Get involved

As a member, you have the opportunity to further engage with us through the following activities:

Joining our Board of Trustees

Our Board runs the BES and those trustees get involved in all of our activities. Trustees are nominated and are elected annually by the membership at the Society’s AGM, held in association with the Annual Meeting. We would not be able to operate without the significant amount of time each person gives. Find out more about our committee structure. If you are interested in joining our Board of Trustees, please check our ‘Vacancies’ page for possible opportunities.

Now open: Call for new members of the Meetings, Membership and Publications Committees

Would you like to get involved in the running of the British Ecological Society? You can help make sure we publish the best ecological science, serve our members well and run the best conferences.

Take part in our events or propose a symposium meeting

We run a wide range of events that we subsidise to maximise participation. They provide an excellent occasion for ecologists to meet and exchange views, both in the formal programme and during social events. If you have a good idea for a meeting, be it a thematic session at the Annual Meeting, a symposium meeting, a workshop or any other unique event. Email Amy, our Events Manager, to find out more.

Special Interest Groups

Our Special Interest Groups organise small meetings, field trips and events throughout the year, catering for needs of particular subject areas in ecology. They rely solely on the ideas, enthusiasm and hard work of volunteers. Most SIGs hold business meetings and informal social events at our Annual Meetingand anyone is welcome to contribute. Alternatively, contact the Group Secretaries directly – or contact Amy if you would like to set up your own group!

Policy Engagement

We provide opportunities for our members to engage in the policy making process. You can find out more about how to get involved in this aspect of our work through the dedicated Policy section of our website.

The Niche

The Niche is a quarterly magazine for all our members and carries news and reports on our activities – including events, science policy, education, grants, publications and also news from our Special Interest Groups. We also publish articles which inform and entertain – such as advice for first time conference delegates, social media how-to’s and news from members across the world. We always encourage our members to contribute – whether it’s your experiences in the field, a new discipline or comments on previous articles.

Email the Editor:

• Kate Harrison, The Niche Editor

Social Media

Twitter is an incredibly powerful tool to find out what’s going on in the ecological community – in terms of career opportunities, networking, grant deadlines and events. Our ‘handle’ is @BritishEcolSoc

We are also on Facebook, so ‘like’ us and always be up to date with our deadlines, opportunities and news from the ecological world.