We have a fantastic line-up of speakers for our first ever Nature of the Quantocks conference. From experts on rare birds and butterflies, to community-led conservation projects and wider connection initiatives, there is something for everyone. Come and listen, learn and meet like-minded people. It’s FREE and it’s happening on Saturday 21st March in Stogursey. Book your ticket here.

Meet the speakers – Nigel Phillips

First up is ecologist and author Nigel Phillips. Nigel joined the FotQ committee in 2024, whilst he put the finishing touches to his new book The Nature of the Quantocks (which is also the inspiration for this conference).

Nigel worked for the Wildlife Trusts as a nature reserve manager and ecologist for more than thirty years. In 2016 he received the ‘Marsh Award for Marine Conservation’ in recognition of his outstanding contribution to marine conservation work being carried out by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts. Living in Nether Stowey, on the lower slopes of Quantock, has given Nigel the opportunity to explore the hills on an almost daily basis. ‘The Nature of the Quantocks’ is the product of thirty years of in-depth research and photography and was written to support the work of the charity the Friends of the Quantocks.

Aidan Meighan

Illustrator and author Aidan Meighan lives in Somerset. His most recent book ‘The Folklore of Trees’ celebrates the folklore, mythology and anthropological relationships shared with trees across Earth and time. He is joining us to share stories of the elm and other native trees of the Quantocks.

“This book reminds us of the enduring power of stories to connect us to our history, to nature and hopefully to an ever-greener future” – Chris Packham

Kevin Palmer

Lecturer in Conservation Biology, Kevin Palmer, will share his ‘Deeper Insights into Adder Ecology on the Quantock Hills’.

Kevin is also a PhD candidate within the School of Natural Sciences. His research focuses on the ecology and conservation of reptiles and amphibians (collectively known as herpetofauna). With over 20 years of experience working with adders in both academic and applied research contexts, Kevin brings extensive field expertise to his teaching and scholarship. He has trained students, ecological trainees, and citizen scientists in adder survey methods, safe capture, and handling techniques, helping to strengthen field skills and capacity across a range of organisations.

As part of his doctorate studies, Kevin is currently investigating the ecological and life history consequences of adders across England, including the Cannock Chase, Mendip Hills and Quantock Hills National Landscapes.

Fiona Jackson & Beth Riches

This is the story of how two Parish Councils worked together within their communities and were each awarded, by Somerset Wildlife Trust, ‘Wilder Community’ status – firsts for Somerset!

Come and hear how they did it.

Paul Rutter ~ ‘Reconnecting the Landscape’

Our countryside is one of the most nature depleted on the planet. Diverse and unique landscapes have seen serious consequences through fragmentation over the last century. In essence we have removed many vital components that the natural world relies on, because everything in nature is connected.

Fragmentation threatens the way plants and wildlife can move freely across landscapes to colonise or to find food and shelter.

Using experience gained over 50 years, Paul has mapped the vegetation and land use changes, which have and are still occurring between the Quantock Hills and Exmoor. His talk explores how and where we can reconnect the landscape, give space back to nature, while also producing sustainable food, to make the countryside richer in nature and more resilient to climate change.

Robin Stamp ~ Elm & Hairstreak project

Robin initiated the Elm & Hairstreak Project for the Friends of the Quantocks when he became the chair of the charity. Raising funding and gathering together a team of hardy volunteers to plant trees in winter and to survey the lives of caterpillars and butterflies throughout the year, it’s been a huge success story. He’ll talk about the challenges and unexpected delights of the work and what’s being planned for the future.

The full line-up

Book your place!

Come for the morning, the afternoon, or the whole day (bring your packed lunch!).

Get all the details and reserve your FREE ticket here – Nature of the Quantocks Conference 2026

The Nature of the Quantocks Conference brings together a team of people involved in the conservation and protection of the Quantocks and the wildlife you can find there.  

The conference is free to all and is brought to you by the Friends of the Quantocks. We are a charity who own 400 acres of the Common and we’ll share own conservation successes over the past year. This includes a project that led to the re-discovery of the rare and elusive White-letter Hairstreak butterfly, after a gap of 18 years, and the planting of over 400 disease-resistant elm trees. We’ll also share a number of ways in which you can get personally involved in conservation work. Could you be a species champion?

BOOK YOUR FREE TICKET HERE

You will hear from local naturalist and wildlife author Nigel Phillips, who will share from his new book The Nature of the Quantocks. The book will be available to buy on the day and Nigel will be on hand to sign your copy. We also have author Aidan Meighan, who will be sharing some tree folklore and on hand to sign his new book The Folklore of Trees.

There will be talks on the rare Lesser-spotted Woodpecker and the heathland birds nesting just feet away from the paths you walk on. In addition, you will hear about an important scientific research project starting this year on our local Adder population.  

National Landscape manager Iain Porter will share the management plan for the hills over the coming years, whilst Paul Rutter will talk about the importance of wildlife corridors. Fiona Jackson and Beth Riches will explain how community projects can play their part in conservation and nature recovery.

It’s going to be a day of discovery and learning, amongst like-minded people, and we’d love you to join us. The event is free, but you need to book your ticket in advance.

Come for the morning, the afternoon or the whole day (bring your packed lunch!).

BOOK YOUR FREE TICKET HERE

The Programme

MORNING SESSION

09.30 refreshments and book signing

10.00 The Nature of the Quantocks, with author Nigel Phillips

Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, with Dr Gus Robin

The Quantock Hills National Landscape Management Plan, with Iain Porter

Time for questions

Hidden Nests of the Heath, with Lara Nouri and Waheed Arshad

The Green Blueprint, with Paul Rutter

Questions and a break for lunch (please bring your own). An opportunity to stretch legs and do some networking and buy books.

AFTERNOON SESSION

Begins at 13.30 with the Friends of the Quantocks review, AGM and voting for new trustees

Followed by The Folklore of Trees, with author Aidan Meighan

The Elm and Hairstreak Project, with Robin Stamp

Deeper Insights into Adder Ecology on the Quantock hills, with Kev Palmer

Wilder Enmore & Goathurst, with Fiona Jackson and Beth Riches

Final Question time, and conference ends at 16.30

Refreshments

Refreshments will be served on arrival and over lunchtime. Donations are very welcome. If you’re coming for the whole day, please bring lunch with you.

BOOK YOUR FREE TICKET HERE

As summer fades into memory, we’re celebrating an amazing first year of our Elm and White-letter Hairstreak butterfly conservation project. We recorded the first sightings in 18 years of this threatened species of butterfly in two different locations in the Quantock Hills National Landscape.

Only five historical records exist within the National Landscape (AONB) area for the White-letter Hairstreak butterfly (Satyrium w-album) within the past 75 years. However, Friends of the Quantocks found 10 butterflies and three caterpillars this year.

Robin Stamp, project leader and Chair of the charity says

“these rare and elusive butterflies are a real challenge to find. Not only are the caterpillars amazingly well camouflaged but the butterflies are also about the size of your thumbnail and spend the majority of their time 35 ft up in mature elm trees which are themselves at risk due to the continuing effects of Dutch elm disease.

“Whilst it is great to have found good numbers of the butterfly this year on flowering elm discovered in March and April, it is sobering to also record that 3% of the trees seen then are now already dead or dying of Dutch elm disease, some right next door to the butterfly sightings.” 

Project volunteers have carried out numerous surveys this year, following training from Butterfly Conservation and in January the volunteers were out on the first snowy day of the year helping to plant and erect guards around 140 disease resistant elm trees, supported with a grant from the Farming In Protected Landscapes (FIPL) fund, as well as individual donations.

Funding success!

Currently we are in the planning stages of a phase two planting season having just been awarded a second FIPL grant, which will see us planting on a further 25 or so sites! It’s all very exciting but it’s going to be hard work and we’ll need more volunteers as it looks likely we could be planting not far off twice as many trees as we did last winter! Could you help?

JOIN US in Nether Stowey on Wednesday 12th November for an evening talk about what’s happened so far and what needs to happen next…and most importantly, how you can help!

It’s a FREE EVENT but you need to book as places are limited. Follow this link for all the practicalities and to reserve your place – Elm & Hairstreaks Project talk

If you can’t make the talk but want to help, either with practical things (from tree planting, to doing a bit of admin or PR) or you have a piece of land that could be home to some young elm trees (for future plantings) – please get in touch – Email us at wildlifewatch@friendsofthequantocks.org

All of this marvellous work is only possible due to the support of our membership, so you can also help by becoming a Friend of the Quantocks –

Membership fees help to fund the Elm & Hairstreaks Project and similar conservation efforts. Annual membership is £25 and you’ll be making a valuable contribution to protecting the special habitats and wildlife of the Quantock Hills. Become a Friend of the Quantocks

The event was two-fold – to mark our purchase of the quarry earlier this year from Somerset Council and introduce ourselves to the local community (huge thanks if you braved the deluge to join us!). And we launched the pre-publication offer on our upcoming book ‘The Nature of the Quantocks’, written by Nigel Phillips and due to be published in spring 2025.

The fantastic team from local distilling company Dryad Gin kept us well-hydrated with their distinctive oak gins, local beers and some very special cocktails (see below for the recipes).

Of sheep and men

Robin Stamp set out our plans to make the quarry area safe for everyone to enjoy and deal with over-adventurous sheep that get stuck on the wrong side of the fencing. We’re getting quotes for more secure fencing and we’ll be looking for volunteers to help us keep an eye on the site in the long-term.

Apparently, it wasn’t only the sheep who used to get into trouble. From a member of the audience, we heard about a not-so-long-ago tradition of local men racing up and around the edge of the quarry, leading to plenty of unfortunate accidents.

We’d love to hear more tales from you about how the quarry has fitted into village life over the years. Get in touch – projectofficer@friendsofthequantocks.org

Woolly mammoths and other creatures

Nigel Phillips gave us a brilliantly entertaining ice-age perspective on the Quantock Hills in his illustrated talk. His new book ‘The Nature of the Quantocks’ will be published next year and we’re offering it at a special pre-publication price until the end of March.

Nigel has donated all his time and expertise to writing the book (huge thanks Nigel!) and all the profits will come to the Friends of the Quantocks to put towards our charitable aims.

So please reserve your copy now and share the link with family and friends who love the Quantocks. Help us to spread the word about the nature of this fabulous place and to carry on with the work that makes such a difference!

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY HERE! – The Nature of the Quantocks naturebureau.co.uk

Cricketers and cocktails

The event couldn’t have happened without the fantastic team Dryad Gin, Becky and Alex, who brought their pop-up pub to the village hall, along with plenty of gin, great music and lots of fairy lights. Dryad Gin is a multi-award winning, small-batch gin made with oak trees and other botanicals and distilled on the Quantocks.

Chief-distiller Becky created two special cocktails for our celebration, the ‘Bicknoller Quarry’ and the ‘Trendle Gin Gimlet’ (with an intriguing local cricketing connection) which both went down a treat. Her recipes are shared below (thanks Becky!) and you can read more about the story behind this unique local company on their website – About Us – Dryad Gin

The Bicknoller Quarry

Place ice in a glass with a sprig of Rosemary

Add to a shaker – double Dryad Gin, muddled with more rosemary, honey, Tabasco, and shake.

Strain and top with Ginger Ale

The Trendle Gin Gimlet

Chosen to honour Bicknoller being the birthplace of Somerset and England cricketer Harold Gimblett. His surname is related to Surgeon Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Gimlette who gave his name to the gin-based cocktail the Gin Gimlet.

Into a shaker – double Dryad Gin, 15ml of Rose Lime Cordial and 15ml of sugar syrup

Place one large ice cube and a lime slice into a small, flat-bottomed glass and pour in the cocktail

Top up with soda (optional)

Join us today to help support our work   

Friends of the Quantocks has taken ownership of Bicknoller Quarry, adding this to our current 400 acres of landholdings (including Halsway Hill and Dead Woman’s Ditch).

To celebrate this as part of our 75th Anniversary year, we’re inviting Bicknoller residents to join us in the village hall on Saturday 23rd November.

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Come and find out how the charity conserves and protects the habitats and wildlife of the Quantock Hills and hear about our new book ‘Nature of the Quantocks’ from its author Nigel Phillips.

• Come and tell us what you know about the quarry and its history
• Join our Quantock Wildlife Watch Project and help plan future Bioblitz events
• Find out about volunteering in restoration and conservation work
• And how to become a Friend of the Quantocks.

With a bar run by local distillers Dryad Gin.

Tickets are free to residents and BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL – book here.

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Bar opens at 7pm

7.30pm – Welcome and introduction to the work of Friends of the Quantocks, our current projects and future plans

8pm – Ecologist Nigel Phillips gives an illustrated talk about his new book ‘Nature of the Quantocks’

An interval to enjoy a drink and chat with members of the charity

Followed by Q&A and a chance to buy your pre-publication copy of ‘Nature of the Quantocks’

We look forward to meeting you!

Any questions – please contact info@friendsofthequantocks.org

Booking is essential – reserve your ticket here – Bicknoller Celebration

More about the Quarry purchase

The former stone quarry has until last week been in the ownership of Somerset Council. Friends of the Quantocks agreed to take on the responsibility of looking after it with the aim of protecting its biodiversity and safeguarding it from commercial development.

Chair of Friends of the Quantocks, Robin Stamp: “Our primary charitable purpose is the conservation and protection of the Quantock habitats, and this is a significant new asset but also a financial liability for us with capital expenditure needed to improve the safety at the site.  As a small charity we are dependent on income from annual memberships and one-off gifts. Please join us and help us to protect the Quantocks”.

In due course we will run Bioblitz events, inviting the public to help us survey the area using the iNaturalist app, adding data to our ongoing Quantock Wildlife Watch Project, the site promises some interesting and unusual species. Come and join us to find even more.

As the charity increases its landholdings, there is more need for active volunteers to help monitor habitats, undertake restoration and conservation work and help us to share information more widely about these special places. Come along if you’d like to know more or would be interested in joining Friends of the Quantocks.

Reserve your free event ticket here – Bicknoller Celebration

We’re looking for enthusiastic volunteers to undertake surveys and help us protect and create new habitat for White Letter Hairstreak (WLH) and Brown Hairstreak (BH) butterflies on the southern flanks of the Quantocks, between Cothelstone and Crowcombe, Combe Florey and Crowcombe Heathfield.  

Hairstreak Butterfly ID training day with Max Anderson of Butterfly Conservation

TUESDAY 29th OCTOBER, 10.30am – 4pm at Combe Florey Village Hall and Ash Priors Common

This practical training day will give you the information and skills to find and identify WLH and BC butterfly eggs, caterpillars and adults as well as Elm trees on which WLH spend the majority of their time. You will be expertly guided by Max Anderson, South West Project Officer for Butterfly Conservation, who’ll explain the life cycles of these rare species and how to spot them including the use of special UV torches for spotting WLH caterpillars high in trees (these will then be available to borrow from us for use on surveys).  

The day includes practical training on and around Ash Priors Common where we hope to find Brown Hairstreak eggs and possibly even WLH, so bring your walking boots! 

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10.30am – introduction to the project by Robin Stamp, followed by in-depth identification training with Max Anderson, with time to discuss and share with other Friends.

Hot drinks will be provided throughout the morning. Bring a packed lunch.

2pm – drive to Ash Priors Common to look for Brown Hairstreak butterfly eggs. The training will end by 4pm.

~ ~ ~

This is the first event of a significant and long-term project, aiming to plant around 120 disease resistant elm trees to provide habitat for White Letter Hairstreak butterflies and also Blackthorn for the Brown Hairstreaks, adding to the habitat that already exists.  

We will be asking for your help in mapping existing mature elm trees across the wider Quantock Landscape area and for sightings (all life stages) of these endangered butterflies.  

If you are interested in helping more generally with the project that would be welcome as we’ll also need practical, on-the-ground help with planting and fencing to protect the new trees during this winter. 

So there are lots of ways to get involved in the project and support this precious part of our wildlife!

Places are limited and booking is essential, so if you’re interested and can commit some time to helping the project, get on board now!

Book your FREE subsidised training place here – Hairstreak Butterflies ID training day

A talk by author Charles Foster at Stogursey Victory Hall on Monday 23rd September 7.30pm

This is our next special event celebrating 75 years of the Friends of the Quantocks and we have a treat for you!

Charles Foster’s books Being A Beast, The Screaming Sky and Cry Of The Wild depict, in detail, the lives of wild animals, from Swifts to Orcas, and how we humans have severely impacted upon them all. In his talk Charles will draw on material from these three books and look at what sort of actions we humans need to take to help keep the world full of wildlife.

Charles is a writer, traveller, veterinarian, barrister and philosopher. He’s known for books on a wide range of subjects from natural history and evolutionary biology to philosophy and ethics.

The talk will cover themes from Being a Beast – about animal senses; The Screaming Sky – swift conservation and ecology; and Cry of the Wild – the need for conservation of the animals under threat from human impact across the globe.

The talk will be followed by Q&A and a chance to buy signed copies of Charles’s books.

This event is part of the Friends of the Quantocks 75th anniversary year. Come and help us celebrate!

Tickets £8 (£6 for Friends) available in ADVANCE only from HERE.

Join us at Crowcombe hall on Saturday 6th July to find out. LAST FEW TICKETS available here!!!

Somerset author, naturalist and co-creator of BBC’s Springwatch, Stephen Moss is coming to the Quantocks to share his insights on Britain’s most beloved birds in a lively illustrated talk.

Stephen is one of Britain’s leading nature writers and broadcasters. Now based in Somerset, he was born in London, and read English at Cambridge before joining the BBC. His TV credits include the BAFTA award-winning Springwatch, The Nature of Britain and Birds Britannia, while his books include ‘biographies’ of the Robin, Wren, Swallow, Swan and Owl, and Ten Birds that Changed the World. He writes a monthly ‘Birdwatch’ column for the Guardian, and is President of the Somerset Wildlife Trust. After leading the MA Nature & Travel Writing at Bath Spa University, he is now a Visiting Research Fellow there, and also a Special Visiting Professor at the University of Nottingham. A lifelong naturalist, Stephen has travelled to all seven of the world’s continents in search of wildlife.

We’re delighted to welcome Stephen to talk to us about his passion for the birdlife in our home county and beyond.

This event is part of the Friends of the Quantocks 75th anniversary year. Come and help us celebrate!

Tickets can be purchased HERE (in advance only).

This walk will take you on a journey through the diverse habitats of the area, where you’ll have the chance to spot a variety of wildlife species. From birds to plants, Nigel will share fascinating insights and knowledge about the local ecosystem. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with nature and learn from a seasoned expert. Wear sturdy walking boots (this mostly flat route can be very muddy) and bring your binoculars!

This is a FREE event to celebrate 75 Years of the Friends of the Quantocks

~ For the Love of the Land ~

Book your place here – Quantock Coast Wildlife Walk