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Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society

Providing lectures at the cutting edge
of modern thinking since 1835

Natural History Section Logo with a picture of a badger's head  Natural History Section

2025/26 Winter Indoor Meetings Programme

Free to Members, £3 charge to visitors

Meetings are held at Quaker Meeting House, 16 Queens Road, Leicester LE2 1WP (link to map).  Doors open 7 pm for start at 7.30 pm, finish by 9.30 pm.  Advance registration is not required.
March Joint Meeting with the main Lit&Phil will be at Hansom Hall, Wellington Street, Leicester LE1 6HL.

If you are looking for meetings of the main Lit&Phil, you can find these on the Events page.

President's Address by Hazel Graves

Hazel Graves, who was the chair of the Natural History Section, will be the President of the Lit and Phil for the 2025/26 season, and is giving her President's Address on 13th October.  The subject is 'What has Leicester done for Nature? Celebrating Leicestershire Natural History and Historians Past and Present.'  More details can be found here: President's Address. This is not a joint meeting, but members of the Natural History Section (who are not joint members of the parent body) and those interested in Natural History in Leicestershire may want to attend as guests.

Upcoming Indoor Meetings

  • Wildlife of Leicestershire Quarries - Chris Hill

    • 1 Oct 2025
    • 19:30 - 21:30
    • Quaker Meeting House, 16 Queens Road, Leicester LE2 1WP

    Photo of a quarry full of water and with sloping edges.
    Quarrying can have a devastating impact on the local environment, but with careful restoration they can become vibrant, diverse habitats for a whole range of wildlife.

    Quaker Meeting House - link to map

    Doors open 7 pm for start at 7.30 pm, finish by 9.30 pm.

    Show details

  • Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Local Nature Recovery Strategy - Paul Killip - The Sowter Lecture

    • 5 Nov 2025
    • 19:30 - 21:30
    • Quaker Meeting House, 16 Queens Road, Leicester LE2 1WP

    Details to follow.

    The Sowter Memorial Lecture is dedicated to Frederick Sowter, F.L.S. (1899-1972), one of our early members and an important botanist.

    Quaker Meeting House - link to map

    Doors open 7 pm for start at 7.30 pm, finish by 9.30 pm.

    Show details

  • Wildlife of the Hebrides - Nigel Slater

    • 3 Dec 2025
    • 19:30 - 21:30
    • Quaker Meeting House, 16 Queens Road, Leicester LE2 1WP

    The talk will cover 11 Islands from the far South to the far North, with wildlife, stunning views , some history and historical events, flora and fauna - and weather gets quite a mention!

    I'll share my personal experiences. If anyone is thinking of visiting this archipelago, then my talk would be the perfect opportunity to get a feel of the places and the ease or otherwise of getting there (and getting back!).

    The talk covers much more than wildlife - with culture and some historic content.

    Quaker Meeting House - link to map

    Doors open 7 pm for start at 7.30 pm, finish by 9.30 pm.

    Show details

  • Tracking the City of Leicester's Changing Flora - Russell Parry

    • 7 Jan 2026
    • 19:30 - 21:30
    • Quaker Meeting House, 16 Queens Road, Leicester LE2 1WP

    Details to follow. 

    Quaker Meeting House - link to map

    Doors open 7 pm for start at 7.30 pm, finish by 9.30 pm.

    Show details

  • Bringing a Boom to Middleton Lakes - Kate Thorpe (RSPB)

    • 4 Feb 2026
    • 19:30 - 21:30
    • Quaker Meeting House, 16 Queens Road, Leicester LE2 1WP

    This is a talk in 2 parts. Part 1 is about bittern conservation, what the RSPB has done to reverse the decline and the small part Middleton Lakes has played. The second half is about the management of Middleton Lakes and how we make it a wildlife haven for a variety of species.

    Quaker Meeting House - link to map

    Doors open 7 pm for start at 7.30 pm, finish by 9.30 pm.

    Show details

  • Ancient Woodland in Leicestershire and Rutland - Andy Lear

    • 4 Mar 2026
    • 19:30 - 21:30
    • Quaker Meeting House, 16 Queens Road, Leicester LE2 1WP

    Ancient woodland is defined as having existed continuously since 1600. It is of great historical and ecological importance and is irreplaceable. Leicestershire and Rutland have little ancient woodland and it is distributed unevenly, mainly as a consequence of historic land use patterns. A recent project to update the ancient woodland inventory has produced a revised map of ancient woodland across the area and the results will be presented.

    Quaker Meeting House - link to map

    Doors open 7 pm for start at 7.30 pm, finish by 9.30 pm.

    Show details

  • What have Insects ever done for us?

    • 9 Mar 2026
    • 19:30 - 21:00
    • Hansom Hall in the Leicester Adult Education College, 50-54 Belvoir St, Leicester LE1 6QL
    • 100
    Register
    Image courtesy of the speaker  (credit Lois Wendon)

    Natural History Section Joint Lecture

    Dr George McGavin PhD FLS Hon FRES Hon FBNA Hon FRSB Hon RSGS

    Zoologist, Author, Broadcaster

    Lecture outline

    Insects are the most diverse and successful group of animals on Earth. They are an essential component of every terrestrial and aquatic food chain- without them the world would be a very different place. But insects have a dark side - they have changed the short course of human history by killing hundreds of millions of people and destroying their crops.

    Biographical note

    George McGavin studied Zoology at Edinburgh University, followed by a PhD in entomology at Imperial College and the Natural History Museum in London. After 30 years as an academic, mostly at Oxford University, he became an award-winning broadcaster. George is an Honorary Research Associate of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and an Honorary Principal Research Fellow at Imperial College. In 2019 George became the President of the Dorset Wildlife Trust. 

    Recent books

    The Hidden World (2024) Welbeck Hachette

    The Good Bug (2024) Michael O'Mara Books

    Attending the lecture

    The lecture is open both to members of the Society and to guests.

    The lecture will take place in Hansom Hall - how to find Hansom Hall.

    Please note that tea and coffee drinks will be available between 7.00pm and 7.15pm before the formal start of the event at 7.30pm.

    The lecture will also be streamed on Zoom. A recording of the lecture may be available to members only.

    Show details

  • Natural History Section Annual General Meeting and Members' Evening

    • 1 Apr 2026
    • 19:30 - 21:30
    • Quaker Meeting House, 16 Queens Road, Leicester LE2 1WP
    The Section's AGM will be followed by refreshments and a chance to meet and talk with other members, after which a few short talks will be given by members.

    Quaker Meeting House - link to map

    Doors open 7 pm for start at 7.30 pm, finish by 9.30 pm.

    Show details
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