Look out for the reddish-purple flowers of Betony - Betonica officinalis on verges, grassy heaths & meadows this month. Two bluntly toothed leaves lie just below the spike of whorled flowers, angled downwards at 45°. Photo: Andrew Gagg

Species Spotlight Sea Aster Tripolium pannonicum grows in salt marshes & other brackish coastal environments. Two varieties occur, flowers of one resembling a Michaelmas Daisy with both yellow disc & blue ray florets, the other with yellow disc florets only. Photo: Ava Marley

Species Spotlight Lesser Butterfly Orchid - Platanthera bifolia has two strictly parallel pollinia in the centre of the flower, which are close together & about 2mm long, compared to the divergent, wider spaced & 3-4mm long pollinia in the Greater Butterfly Orchid. 📷 C Harris

Today is IUCN Bog Day recognising & celebrating brilliant bogs. Do you have bog & wet heath as habitats in your NPMS square? Get to know the features in our YouTube webinar recording with botanist Ben Averis https://ow.ly/EeTz50ZmRKi Photo: Michael Scott

Training day 13th August. Join Botanical Skills Northern Ireland Project at Derrymore Demesne (National Trust), Co. Armagh for an intro to the NPMS that will give you the skills & confidence to identify key habitats using plant indicator species. More info https://ow.ly/EpNe50ZmSqR

Species Spotlight Bog Asphodel Narthecium ossifragum has spikes of starry yellow flowers arising from iris-like leaves. Turning a deep orange in fruit, it forms patches of autumn colour in mires, flushes and wet heathland. Photo: Ava Marley

NPMS Training this Friday. Join our interactive session this Friday lunchtime. We'll discuss getting started, mapping, orienteering & accessibility in your NPMS square & signpost useful tools & resources to support your surveys. More info https://ow.ly/Wbrp50ZqThv

Species Spotlight Field Scabious Knautia arvensis can be distinguished from the similar Small Scabious by the 4 rather than 5 lobes to each individual flower corolla & the rougher, less finely cut stem leaves. It also lacks papery membranes on its seed heads. Photo: Ava Marley

Zoom workshop 24th July - Getting started & plotting your NPMS site. Get support & helpful tips on locating, accessing & recording your survey plots. In this interactive session we’ll discuss techniques to help get your surveys off the ground. More info https://ow.ly/vkxf50ZmS3K

Species Spotlight Juniper Juniperus communis is a native evergreen conifer. Needle-like leaves with a broad white band on the upper side are borne in whorls of 3. Fruits are berry-like cones, ripening to purple-black and used to flavour gin. Photo: Gower Peninsula Bob Gibbons

Research using NPMS survey data indicates risks to UK plant communities from climate and land use change. Read about this and other articles in the latest NPMS Annual Report https://ow.ly/NWMO50Zm397 Photo: Karen Fisher

There are still spaces available to to join us near Helston, Cornwall on Friday 17th July. Experts from Budding Nature will lead this FREE one-day workshop focussing on coastal habitat species. Booking required. See our training events page or email support@npms.org.uk

High-quality data + local expertise: our amazing #NPMSvolunteers are collecting valuable plant data & contributing to our understanding of UK habitat health. Read how their work helps inform conservation policy in our newly released NPMS Annual Report https://ow.ly/ZGnh50ZlrRU

At a time of increased environmental pressure, volunteer-power comes to the rescue! NPMS volunteers are delivering crucial data to help us understand UK plant biodiversity & habitat health. Find out how in the new #NPMS Annual Report: https://ow.ly/SBqE50ZkChX

It's #NationalMeadowsDay celebrating these special habitats. Do you have a neutral pastures & meadows plot in your NPMS square? Last year 644 meadow plots were surveyed. Spread the love by creating a plot portrait https://ow.ly/KiZI50ZjE56 or sharing a #surveyselfie 📷 Laura Jane

A week today! Join us in South Wales in the beautiful Cwmcarn Forest for an Intro to NPMS survey methods. Get to grips with methodology, plot setup and recording. Info and booking https://ow.ly/KCQ850Zasku

Two weeks today! In-field NPMS Coastal Habitat Species ID workshop led by Budding Nature. Don't miss the chance to use your new ID skills on the impressive coastline at Chyvarloe, near Helston. Info and booking https://ow.ly/uREt50Zas9N

Take care in this extreme hot weather. Surveys can wait until heat levels drop, but if you are out on your NPMS square please try to spread surveys out over several days, take regular shade breaks, & go prepared Sunscreen 🌞 Hat (sombrero?) 🤠 Water 💦 Photo: Roger Butterfield

NPMS training in Northern Ireland 4th July The Botanical Skills Northern Ireland Project will be running training on how to take part in The NPMS for complete beginners & existing volunteers. Still a few spaces on this popular training event! More info https://ow.ly/qrCk50ZfQQl

Species Spotlight - Himalayan Balsam Impatiens gladulifera forms tall dense stands, usually near water. Leaves are opposite or 3-whorled, with sharp, often red gland-tipped teeth. Pink/purple flowers dangle, later developing into explosive seed capsules. Photo: Sue McBean

In-field training 17th July NPMS Coastal Habitat Species ID, Cornwall. Experts from Budding Nature will lead a workshop in Chyvarloe, near Helston. Focussing on identifying NPMS coastal habitat species. Spaces are limited so early booking is advised https://ow.ly/TtMg50Zas5U

Species Spotlight - Wood Crane’s-bill Geranium sylvaticum is a rhizomatous perennial of unimproved meadows and open woodland mainly in upland areas. Flowers are purplish with white centres and leaves are deeply cut into 7 broad, toothed lobes. Photo: Andy Jennings-Giles

In-field training 11th July Intro to NPMS & survey methods, Caerphilly. Indoor session, followed by an afternoon heading into the beautiful Cwmcarn Forest where we will practice plot set up & recording. See training events page for details https://www.npms.org.uk/content/training-events

Species Spotlight - Hedge Bedstraw - Galium album has whorls of 6-8 leaves around four-angled stems & sprays of small white flowers with four petals that taper to fine points. Similar Heath Bedstraw is found in acidic habitats, petals blunt or with tiny points. 📷Sue Harris

Species Spotlight - Dwarf Spurge Euphorbia exigua is a scarce annual arable weed found on light, often base rich soils mainly in the south & southeast. Small but bushy, it has narrow grey-green strap-shaped leaves on well-branched stems. Photo: Bob Gibbons

Don't miss our Key to Unlocking Botanical Keys workshop 17th June. This Zoom session will help you discover how keys work, how to get started , and boost your confidence with using them. Check out our training events page and register to book https://ow.ly/bfUI50Z6wVj

1 week to go to our intro session in Kent. Come along to find out all about the National Plant Monitoring Scheme and how to volunteer. Book here: https://ow.ly/ySh550Z80OG Or if not yet a registered volunteer but want to come along to hear all about it– contact support@NPMS.org.uk

It's National #VolunteersWeek could you become an NPMS volunteer like Alexandre? There are plenty of available squares waiting for new volunteers to monitor them! Head to our website to look for a square local to you. https://ow.ly/H9kw50Z6xHb

It's National #VolunteersWeek & the BIGGEST thank you goes out to our brilliant NPMS survey volunteers, verifiers, data entry & photography volunteers. We now have over 1300 squares with associated data! You make this scheme the success that it is #NPMSVolunteers #CitizenScience

Species Spotlight - Spindle Euonymus europaeus is flowering this month, in hedgerows, scrub & woods on base-rich soils. Twigs are green & four-angled. Distinctive fruits appear in autumn, pink capsules splitting to show bright orange seeds. Photo: Ava Marley