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REPORT OF THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB FOR 1998-99
The Council of the Essex Field Club met five
times during the year 1998-99, four times at
the Red Cross Hall and once at Pentland
Avenue, both in Chelmsford. The main work
of Council during the year has been to
consolidate the work in hand on the
administrative affairs of the Club, to consider
the role of the Field Club as we approach the
new millennium, to ensure the future of the
Field Club's collections and library, and to
foster relationships with other natural history
organisations in the county.
To further focus the work of Council and the
Club, at Council meetings, an early item on
the agenda is now a discussion of sites that
need consideration. This, it is hoped, will
concentrate our thoughts on biological,
geological and environmental issues in the
county and will lead to members becoming
more involved in such matters.
You will see from the synopsis of the year's
meetings below, one way in which we relate to
other organisations is to have joint meetings.
This year we have had joint meetings with the
South Essex Natural History Society, Essex
Spider Group and Essex Rock and Mineral
Society. In the past we have had joint
meetings with the Colchester Natural History
Society.
We are looking to our relationships with other
natural history organisations within the
county. We already have joint meetings with
other Societies such as those listed above.
Also, steps have been taken to co-opcratc with
the Essex Wildlife Trust to pay attention to
specific sites, by having recording visits and
discussing issues that will help manage these
sites effectively. This is a practical step that
should be of benefit to both organisations. It
was unfortunate that this venture in co-
operation did not get off to a smooth start.
The Field Club has apologised to the Essex
Wildlife Trust over this matter and now looks
forward to a fruitful relationship. However,
there is a clear onus on the Field Club to make
sure that it makes a worthwhile contribution to
this joint venture. Currently Ted Benton is
writing a publication on bumblebees in Essex
and in due course this will be published jointly
by the Field Club and the Colchester Natural
History Society.
On another level, we are co-operating with
English Nature by conlributing to the county
RIGGS group and the Red Data List. The
Regionally Important Geological and
Geomorphological Sites group is being re-
established and several members of the Field
Club are part of the group. Peter Allen, as a
Council member, is representing the Field
Club. With the launch of the Essex
Biodiversity Action Plan (EB AP) this year, the
Club's Recorders have been asked to produce
Red Data Lists for the county. This will help
the further development of the Plan and it is
hoped that the Club will be able to publish a
county Red Data Book to mark the
millennium. The Recorders have done an
excellent job in providing Hie necessary data
and the work is being co-ordinated by Jes
Dagley. However Hie need for data collection
is on-going and the Plan will present many
opportunities for Club members interested in
further survey and conservation work as
explained in the February 1999 Newsletter.
Negotiations with the Corporation of London
to establish a new museum and headquarters
for the Field Club at High Beach failed during
the year despite an investment of £60,000 by
the Corporation on market research and
building design. This was, basically because
of financial constraints, engendered by the
worsening economic climate, and not because
of any default on the part of the Field Club. It
should also be recorded that had the London
Borough of Newham not taken two years to
draw up a suitable lease for the old Passmore
Edwards Museum building to be used as an
interim store for the collections, the financial
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 16 (1999)