THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB
DEPARTMENT OF LIFE SCIENCES
UNIVERSITY OF EAST LONDON
ROMFORD ROAD, STRA TFORD,
LONDON, E15 4LZ
NEWSLETTER NO. 23 November 1997
THE PRESIDENT'S PAGE
With this issue of the newsletter you should also receive your free copy of the Essex
Naturalist, volume 14 in the new series.
I am particularly pleased about this, not least because, as Editor, it has been the cause of
much fuss over the last couple of months! The main reasons for my pleasure, however,
are more fundamental. When Peter Harvey and I tried to revitalise the journal last year we
were worried on two counts - first that it might not be as well received as we hoped and
second that we might not get enough contributions in for the next one! Judgements do get
clouded; WE liked the idea so we assumed that everyone else might too! I am happy that
all our fears were unfounded. A glance at the 160 pages of this years volume shows that
not only did I receive material but that I received far more than last year! There are
contributions on flora, mammals, invertebrates and general conservation topics as well as
the annual reports from Recorders which are now a part of their duty, so that there is
something for everyone, though I hope that you will agree that all of the papers are well
worth reading.
It is my greatest hope that the Essex Naturalist will, now that it is re-established as a
journal carrying properly refereed papers in addition to the annual reports from Recorders
and other articles, attract a wide range of good quality papers, of high standard but
presented in a reader-friendly style so that they can be read and enjoyed by naturalists of
all persuasions and all backgrounds. Although we would encourage all those interested in
any aspect of Essex natural history to join the Essex Field Club, membership is by no
means a requirement for authors wishing to submit papers to the 1998 or subsequent
journals.
There is another reason for pleasure on my part. This newsletter and journal sees the start
of a relationship between the Essex Field Club and the Brentwood based Cravitz Printing
Company Ltd. This established Essex firm has been chosen from several to be
responsible for the printing and also for the mailing-out of all Essex Field Club
publications, including the programme card which will arrive with the next newsletter. I
have had the pleasure of working with Cravitz as Editor of the journal Entomologist's
Record and Journal of Variation and Cravitz also print the Bulletin of the Amateur
Entomologists Society. So ... they are not lacking in experience of natural history
publishing. We hope that this new working relationship will improve the efficiency of the
Club's publishing activities and in particular that publications will be received by
members on time.
Moving on to a different topic - winter is now more or less upon us (I am writing in
October) and the field season is over for many of us, although there are field trips right
Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 23, November 1997