The Society's activities

BSS is unique in being the only British botanical society with a keen interest in both flowering and non-flowering plants (e.g. ferns, mosses, algae and fungi). There is also an active alpine section, while conservation of our flora has high priority in our interests.

Lecture programme

These wide interests are covered in the winter Lecture Programme. Lectures are held at six Venues: Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and St. Andrews. See Events page for details of next lecture or download full programme from foot of this page.

Field Programme

Field meetings are held during summer and autumn to record both flowering and non-flowering plants all over Scotland. See Events page or download full programme from foot of this page. All participants must be familiar with the code of conduct for field excursions.

Symposia and conferences

Symposia lasting several days and devoted to a specific topic are organised from time to time. The most recent event was the Next Generation Plant Ecology & Evolution workshop, 18 - 19th October 2011, at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

Past Symposium Topics have included:

• 2010 - Phenology, plant ecology and diversity, an international conference. Conference abstracts
• 2009 - Student Symposium, The proceedings can be downloaded here.
• 2008 - Algae, Photosynthesis and Global Change: John Raven retirement symposium. The proceedings of this meeting are published in Plant Ecology & Diversity, Volume 2 Issue 2, 2009.
• 2007 - History, Evolution & Future of Arctic & Alpine Flora. The proceedings of this meeting are published in Plant Ecology & Diversity, Volume 1 Issue 2, 2008. Free Access.
• 2005 - Atlantic Oakwoods. The proceedings of this meeting are published in Botanical Journal of Scotland, Volume 57 Issue 1&2, 2005.
• 2002 - Plant Conservation in Scotland. The proceedings of this meeting are published in Botanical Journal of Scotland, Volume 55 Issue 1, 2003.
• 1996 - Scottish Vegetation: Plant Ecology in Scotland. The proceedings of this meeting are published in Botanical Journal of Scotland, Volume 49 Issue 2, 1997.
• 1995 - Environmental History of the Cairngorms. The proceedings of this meeting are published in Botanical Journal of Scotland, Volume 48 Issue 1, 1996.
• 1993 - Plants and People Symposium. The proceedings of this meeting are published in Botanical Journal of Scotland, Volume 46 Issue 4, 1994.
• 1991 - Willow Symposium.
• 1989 - Scotland's Threatened Plants. The proceedings of this meeting are published in Botanical Journal of Scotland, Volume 45 Issue 5, 1990.

Downloads: 

Winter lecture programme 2012/13

St Andrews Lecture programme 2012/13

Lecture programme 2011-12

Field meetings 2012

Student Symposium 2009