THE Ledbury Naturalists' Field Club is preparing to mark its half century with a 50th anniversary public lecture and a call for even more people to swell its ranks.

Fifty year's on the club is thriving, with 190 members on the books and up to 30 at a time enjoying the regular summer field trips.

But it's the variety of interests that makes the club such a local success story.

And the presence of experts as members, such as the county's reptile and amphibians recorder, Nigel Hand, are another reason for the club's enduring popularity .

Field secretary, Janet Parry said: "We are not all into snakes. Some of us are interested in plants and we also have a great moth contingent. It is good to stress our diversity, and we do have some experts among us.

"Every year, we survey one area near to town, and we've looked at 15 different areas over the years. We try to log everything in terms of wildlife, and it's all written up and reported to the Herefordshire Biological Records Centre."

Last year the group focussed on an area near Woolhope and the year before, on the grounds of Homme House at Much Marcle.

This year, the group will help to survey land near Castlemorton Common, and the information could contribute to a new book on the wildlife of the Malvern Hills area, with a section on reptiles written by Mr Hand.

The group also carries out an annual bird count "which is always very popular", and a working party group carries out work such as coppicing in Queen's Wood, near Dymock.

"We call it the green gym," said Mr Hand.

"It's clearing some areas of woodland to help wildlife thrive," said group secretary, Alan Pike.

The club first met at The Royal Oak in 1967, and it was the brainchild of founder member and honorary secretary, Dudley Brook.

Fifty years on, Mr Brook is still a keen member but the venue for indoor meetings has changed.

The Ledbury Naturalists' Field Club 50th anniversary public lecture will take place on April 7, from 7pm, at the Burgage Hall.

Mammal expert Johnny Birks will ask the challenging question, "Can we restore our native carnivores to southern Britain?"

Further information about the club may be found at, http://www.ledburynaturalists.co.uk/