On the 28th October, 81 attendees were welcomed by the University of Kent at their Canterbury campus for the annual Kent Wildlife Conference, held jointly by Kent Field Club and the Kent and Medway Biological Records Centre (https://www.kmbrc.org.uk/). The presentations ranged from the level of microbes up to entire landscapes, and from methods of recording biodiversity to habitat management by local communities.

A large group of Club members were led around this Woodland Trust site on the 24th September by Martin Allison. Formerly ancient woodland, much of this was lost to planting for chestnut coppice and mixed conifers so it is designated as a planted ancient woodland site. The site was alive with invertebrates where the sun broke through the canopy along rides or in the recently coppiced areas. The large black and orange ichneumon wasp Heteropelma megarthrum, associated with coniferous woodland, kept just out of reach for a while but was captured for photographs eventually.

On 29th July, Joyce Pitt led Club members around this area of scrub, rough grassland and wetland. On the insect side, Lepidoptera, Odonata, Syrphidae and Orthoptera were numerous but the Hymenoptera were most impressive; several Shrill Carder and Brown-banded Carder bumblebees, the hairy legged mining bee Dasypoda hirtipes and the Beewolf Philanthus triangulum were all spotted along with 12 other species.

Kent Field Club members met up with Andy Willmore of KWT at Seal on the 2^nd September to provide records for the Sevenoaks Greensand Commons Project. The Seal Chart and Redhill Wood is a Site of Special Scientific Interest with open woodland and heath on the formerly grazed acidic parts and denser woodland on the heavier soils. Seventy-seven species of fungi were found on the day, including the first Kent record of Sacrodon joeides.

The total monthly rainfall in October was 30.5 mm with a maximum daily rainfall of 6 mm  on the 20th.. The hottest day of the month (16th) reached 21°C whilst the coldest days(30th and 31st) fell to  13°C. October was a rather windy, cloudy month with 18 days having  100% cloud cover for at least part of each day, and a further 6 days having at least 75% cover. It was generally mild with overnight frosts on the mornings of the 28th and 30th.