Introduction
Founded in 1876 the Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland is one of the oldest existing societies devoted to the study of molluscs. It is a Registered Charity which anyone, anywhere may join. If you are interested in joining or renewing your subscription you can do this here. The Society’s objective is to promote the study of Mollusca in its widest aspects for the benefit of the public. The Society achieves this through:
- Meetings and workshops - the Society has an active programme of both field and indoor meetings which are open to both members and non-members. If you would like to attend as a guest please contact the organiser of the meeting.
- Publications - the Society publishes a scientific journal (Journal of Conchology) Open Access on-line and a colour magazine (Mollusc World) three times a year. It also produces special publications around a particular theme periodically.
- Recording schemes - the Society maintains recording schemes for northeast Atlantic marine molluscs and British and Irish non-marine molluscs. The main objective of these schemes is to provide a detailed picture of the changing distribution of the fauna. The schemes provide data on the conservation status of molluscs and their habitats. Recording for the schemes is ongoing with the emphasis on promoting more detailed knowledge at a local level as well as some species specific projects aimed at obtaining more knowledge on their lifecycle and distributions.
- Grants - subject to the availability of funds the Society may also make grants (maximum £1000 per grant) totalling up to £3000 in any one calendar year. The grants will be for projects promoting the objectives of the Society. Preference will be given to projects which focus on molluscan biogeography, ecology, taxonomy, conservation or palaeontology.
How the Society is run
The Society is governed by a Council consisting of the President, the Vice-Presidents, the Society's Officers and nine Ordinary Council Members. Ordinary Council Members are elected for a period of three years, and on the expiry of this term are not eligible for re-election to the same position for a further twelve months . The Society's Officers consist of the General Secretary, Membership Secretary, Treasurer, Journal Editor, Recorder for Non-marine Mollusca, Recorder for Marine Mollusca, Editor of 'Mollusc World', Programme Secretary, Conservation Officer and Webmaster, all of whom are elected annually. All Officers are unpaid. The full rules of the Society are available on-line.
An article on the society's history from 1975 from the Biodiversity Heritage Library here.