YNU Zoom Chat Meetings

From Feb 2021 until March 2022 I organised YNU Zoom-Chat meetings held on the First and Third Friday of the Month for people in the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union.

We are going to hold four such meetings again over this winter 2025-2026 on (mostly) the 1st Friday evening of each month

Fri 5 Dec 2025
Fri 9 Jan 2026
Fri 6 Feb
Fri 6 March

After March, we will see how it is going and may be have a break until September.  (or maybe continue right through according to interest)

If you would like to give a four-to-ten minute talk at a future Chat event (even if you haven't been to a meeting before) - please contact me - judithallinson22@gmail.com 

 This will only work if people volunteer - so however minor or major your project is, do volunteer.

Longer slide talks, or simply discussions on an issue are also possible.

Example YNU Zoom Chat Programme  

6.45: "Assemble"  - 

7.00: Official start

7.05: Breakout Groups: we will divide into groups according to interest this evening: 1) Birds, 2) Higher Plants,  4) Insects  5) Mammals 6) other suggestions? contact me.

7 15: (One planned short talk of 4 to 8 min each plus 5 min each for discussion) x 3

7.55: Coffee Break

8.00: Announcements.

8.05 - Any extra pictures/Questions

8.15: Final (One planned short talk of 4 to 8 min each plus 5 min each for discussion)

8:30: Finish

For more details contact judithallinson22@gmail.com

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these were the instructions I gave. - 

These are the instructions I gave in 2022. It doesn't work at the moment - come back in a few days when I have sorted it.

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwvcuitqDIrHtVF_h1KnqAxltrN7UnOj05Y

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. (If you register at 7.00pm on the meeting evening you should just get put straight through, )

The meeting includes an opportunity to meet each other from across Yorkshire in small groups (breakout groups)  and to raise other topics

If time, There will also be chance for people to show pictures of animals or plants or fungi you have seen over the year seen over the year. However the four main talks and discussions is expected to take up most of the time this meeting.

We suggest the talks be on:-

A) some aspect of natural history in the north of England.

B) Bring ideas about what you think the YNU should/could be doing

C) Bring stories of what your Local Natural History Society has been doing.

(If you want to guarantee a slot to talk for more than 2 or 3 minutes, it would be good to email me first)

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The YNU holds two types of Zoom meetings:  Speaker Meetings and Chat Meetings:

 Record of past YNU Zoom Chat Meetings

The meetings described below were all held 4-5 years ago.

These include three to four  short (4-5 minute) talks and also the opportunity to meet members from across Yorkshire (and behond) in small groups (breakout groups)

The first Zoom Chat meeting was held on 26 Feb 2021 :Members attended - from Sheffield to Croft (near Darlington) - from Scarborough to Settle. From Pocklington to Barnsley.  We had talks on Moths, St Kilda, Microscopic Freshwater Life and more. 

The second was held on 12 March 2021: Talks were given on: Freshwater life under the high power microscope (videos); Four Ferns in Four Minutes; The history of the YNU in 10 minutes; and a talk on Wild Orchid Propagation.

The third one on Friday 26 March presented talks on Blowwells and Bryozoa, Gooseberries in hedgerows, Accessing previous editions of the Naturalist online  and hibernating bats.

The fourth one on 9 April included talks on Plant Galls, Fossils (by a 12 year old) Bee-flies and Pillwort in Yorkshire.

Bee Fly

 The fifth one was held on 23 April

It included talks on:

• Sawflies
• 
  Pasque flower in East Yorkshire and the project on ex-situ propagation
• Wild Tulips in Yorkshire

  They are open to members of the YNU and members of affiliated societies.  They start at 7.30pm (doors open at 7.15).

Tethredo vespa

 

Athalia rosea - Turnip Sawfly

The sixth one 7 May featured a talk on

• Moonwort and Adders-tongue in Yorkshire by by Barry White.

The seventh on 21 May featured: 

The Meadow Cranesbill-Weevil - Please all YNU members lookout for it next month (late June- July) and send us your records

Pictures from the YNU Bryological section visit to Scoska Wiid, Littondale on 8 May this year. Yorkshire's Celtic (ish) rainforest!

Meadow Crane's-bill Weevil 

Littondale

The eighth meeting on Fri 4 June featured Roy Crossley (A former president of the YNU) on Dolichopodidae - Longlegged Flies in a short talk.

Antennaria dioica

The 9th Zoom chat Meeting was held on Fri 18 June and featured:

Falgunee Sakar (Fal) on 

1. Conservation of Mountain Everlasting Flower in Upper Teesdale

Fal on 

YNU Duncombe Park

2. Worshipping Trees in India

Judith Allinson- 

3. Photos from the YNU Trip to Duncolme Park, Helmsley last week

The tenth YNU Zoom Chat Meeting was held on 2nd July and featured:-

1. The Wild Ingleborough Project by Paul Brady - 

2. Meadow Cranesbill Weevil part 2. by Robert Hall

Paul Brady has recently started (along with 3 colleagues) working on the Wild Ingleborough Project based out of Selside and says: "The project aims to have a continuous piece of land (over 1000ha) from the River Ribble up to the summit that is enhanced for wildlife, increasing biodiversity, improving soil, air and water quality.  We hope to connect people to this landscape, improve access and enhance people's understanding of the work we are doing.

More information can be found here - Wild Ingleborough: a vision for the future | Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (ywt.org.uk) 

 The YNU Zoom Chat meetings took place every fortnight in Spring early summer 2021. They had a break over summer

The Eleventh YNU Zoom Chat Meeting took place on Friday 1st October 2021: 7.30pm:

This Meeting also acted as a Natural Sciences Forum Meeting.
A) Bring pictures of special Animals/Plants/ Fungi you have seen over summer to share
B) Bring ideas about what you think the YNU should/could be doing
C) Bring stories of what your Local Natural History Society has been doing.

The Twelfth   YNU Zoom Chat Meeting took place on Friday 5 November. 

Royanne Wilding gave a talk on tiny animals found on Mosses.

Falgunee Sakar (Fal) gave a summary of the talk she is going to give for the BSBI (England) AGM conference on working with Blind people to share identifying plants. 

The thirteenth YNU Zoom Chat Meeting took place on Friday 3 December. 

There were two short set talks:

Joyce and Paul Simmons: "Fungi in an Alms Houses lawn-that-is-over-160-years-old"

Falgunee Sakar (Fal) "Tussock grass in South Georgia"

The fourteenth YNU Zoom Chat Meeting took place on Friday 7 January.

This was a general chat meeting - we discussed topics from recording to Lepidoptera to Culm grassland.

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THe fiftheenth YNU Zoom Chat Meeting  took place on Friday 4 Feb 2022: 7.30pm: 

The main feature of this evening was  a 

Discussion on Recording in Yorkshire to be led by Alastair Fitter. 

This was a special Zoom Chat Meeting we concentrated our Discussion on one Topic:- Recording in Yorkshire. 

Alastair  Fitter introduced the topic:-

Conservation and Natural History in Yorkshire

The then Yorkshire Naturalists’ Trust was founded in 1946 and is now renamed The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. Many of the founders were well-known naturalists, people such as Clifford Smith, Douglas Hincks, Wentworth Ping and EW Taylor. Others such as Joan Duncan and Joyce Payne were also very active YNT members. Is that still true today? Or are the naturalist and conservationist communities travelling somewhat parallel paths?   In truth, we are a single community with a common interest, in ensuring that the nature of Yorkshire is as rich as possible.

Conservation depends on naturalists to discover what is where. I have been surprised to discover how patchy is the information that YWT holds on its reserves. Some are very well documented (Spurn, Potteric, Brockadale, Askham etc), but others seem to be little studied. There also seem not to be well-established channels to ensure that records flow to (and from) YWT. Without those records, management of reserves may be ill-founded, undermining plans to ensure that Yorkshire becomes nature-rich.

I want to explore ways in which YNU members can help to ensure that the natural history of YWT (and other) nature reserves in Yorkshire is better understood. I think that will bring obvious mutual benefits – some pastures new for the recorders and some valuable information for conservation.

        

The 16 Zoom Chat meeting held on 4th March was a conversation between a small number of people who came. The next meeting (1 April) will be the last meeting this spring. We will stop for a summer break, and consider restarting in Autumn.  Enjoy the summer, and the Summer Field Meetings

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Afraid of using Zoom? 

Some of you might like to have a practice using Zoom before the meeting and to have a go at "Share Screen" and learn what more of the buttons do in Zoom.  I (Judith) am very happy to hold practice sessions first with members who would like to have one. 

Example YNU Zoom Chat Programme  

7.15: "Assemble"  - i.e. 6.45 

7.30: Official start

7.35: Breakout Groups: we will divide into groups according to interest this evening: 1) Birds, 2) Higher Plants,  4) Insects  5) Mammals other suggestions? contact me.

7 45: One planned short talk of 4 to 8 min each plus 5 min each for discussion

8:00 Chat and Pictures

8.35: Coffee Break

8.45: Announcements

8.50: More discussion/ Photos by anyone else

9:00: Plan the next event.

9:15: Finish

For more details contact judithallinson22@gmail.com

Climate Adaptation - Climate breakdown is happening. How can churches help their communities prepare for what’s coming?

 On Saturday 15 November 2025, it was the organisation Green Christian's annual conference - this year held in Peterborough - and I went down on Friday so that I could attend the board committee meeting the day before.

The theme was

Climate breakdown is happening.  How can churches help their communities prepare for what’s coming?

This blog post tells of my experiences -
So you can find out about,

• Flooding in Cumbria,
• A rail journey that worked with no delays, interesting characters I met on route,
• Why and how churches and individuals might prepare for climate change - whether it be warming or cooling
• Interesting features of Peterborough
• Some thoughts

On Thursday I got my bags packed ready with waterproofs as the weather forecast said "100% chance of heavy rain in Peterborough all day on Friday." I planned to go to bed at 10pm, but had so many jobs to finish about publicity and posters and decisions for other groups I am involved with, plus printing out all the papers for the committee meeting the following day that it was after 2.30pm when I went to bed.

On Friday I left the house at 7.12 am with plenty of time to park near Settle station. It was tree.... mendously windy. Would my car be safe parked under the trees with their branches thrashing above? Still, I had no other choice.

On the platform I met three friends from three different "lives" in Settle - Anne Michelmore-Brown, Pete Lawrence and Philippa Hinde, all catching the early morning train at 7.27. Nice to feel part of our community. The train was on time. Amazing.

As we approached Leeds I chatted to a man, who had come all the way from Carlisle. "It's flooding in Carlisle!" he said. ("I will be going there in two months to the Lichen Society AGM" I thought). He had left at 5.49am - I am so glad we kept the Settle Carlisle line open all those years ago..

The train sped south through the huge flat fields of the productive fenlands - where so much of our UK food is grown.

It arrived on time at just after 10am in Peterborough, (in heavy rain.) I put on all my hiking waterproofs. I walked and explored a little of Peterborough and ended up in the Queensgate Shopping Centre. No sales. In the concourse I passed a stall setting up - "Cambridgeshire Search and Rescue".

I doubled back. In Settle area we have CRO - Cave Rescue Organisation - "Saving Lives above and below ground in the Yorkshire Dales". I hadn't thought of flat areas like Peterborough needing a rescue organisation. I gave a small donation to support them, and they insisted on my taking a small gift so I took a red pen.

I arrived at St Mark's church hall on Lincoln Road at just after 11am, took off my waterproofs and draped them on chairs along with several other drying coats.

Then I put them on again and walked back to the road junction three minutes away to buy some lunch. I chose "Go" Palestine Sandwiches and bought a hot falafel sandwich. Across the road I entered a store selling Eastern European products - Ukrainian, Polish and a host of other countries. The products on the shelves were imported from these countries. I chose a packet with a picture of crackers with sesame seeds. It was produced in Romania.

We started our meeting promptly at 12 including 2 members on Zoom and spent the first 30 minutes or so trying to arrange next year's committee meetings. Meanwhile the final three members of our committee arrived.

It was nice to see people in the flesh, rather than by Zoom. Much of the business had happened two weeks ago in a Zoom meeting and by putting reports onto Google Drive - the reports I had printed out and read on the way down.

At lunch time I heated and shared my falafel sandwich. And ate some of Ruth's delicious cake.

In the afternoon we discussed various things. Just one of them was a discussion on race / colour / inclusivity. In my simplistic terms my concern is that we ought to have pictures of more colours of people on the website and other physical appearances - so that people can see "People like themselves" on the website, and so might find it easier to join. It is hard to say anything without it being taken in the wrong way.

We explored the church with regard to setting up the conference the next day.

Most of the committee walked though the rain to the Premier Hotel 20 min away. I accepted a lift in the taxi with two of the others. I phoned up a non-board member who had arranged to meet us there.

We had supper at the Premier Inn. We discussed Green Christian's "Food Campaign" before eating.

I went to bed at 9.30pm. Wonderful. Then wasted twenty minutes flicking between channels on the TV, and watching an advertorial programme about cordless vacuum cleaners.

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I set the alarm for Saturday for 6.30am but lay in bed watching YV a while. Then I had a shower and and got my ealry morning brain engaged working out how the shower worked. I photographed the little messages left on folder card in the room - Maybe useful to make notices elsewhere using the same template.-

I listened to the prayer on my mobile phone internet -

Green Christian is holding 10 minute long prayers every morning of COP30 (The climate conference)

Here is the prayer. Today it was delivered by Barbara Echlin.. from her bedroom along the corridor. They carry on next week till the end of COP30.

The skin of life on the surface of our globe is fragile and affected by climate. The climate is affected by the way one organism - humans (also including I suppose, our gut flora) - is changing the composition of the environment. .. so that it will be less favorable for human life.

And here we have the 30th Climate COP - with representatives of fossil fuel companies there and business people and bankers fighting for their businesses of for their profits and share holders and power.

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Already later than the others who had been staying at the hotel, I took a slightly longer route back to the church, past the cathedral and market square. (and because I went wrong via the shopping mall again).. taking photos en route.. of the Norman Cathedral and ancient market place. But everything was running smoothly as I arrived and I had time to look at the display and chat to a few people.

We held the AGM. The work of Green Christian is organised under several committees/projects and a leader of representative of each of these sat at the front and said one sentence (or slightly more) of highlights of what their group had done. Then the treasurer was allowed 10 minutes plus questions.

Then Coffee.

Then Rupert Read of the Climate Majority spoke. He was introduced by Melanie Nazareth

(Link to video to come)

Then it was lunch. As people left the church Cat and I gave them a pink Post-it note. They were asked to write in six words or fewer and answer to the question "Climate breakdown is happening. How can churches help their communities prepare for what’s coming?"

Then after lunch we would collect them and a team would sort them into 8 piles. After the afternoon speakers, and afternoon tea we would then discuss in 8 groups of up to 10 each taking one topic, and provide a one sentence answer.

In the last half of the lunch-hour I walked back to "Go" Palestine Sandwiches and bought two more sandwiches, one as a meal deal including drink and chips. When I returned it was the end of lunch and CAT was collecting in the questions.

Jo Chamberlain of and Adrian Fox of the CfE Environment programme gave two good talks (Videos to come). Adrian Fox is the Environmental Sustainability Officer at the Church of England’s Cathedral and Church Buildings Department. He gave some very practica advice and stories. At the conference he said to me "Faith may not be flashy but neither is a well maintained gutter, but both helps us weather the storm of climate."

Rev Vanessa Elston gave an inspiring talk (Video to come)

At afternoon tea break I attempted to be helpful. There was a big moist apple cake uncut - and most of the other cakes and biscuits were nearly finished. So I found a large knife beside another cake and started carefully cutting it into narrow slices. I got half way round the cake when a lady appeared with another knife "I went to get a clean knife. " she said "That is a gluten-free cake - and now that you have cut it with a knife that has been used on other cakes we can no longer call those slices gluten- free." She showed the the notice with microscopic handwriting saying "gluten-free" next to the cake.

Oh dear.

Afterwards I walked round and took photos of people in their groups attempting to write a one sentence answer.

I collected some Green Christian leaflets and posters to take back to Settle and helped tidy up.

I walked to the railway station and as I had time, photographed a young tree near the station - 99.9% covered with - yes - Xanthoria parietina lichen. This lichen indicates there is much nitrogen compounds in the air. from fertilizer and from traffic. It is nice to have a hobby and interest that works wherever I go.

I caught the return home train (on time - amazing) , changed at Leeds, met more friends from Settle on the train to Settle, found my car safe in spite of Friday's winds and got home by 9.15.

I intended to go to bed at 10, but decided to download my pictures and put them on Green Christian Google drive for others to use. .. So "Oh dear," another 2pm bed-time.

I will add some pictures and more details in a few days. and put links to the talks once they have been made into Youtube videos.

I hope I can get our little Eco-Group at Settle Methodist Church to watch the videos and have discussions about them.

The Tree

 Well, I have made it...

       The Tree.

I made it yesterday ready for Eco Explorers on Monday and Tuesday after school next week - Eco-explorers for families with children aged (2-) 4 to 11.

A big thank you to Steve the Caretaker who dug out the green paint (and roller) to cover the board we put on the lower wall.

Now.. let's see what we do with it.  He  had some suggestions.

Do you have any?

Waxcaps at Thruscross Reservoir - 1st November Walk - Clavaria incarnata

On 1st November I could not go on a monthly 1st of the month Settle Climate Walk because.. 

I was attending a Waxcap training day. The event was funded by the Nidderdale NL FiPL (Farming in Projected Landscapes) fund and run by Nidderdale NL and the NEYEDC

This is the email (now amplified) I wrote to Claire the leader after the event after the event.

(Although dated 1 November this post is actually being written on 20 November... and i will finish it in a few days when I get more time to add the pictures)

For me the day was four events in one:

1.Waxcaps (and Clavaria incarnata - Skinny club) and meeting people

 I enjoyed learning Skinny Club and being taught that it often grows near Meadow Waxcaps    and then  finding my very own specimen of Skinny Club growing next to a Meadow Waxcap.

2. A nice walk back through the wood and leaning a few more "ordinary fungi" Elfin Saddle and Silky button (gall wasps) and Clavulinopsis rugosa

3. Looking at the Arrhenia and Ocotospora  (two more tiny fungi) with Yannah and Becky -   growing on the jelly lichen on the moss on the parapet at the reservoir  .. (feel like saying  ".. in a bog.. waydown in the valley-o").

4. Visiting a friend at Dacre on the way to Ripon afterwards. 

5. On the Monday after our Saturday - at night (4pm) A friend (Sally)  and I went to run our after school (4-5pm)  Eco-Explorers walk for families with children aged (1-_ ) 4 to 10 - the last outdoor meeting (apart from the next day Tuesday this year as the days are getting too short.

It is a good field next to the road. No families actually came -  it had rained during the day.

But Sally and I still went. There were 

Loads of large washed out Crimson waxcaps (as I expected) , a few golden waxcaps , a honey waxcap , a cedar waxcap 

and..

At the very first Meadow Waxcap I examined.. What did I find next to it?

A Skinny Club!

P.S. Claire - I find I have four red flags in the bottom of my bag.Really sorry. .. but will make good use of them and maybe save them for another year.. 

1.Waxcaps (and Clavaria incarnata - Skinny club) and meeting people

 I enjoyed learning Skinny Club and being taught that it often grows near Meadow Waxcaps    and then  finding my very own specimen of Skinny Club growing next to a Meadow Waxcap.

2. A nice walk back through the wood and leaning a few more "ordinary fungi" Elfin Saddle and Silky button (gall wasps) and Clavulinopsis rugosa

3. Looking at the Arrhenia and Ocotospora  (two more tiny fungi) with Yannah and Becky -   growing on the jelly lichen on the moss on the parapet at the reservoir  .. (feel like saying  ".. in a bog.. waydown in the valley-o").

4. Visiting a friend at Dacre on the way to Ripon afterwards.