Welcome

The Essex Field Club is a society for wildlife enthusiasts and people with an interest in the natural history and geology of Essex. The biological recording county of Essex includes the London boroughs east of the River Lea, as well as small portions of administrative Cambridgeshire and Suffolk.

We offer members about 30-40 meetings a year, regular information through our Newsletter and an annual scientific publication, the Essex Naturalist. The Field Club has serious scientific interests in geology, flowering plants, fungi, mosses, lichens, mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, insects and other invertebrates (e.g. spiders, snails and slugs, beetles, butterflies, moths, flies, bugs, dragonflies, bees and wasps), and values both amateur and professional members.

Visitors are very welcome at our meetings. We carry out or participate in surveys of particular species in the county, as well as co-ordinate the long term recording of different taxonomic groups. Specialist members are recognised as official County Recorders, who maintain detailed records and information of the Essex flora, fauna and geology (find out more)... These verified data are used to study the distribution and ecology of species in the county, contribute to national recording schemes and are also used in planning the protection of threatened habitats.

We hold an annual exhibition and social in late November/early December. This is open to all and is an important occasion for Essex naturalists to meet and swap news and ideas. A good number of non-members and general public also attend, and learn from the displays and the naturalists present and other local clubs often exhibit, which encourages sharing of information.

After using our website for a while, please provide feedback to help us improve and develop what we provide. Also please consider joining to help support the Club.