2008/2009 Programme of
Indoor Meetings

Our indoor evening meetings bring you a variety of professional speakers to give illustrated talks on birding, conservation and general natural history. You can learn about new destinations and add to your understanding of how the natural world works. You'll also keep up to date with Group news and have a chance to book for outings.

Evening meetings are held at 6.45pm in St Columba's Church Hall [map], Pont Street, SW1 (nearest tube stations: Knightsbridge or Sloane Square or South Kensington). Coffee and biscuits are available from 6.15pm. The meetings usually finish at about 8.30pm.

There is an entrance charge for evening meetings of £4 for RSPB members or £5 for non-members. Under-16s £1 for Wildlife Explorers members or £1.50 for non-members. A season ticket is available covering all evening meetings except the social evening - £24 (RSPB members). There is a small extra charge for the two social evenings, to cover refreshments.

There is no need to book for our indoor meetings - just come along.

See also our programme of field trips.

NIGHTINGALES	Thursday 11 September 2008 Dr Rob Fuller Rob is Director of Habitats Research at the British Trust for Ornithology. He will tell us about this summer visitor to Britain, which has seen a decline in its population and a contraction in its range. The causes are explored, including migration routes, winter survival, habitat loss and habitat quality.
THE DAY AFTER THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW: WHAT DOES CLIMATE CHANGE MEAN FOR BIRDS?	Thursday 09 October 2008 Olly Watts Some species will benefit from climate change but the overwhelming effect upon biodiversity is likely to be damaging. Olly, a Senior Policy Officer in the RSPB's Climate Change Policy Team, will tell us how the RSPB plans to secure healthy populations of wildlife today whilst also preparing for future changes in the distribution of species and the composition of habitats.
BIRDING AT THE EDGE OF THE FORMER SOVIET UNION	Thursday 13 November 2008 John Britten John has given many talks to birdwatching groups, and is a former leader of the Watford Local Group. This double bill contrasts the delights of birding in the Baltic states with the rougher conditions on horseback in the Tien Shan mountain range of southern Kazakhstan.
CHRISTMAS SOCIAL AND SHORT TALK	Thursday 18 December 2008 Jose Nuñez-Miño Jose is a PhD student in Tropical Forest Ecology and a volunteer speaker for the Woodland Trust. He will tell us how this organisation is working to protect our native woodland heritage. The talk will be followed by Christmas refreshments for which there will be a small extra charge.
WILD FLORIDA	Thursday 08 January 2009 Gordon Langsbury This talk comprises a photographic journey in search of wildlife in the Sunshine State, reflecting several recent visits Gordon has made to Florida. Gordon has been a professional wildlife photographer since 1970, travelling the world in search of subjects to photograph; he has also been a tour leader.
NORTH KENT MARSHES	Thursday 12 February 2009 Gordon Allison Gordon is a Warden at the RSPB North Kent Marshes Reserves (which include Cliffe Pools, Northward Hill and Elmley). These reserves are valuable yet vulnerable: Cliffe recently saw off the threat of airport expansion. Gordon has worked for the RSPB since 1991 at such far-flung locations as the Shetlands, Anglesey and Blacktoft Sands.
WHY NOT WOLVES: CAN WE FIND SPACE FOR BRITAIN'S LOST ANIMALS?	Thursday 12 March 2009 Ian Rowlands Grey Wolves are back in Yellowstone, and they are coming back all across mainland Europe, so why not Britain? We will discover the wolves and other mammals and birds that we've lost in our country - and perhaps could have back again. Ian worked for the RSPB and wildlife trusts for many years before moving to Scotland 18 years ago, where he co-founded wildlife tour company Speyside Wildlife. He is now a freelance tour leader, writer and lecturer.
BADGERS	Thursday 16 April 2009 Dr Pat Morris Renowned mammal expert Pat Morris returns to tell us about the badger, a distinctive British mammal with an interesting ecology. It is also very popular and has its own protective legislation. However, its numbers have increased in recent years, impacting on hedgehogs among others, and there is also the problem of badgers, TB and cattle. This lecture will discuss these complex and challenging issues.
AGM AND SHORT TALK AND SOCIAL EVENING	Thursday 14 May 2009 Sarah Sanders with a short talk about "BIRD CONSERVATION IN A TROPICAL PARADISE" by Sarah Sanders. The RSPB works through local partners to implement conservation work in the UK Overseas Territories, prioritising globally threatened species which occur nowhere else in the world. The RSPB assists with technical advice, educational resources, and national and global advocacy. Sarah is the RSPB's UK Overseas Territories Project Officer. There will be a small extra charge to cover refreshments.