NHSN & 1829 Talks 2025-26

Time: Doors open 6pm, first talk starts 18:29, second talk starts 7pm.

Dates: Monday evenings, January 12 to March 9.

Location: Curtis Auditorium, Herschel Building, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU. W3W:///float.insist.seats. Please use this address (the map given by eventbrite is slightly off).

Join us for free public talks covering a wide range of natural history topics, from lichen to Swifts, heavy metal pollution to rewilding. Light refreshments and drinks are available for a small donation. Please see agenda or event photos for the programme.

Collect your NHSN Talks stamp sheet and earn rewards for attending: after 2 talks receive a badge, after 5 a VIP pass to Gosforth Nature Reserve, and after 8 a free NHSN tote bag. Meet fellow nature enthusiasts and discover more about nature in the North East.

Find the programme below or here

Keen on Green – People’s Thoughts and Feelings Towards Biodiversity in Residential Gardens, with Amy Sorrel, Northumbria University

WADER - A Major Nature Recovery Project in the North East, with Aileen Mill, Newcastle University

In at the Shallow End: A Dive into Policy for Small Freshwater Habitats, with Sam Tasker, Freshwater Habitats Trust

Hoverflies Through the Year, with Mark Welfare, Local Naturalist

Plant Pollinator Networks - Recovering Biodiversity in Cities, with Bee Scoular, Northumbria University

The Tyne – A Metal Mining Legacy, with James Fielding, Tyne Rivers Trust

Making Peatlands Work for Butterflies & Moths, with Charlotte Rankin, Butterfly Conservation

Red Squirrel Recovery Network, with Abbie McQueen, Red Squirrels Northern England

Noisy Eaters: Getting Down and Dirty with Soil Invertebrates, with Will Dawson, Newcastle University

The Chillingham Wild Cattle and Some Other Adventures in British Mammal Ecology, with Stephen Hall, Chillingham Wild Cattle Association

Virus Surveillance in UK Trees, with Aimee Fowkes, Newcastle University

Climate Change Refugia for our Cold and Wet Dwelling Butterflies, with Andy Suggitt, Northumbria University

Can Coral Proteins Help Save Coral Reefs from Climate Change? With George Huster, Newcastle University

Plant Lore – An Exploration, with Gregory Kenicer, Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh

Automatic Farmland Biodiversity Monitoring of Key Indicator Bird Species, with Tom Darron, Newcastle University

Stronger Shores: Learnings from the Exploration of Coastal Nature Based Solutions, with Blair Watson, Durham Wildlife Trust

Gosforth Nature Reserve: creating new wetland habitats to benefit wildlife and people, the power of positive collaborative working, with Maddy Fowler, Tyne Rivers Trust & Basil Dean, Environment Agency

Working Together Towards an ‘Urban Flora’ for Newcastle and North Tyneside, with James Common, NHSN

The NHSN Talks are a series of free public lectures every autumn and winter covering all aspects of natural history and modern nature recovery strategies and projects. Free public lectures are a long-standing part of NHSN's history and are central to our purpose.

The 1829 Talks start at 18:29 in acknowledgement of NHSN’s founding year and feature early career naturalists. They provide a wonderful opportunity to hear about the latest research and projects in the environmental world. Both talks include time for questions for the speaker. They are also recorded and posted on the NHSN YouTube channel

The lecture hall is wheelchair accessible. The sound system may be slightly quieter at the back, so we recommend sitting near the speaker if you have difficulty hearing.

Supported by Newcastle University

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher NHSN Events