Northamptonshire Natural History Society: The Hidden Gem To Attract New Members As Covid Leaves Group In Concern

Despite being 145 years old, the Northamptonshire Natural History Society considers itself a hidden gem of the county.

But that can make it difficult to attract new members, especially since the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in many of their activities not being renewed and many of their activities being relocated online and their base in Northampton city center closed.

Vice President Mike Gibson believes that there is something for anyone interested in the outdoors to join society with.

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Northamptonshire Natural History Society. (Clockwise from top left) Former member Walter Drawbridge Crick, the Humfrey Rooms, three members at Badby Wood in 1935 after a nightly game viewing excursion, and a goose on Abington Park Lake, taken by a member of the photography department

“I think a lot of people have suffered from Covid in one way or another, be it their health or whatever, over the past few months – no aspect of society has not been affected, but our message is that we are still here “said he said.

“We want to keep providing service and be open for business asap and we want people to enjoy what there is to see.”

The Northamptonshire Natural History Society has a rich history and was founded in 1876, with an abundance of interesting collections and artifacts in the Humfrey Rooms on Castilian Street.

Mammoth teeth are also among the highlights, as is probably the largest collection of sand in the world and an extensive collection of plants.

Members of the Astronomy Section of the Northamptonshire Natural History Society in 2017 to mark its 60th anniversary

The grandfather and father of the co-discoverer of DNA, Francis Crick, is one of the former members of the society, whose fossil collection is also on display.

Mike said, “It’s a real hidden gem. I could say so much more about it, we’re just looking forward to it when the pandemic subsides so we can return to some sort of normalcy.”

The Northamptonshire Natural History Society is divided into 10 sections: Archeology and History, Astronomy, Botany, General, Geology, Microscopy, Photography, Weather and Climate, Zoology and Ornithology, and Saturday Walks.

Regular meetings with external speakers, field trips, photo competitions and hands-on activities take place, information is provided on the website and in monthly updates, while a magazine is published once a year.

Three slides with microfossils from the Walter Drawbridge Crick collection

The society works with a number of other groups and societies including photography clubs, astronomical, scientific and historical societies, Northampton u3a, the Wildlife Trust, Nenescape and Friends of St Peter’s Church.

In addition, members also participate in a number of educational events for schools and libraries to inspire future generations.

But for the past 15 months it was far from easy as membership fees went down and the building had to be repaired, which was not receiving any visitors.

Mike said, “Our numbers have come down quite drastically as the rooms are obviously not in use. We have a few meetings on Zoom, but no physical meetings have taken place.

A male human flea captured by the microscope division of the Northamptonshire Natural History Society

“We lost nearly half of our members because they either decided we weren’t going to meetings and didn’t see why they should refresh, which I can understand, but it’s pretty worrying.

“The building needs repairs too, so it’s just one thing at a time. We seem to be in a financial gap at the moment – it’s difficult and we depend on the memberships and donations.”

Membership is open to everyone, with discounted rates for seniors, families and juniors. Further information can be found at www.nnhs.info.