THE Wharfedale Naturalists’ Society has lost its longest serving member, Nevil Bowland, who has died at the age of 90.

The Society was founded in October 1945 and Nevil became a schoolboy member before the end of that year. From as early as he could remember Nevil was interested in all aspects of natural history and could often be seen in his spare time wandering around the village of Menston, where his father was the village policeman, looking and learning about everything from flowers to birds.

Eventually Nevil married Audrey and they settled in the house in Guiseley where they lived for the rest of their lives bringing up their three children. Nevil had several jobs in his working career, the last one being running his own horticultural business concentrating on alpine plants.

Natural history was always his main leisure interest and Wharfedale Naturalists was the main vehicle for indulging his passion, always supported by Audrey, throughout his lifetime. He regularly attended the Society’s indoor and outdoor events throughout the year treating other attendees to his knowledge and experience. He was both Vice-President and President twice and his second year as President in 1995 coincided with the Society’s 50th Anniversary which involved chairing a number of celebratory events including a dinner at the Craiglands Hotel where the guest speaker was Alan Titchmarsh, a long-standing and valued member of WNS. In addition, Nevil was the Society’s Vertebrate Recorder for over 30 years, faithfully documenting sightings he received from members throughout Wharfedale. This interest led to a passion for identifying species from their skeletons, including dissection of owl pellets through which he was able to discover exactly what the bird had eaten no matter how small the skeletal remains.

Nevil will be especially remembered for his wholehearted enthusiasm for all matters natural history and his enthusiastic imparting of this knowledge to other Society members. He was always keen to enhance his own knowledge but, just as important to him, to pass this on to anybody else who might be interested. He had a most sunny disposition and was always likely to find the humour in any situation.

In his later years Nevil became involved as a founder Trustee for a local nature reserve which became a real passion for him. He rarely missed work parties, in denial of his age, but also spent many happy hours with Audrey just walking round and observing. His legacy on this site will include the maturing native species hedgerows and the ponds he either helped to dig or to create by the damming of small streams.

Nevil will be remembered by all who knew him as a wonderful ambassador for the natural history of Wharfedale and his sunny and friendly character will be sorely missed.