formation was driven by the increasing amount of time spent by the Society's Council discussing conservation issues, it was considered that having a conservation group attached to the Society could act as a filter for many of these issues. This has indeed been the case, additionally it has been very useful to deal with issues arising from items discussed at meetings of the Joint Committee for the Conservation of British Invertebrates (JCCBI).

Council of the Society receives reports of progress within the group and is supportive of the initiatives that the group has undertaken, these have included special field meetings, invertebrate identification days held jointly with other bodies and promotion of priority species' lists for conservation action. Our latest initiative is to coordinate a Biodiversity project to study the autecology of three heathland flies, Thyridanthrax fenestratus (Fallen), Bombylius minor L. and Chrysotoxum octomaculatum Curtis, over the next five years. Recently the BENHS has been confirmed as a Lead Partner to English Nature, and matching funds are being provided by this Government body to support this research being conducted by the Society's members.

The members of the organising committee are: Dr. Keith Alexander, Mr. Martin Harvey, Dr. John Muggleton, Mr. John Phillips, Rev. Steve Pittis, Mr. Raymond Uffen and Stephen Miles.

The aims and objectives of the Conservation Working Group are:

The Aim

To promote invertebrate conservation in general and to encourage the members to apply their expertise in pursuance of this aim.

The Objectives

  1. To respond to issues affecting the survival of invertebrates and their habitats
  2. To provide guidance to the Society and its Council and representatives on conservation issues.
  3. To respond to conservation related enquiries made to the Society by various bodies and individuals.
  4. To promote joint initiatives between the Society and other natural history and conservation organisations.
  5. To promote the validity of invertebrate collecting as a legitimate means of gaining knowledge for science and conservation.
  6. To promote accurate identification and recording of species' data as befits the Society's role as the leading field entomological society in the UK.
  7. To stimulate and coordinate practical invertebrate conservation projects.

Stephen R. Miles, September 1999