Introduction

Following a discussion between Jim Horsfall, Assistant Reserves Officer for Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (YWT) and Colin Howes of Doncaster Naturalists Society (DNS) with regards to what reserve site survey work the DNS could undertake for YWT, it was decided by DNS committee in autumn 2020 that they would undertake a long-term project of surveying the site at YWT Denaby Ings Nature Reserve and SSSI.

The aim would be on, conclusion of all the survey work, for DNS to produce a publication on the Environmental History and Biodiversity of Denaby Ings Nature Reserve and SSSI

Project co-ordinators would be Colin Howes and Louise Hill. It is anticipated that, as well as members of DNS carrying out survey work, other naturalists with expertise in various fields would be invited to contribute towards the project.

Initially, all records from site surveys would be collated by Colin Howes, prior to them being disseminated to the YWT and Doncaster Records Centre.

Extract from the Doncaster Naturalist Volume 1 No 1
Field Meetings – Summer 1982

” One of our most interesting society outings was to Denaby Ings on July 19th, when 183 flowering plants were recorded. In spite of  the poor weather, entomological sweeps throughout the day and evening brought some very interesting records.

2 large midges – Mallochohelea inermis and Sphaeromias fasciatus both new Yorkshire records.

A leaf beetle on Crack Willow – Plagodera versicolora (a very local species usually found south of a line from Huntingdon to Worcester) and Anopheles messeae (a mosquito which carries malaria in other parts of the world) was another interesting find.”

Survey Reports

No 1 – 26th September 2020
No 2 – 24th April 2021
No 3 – 9th June 2021
No 4 – 31st July 2021
No 5 – 8th September 2021
No 6 – 23rd October 2021