My training ground as a botanist was the town of Lowestoft in Suffolk and the outlying villages. I still study there. Here I search every nook and cranny for that elusive species concluding with a list of over 400 species per 2km square to date. It has not always been smooth sailing as one who carries binoculars, camera, vasculum and eye lens is very open to inquisitive members of the public and feral children too.

I would like to document a few hazards that we urban plant hunters have to deal with.

I was followed by a group of children along the old railway line at Lowestoft and as I stopped to photograph or study a plant they would follow up by destroying said species, I was once stoned by a gang of boys and girls one of which included a visit to casualty as a half brick was thrown by an unseen child on top of my head causing a skull fracture As I sat bleeding the children attempted to steal my bag of voucher specimens.

In the village of Blundeston north west of Lowestoft, I was surveying the roadside verges when the common shout of “What are you doing?” resonated across the road. I explained that I was studying and recording plants to which the lady replied. “There are no flowers here only weeds, I am calling the Police.” The Police never did turn up.

Sometimes the former question would gain access to private land but more often than not it would be the precursor to some sort of verbal abuse from the 'finder of a botanist'. Funny how the behaviour of a plant lover can produce so much suspicion.

During a Lowestoft Field Club trip to Roydon Fen near Diss we passed a line of terraced houses along a footpath and as we were recording the plants here a housewife came out and shouted “Go away, go away we don’t want your sort round here.” This was then followed by the residents alerted by the shouter who with brooms and a spade attempted to chase away ten botanists, it was so funny we just laughed at them which made them madder.

Often when I photographed flowers I would be followed by a member of the public who would once the photograph was taken would up root the plant and take it away. On questioning the act the reply was normally along the lines of “We don’t want everyone coming up here to look at this rare plant.” Or “If you are photographing it, it must be rare we are going to plant it in our garden.” Sometimes it was just to spite me but why?

Generally though the great Lowestoft public would ignore you. Finally one very funny but also scary incident was when I was up in an area of Lowestoft unknown to me is known as for a trawling place for men who like men. I was looking at some flowers when I rose to see a man with his trousers down making lewd remarks to me. I just laughed at him and walked off but had I been much younger or a woman the incident could have been very frightening.

Now I am a bit more streetwise and will avoid where possible gangs of bored youths along lonely footpaths and residential areas near to suspicious housewives but typically this is where the best plants can be found in the area.

In 2009 I moved to Beccles in the same county and the public are more receptive to the field naturalist. My old grandfather used to say “If you don’t go to the pub, smoke cigarettes and read the Sun newspaper you are not considered to be normal..”

Some Naturalists can be considered eccentric (just as my granddaughter does as she thinks I am weird.) but she soon comes over to our house when she wants help with her homework though.

We are really very benign and not at all like people make us out to be just occasionally we need to watch our backs.

Colin Jacobs

becclesnaturalist.blogspot.com