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Hugh Harris: Sudley, a Liverpool Merchant’s House, NML

Post published:4 July 2018
Post category:Nature Notes

In 1883, it was sold to the Victorian ship owner and merchant George Holt who founded the Lamport and Holt Shipping Line. The house was his residence until his death in 1896 during which time he formed a magnificent collection of contemporary art and sculpture. He decorated and furnished the ground floor rooms and hung his collection of paintings here. The Sudley House Art Gallery is now part of the National Museums of Liverpool with permanent displays in period rooms with many fine examples of 18^th and 19^th century Pre-Raphaelite paintings. Indeed, Sudley House now accommodates Britain’s only remaining complete art collection of a Victorian merchant and entrepreneur. The artists include John Everett Millais, Landseer, George Romney, Reynolds, Frith, William Holman-Hunt, Edward Burne-Jones, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and JMW Turner.

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Rob Duffy: Sidewalk Botanist-June Notes

Post published:23 June 2018
Post category:Nature Notes

The “scrapes” in Court Hey Park are as dry as a bone and can be traversed to inspect the wetland flora-the flora of the pavement cracks too has altered completely under the unrelenting Sun but, with the disappearance of the widespread Thale Cress, many species, particularly Willowherbs, are surviving. Perhaps this is the time to get to grips with this common garden weed? Identification is not too difficult, depending on the shape of the stigma, whether there are ridges on the stem, the length of the petiole, or the length of the leaves and pods, to name but a few features. But, beware of hybridisation!

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Twilight Sessions

Post published:22 June 2018
Post category:Information

So far the sessions have looked at everything from Carrion Beetles to Bryophytes! (not to mention the awesome wonder that are the Springtails) with even a few outdoor intros to eDNA (Amanda) and vacuum sampling (Steve). It is this type of mentoring that the group was really founded to try and encourage. You are the enthusiasts and by sharing your knowledge with and supporting each other we can create a strong network of naturalists that can last well beyond the lifetime of any one project or even organisation.

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Species Action: Agapanthia villosoviridescens

Post published:20 June 2018
Post category:Nature Notes North Merseyside BAP

Only recorded a handful of times in St Helens in 2013 and 2014 this beetle is very much to the North of it’s range. It may well be moving Northwards in response to climate pressures but also requires sensitive management of grasslands. In particular Hogweeds and Cow Parsely. This is certainly one to look out for with it’s flight period given as May to June (though possibly, year round).

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