There’s still time to enter this year’s Stearn Student Essay competition, recognising the best essay on the history of natural history written by a current or recent student. £300 to be won! Deadline July 31. Details on the SHNH website here: shnh.org.uk/news/call-for-…

Sir John Lubbock, past President of the Linnean Society, was born #OTD 190 years ago. We have Lubbock to thank for our upcoming May Bank Holiday in the UK, for instigating the Bank Holidays Act in 1871 to allow the country to enjoy a shared day off of work.

It’s two weeks until the #CornishSeaweedFestival & we can’t wait to share the wonders of #seaweed with you! From outdoor activities to talks from leading experts, workshops, vendors and immersive shows - there's something for everyone! 🌿 Natural England- Devon, Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Mounts Bay Marine Group Cornwall Wildlife Trust 〓〓

What a treat! Going through the The Linnean Society of London collections to get ready for my talk on this mysterious #thylacine illustration by John Lewin - one of the very first Western depictions of these icons of #extinction . The free online event is on 14th May: members.linnean.org/events/65a368d…

This #NationalGardeningWeek we're celebrating gardeners from history, starting with the multi-talented Jane Loudon.

As well as creating popular gardening books, she was a sci-fi pioneer, with works such as The Mummy! A Tale of the Twenty-Second Century.

ow.ly/xP8150RqGNX

The iris has cultural significance world-wide, in the heraldic fleur-de-lis, Van Gogh's paintings, or China where they are believed to ward off snakes.

This Iris germanica from Kohler’s Medizinal Pflanzen (1887) is available as a print or greeting card.

magnoliabox.com/collections/th…

Friday.

[Detail from 'A crocodile, a gigantic fish and an animal that eats flying fish'. Gouache painting with Persian lettering, artist unknown. Date: 1750. Wellcome Collection, reference: 582556i]

Gilt endpapers in a Victorian photograph album at Cambridge University Library.

With the weather feeling decidedly chilly here in London, we're taking solace in these lovely spring hyacinths from Robert Thornton’s Temple of Flora.

The publication illustrated Linnaeus's sexual system of classifying plants.

Buy hyacinth goodies at magnoliabox.com/collections/th…

The emergence of cherry blossom is a classic sign of the arrival of #spring . This illustration, published in 1921, depicts Prunus serrulata, a Japanese variation of the flower, now cultivated in the UK. Visit the Gardens to catch the last of this spring's cherry blossom at Kew!🌸

CALL FOR STUDENT ESSAYS: The 2024 W. T. Stearn #Student Essay #Prize is open for submissions on topics which contribute significantly to the history of #NaturalHistory , including its social and cultural aspects 🌿🦋🌳🦭 shnh.org.uk/awards-honours…

Conference announcement: Natural History in the Age of Revolutions | 1776-1848
To explore themes connected broadly to the revolution in nature that began to be witnessed on a global scale in the decades around 1800. July 15. book below. Edwin Rose
bit.ly/3Jup7XP

Today we launched our 2024-30 Strategic Plan, with four pillars of activity for the coming years: Membership, Research, Society & Operations.

We hope you will join our global community working for a world where nature is understood, valued and protected.

linnean.org/news/2024/04/1…

Dive into the wonders of the Cornish Seaweed Festival!🐚

Join us for this FREE event in Marazion, 11-12 May. Unlock the secrets of seaweed & connect with our Cornish coast🌊🪸

BOOK NOW: buff.ly/49GbXln

Hosted with Natural England- Devon, Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Mounts Bay Marine Group & The Linnean Society of London

LILA group visit yesterday to The Linnean Society of London for a tour by Will Beharrell which included the exhibition Lovely as A Tree:

#WorldArtDay , we also have botanist Stella Ross-Craig's wonderful paintbox to inspire you! The lid & palette still bear the last washes mixed by Stella 40 years ago – which plant might have formed her final subject?

If you missed our Early Career Researcher Symposium back in February, a selection of talks from that fantastic day are now available on our shiny new YouTube channel! Remember to like and subscribe to be notified of future videos... youtube.com/@SHNHSocNatHist

During our current inventory, we came across this beautiful painting of an Alcea flower- also known as #Hollyhock . Whilst a popular garden choice, Hollyhock is also the feature of the annual Kyoto festival 'Aoi Matsuri', where they are celebrated for their legendary significance.

This year, we are part of the London Craft Week!
Join us at the society for workshops on botanical motif design (See link below for tickets) and a lecture on the centrality of the 'tree of life' in the world of design. Dr Susy Paisley-Day
bit.ly/3vDfcMi