The Sorby Natural History Society, Sheffield

Covering a full range of natural history interests in Sheffield and the surrounding area, providing for both interested beginners and specialists.
The Sorby Natural History Society is a registered charity (number 518234), formed in 1918 in honour of Henry Clifton Sorby (1826-1908). We are a forum for naturalists of all ages and abilities to meet, enjoy natural history, collect, store and share information, explore the Sorby Study Area and promote conservation of wildlife and geology. We have groups that organise events, such as lectures, field meetings, surveys and workshops, we produce several publications including a monthly newsletter and an annual Sorby Record and currently hold 2.1 million records. Read more…

Health and Safety

Sorby’s board of trustees has revised the society’s Health & Safety policy. All members are asked to take a few minutes to read the document…

read more

Sir Henry Clifton Sorby Goes on a Field Meeting 1886

While undertaking research for the ‘Rotherham State of Nature Report’, I was trawling through ’The Naturalist' the journal of the Yorkshire Naturalist Union, I came across a report of a field meeting to Anston Stone Woods, Thursday 13 April 1886. It was a joint...

read more

The Water Vole in Sheffield

Originally published in the March 2021 edition of the Sorby Newsletter, this article charts the decline of the water vole in Sheffield: sorby.org.uk/groups/sorby-mammal-group/water-vole-in-sheffield

read more

Wildlife Excursions in Urban Sheffield 1970 – 1988

Back in the late 1980s, Sorby published a small booklet detailing write-ups of field meetings to urban sites in Sheffield, from the Societies Newsletter. The printing turned out to be very poor and some pages are difficult to read. Bob Croxton with help from Derek...

read more

The Deceiver

The latest issue of the Sorby Fungus Group’s newsletter can now be downloaded from…

read more

Dragonflies of the Sheffield Area

After something like a quarter of a century in gestation, Dragonflies of the Sheffield Area has finally been published as Sorby Record Special Series No.17 (2020). The wait has been worthwhile. Much new information and many records have been assimilated in...

read more

Sheffield’s Weather

Originally published in 2011 as Sorby Record Special Series No .16, “Sheffield’s Weather” is now available to download in PDF format…

read more

How Green is Sheffield?

Originally published in 2006 as a supplement to Sorby Record No. 42, “How Green is Sheffield?” is now available to download in PDF format…

read more