Society Field Trip Covers 200 Meters in Six Hours, Declares 'Great Progress'

The annual spring field trip of the Regional Naturalists' Society covered a total distance of approximately 200 meters over six hours on Saturday, a result that trip leader Valerie Bramble described as 'absolutely first-rate' and 'possibly our most productive outing in years.' The group of 23 naturalists departed the car park at 9 AM with the stated aim of reaching the ancient woodland boundary, a distance of 1.4 kilometers. They did not reach it. 'We made excellent progress for the first ten minutes,' Bramble reported. 'Then Geoff found a cephalanthera and everything rather stopped.' The rare orchid discovery prompted a 45-minute examination period during which all 23 members took photographs from identical angles, followed by a 30-minute discussion on whether it was actually a cephalanthera or a neottia. The group then advanced a further 40 meters before encountering a patch of dog's mercury that required 'thorough documentation.' 'The dog's mercury was the real holdup,' admitted member Philip Spadix. 'Someone mentioned it had interesting mycorrhizal associations and that was basically the rest of the morning gone.' By lunchtime, the group had traveled 120 meters from the car park. After sandwiches and a heated discussion about the merits of different plant identification apps, they managed an additional 80 meters before Bramble called the expedition at 3 PM, citing 'diminishing light and increasing enthusiasm,' which she explained was 'a dangerous combination.' The woodland boundary remains unvisited. Bramble has scheduled a follow-up trip for June, with a revised target of 'at least 300 meters, conditions and bryophytes permitting.'