Join Us

Join Us

Select your preferred membership level and start enjoying the benefits of being a GOS member today. These include indoor meetings, field trips, newsletter, annual report, website, sightings, participating in surveys, library, our Goytre House Wood reserve and the Bert Hamar Bursary.

If you are a UK tax-payer, please consider increasing the value to us of your subscription by making a Gift Aid declaration.

Gift Aid Declaration (for UK tax-payers)

I want the Gwent Ornithological Society (Registered Charity no.1088830) to treat all donations and subscriptions I make from the date of this declaration as Gift Aid donations until I notify you otherwise. I confirm that I am a UK tax-payer.

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What we do for Members

GOS offers numerous services and members are welcome to participate in as many, or as few, as they wish.

  • Indoor meetings:  a fortnightly programme from September through to Easter, featuring an invited speaker. The meetings are held at Goytre Village Hall and provide an opportunity to chat informally with like-minded people while enjoying tea and biscuits.  Non-members are welcome.
  • Field trips:   walks or visits to birding sites, both within the county and further afield, take place every 2–3 weeks, all year round.  Participation is free.   These walks provide a good opportunity for experienced birders to meet fellow enthusiasts and visit new sites and for beginners to benefit from expert guidance.  All members and non-members are welcome to join us on field trips.  A weekend stay at Portland Bird Observatory usually takes place in October each year.
  • Newsletter:  the quarterly newsletter, The Dipper, provides interesting articles and snippets about birds as well as reporting on Society events.
  • Gwent Bird Report:  published annually, the Gwent Bird Report gives details of all the year’s sightings in the county.  Articles and ringing reports are included together with significant numbers of photographs taken by local birders within the county.
  • Website:  we regularly update our website with the latest bird sightings, GOS news and other useful information.
  • Sightings:  members’ posts will be published on the website immediately whereas non-members’ posts will only be published after authorisation. 
  • Participation in surveys:  local and national surveys are undertaken by members.  Recording and monitoring bird populations in the county is vital in informing conservation efforts and, hopefully, local planning decisions.
  • Library:  the Society has an extensive DVD and book library.  It is open during the indoor meetings held at Goytre Village Hall.
  • Goytre House Wood:  the Society owns an 11-acre woodland nature reserve adjacent to the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal.  The reserve has free access for members, whilst the public can use a Public Footpath which runs through the wood.
  • Bert Hamar bursary:  a bursary is available annually to help fund research into birds within the county. Submissions for consideration for the award can be submitted at any time to secretary@gwentbirds.org.uk.