Today, Saturday 12th June is Cruinniú na nÓg — the free day of creativity for children and young people — and the Ellen Hutchins Festival has contributed to the creativity with a nature art journey, Creative Adventures with Leaves and Paint. This is by talented Co Cork nature artist, Sue van Coppenhagen, and the Adventures…
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On 29th May 1811, Ellen Hutchins wrote to Dawson Turner, just after she had received various things from him. He had sent a parcel of engravings of liverworts made by William Jackson Hooker for his book, British Jungermanniae, and a long list of comments from William Borrer, a specialist on lichens, giving Ellen help to…
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Ellen could wait no longer for a letter from him, she felt that she must send her latest find, the fruit of a lichen, to Dawson Turner with a letter, written on 7th May 1811, 210 years ago today. This is the fourth in a series of five letters, written On This Day 210 years…
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On 9th April, 210 years ago today, Ellen answered a letter that she had just received from Dawson Turner, written on 25th March. His letter to Ellen has survived and you can read it HERE. Ellen’s letter written on 9th April 1811 is HERE. This is letter three of a set of five letters. The…
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Just two weeks since her last letter of 8th March, Ellen again wrote to Dawson Turner, botanist and banker of Yarmouth, Norfolk, England. Ellen had recently turned 26 years old, her birthday was on 17th March (St Patrick’s Day). She had received a letter from Dawson Turner (the letter has not survived) in which he…
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8th March 2021, International Women’s Day, and Bantry Library has chosen Ellen Hutchins as their local champion, an example of a woman who has “broken the mould” and achieved what might have been considered unachievable in their time. Ellen studied the cryptogams – non-flowering plants – and sought to increase our understanding of them, at…
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The new book, Mosses and Liverworts: an introductory guide to the Bantry Bay area by Rory Hodd is a delight. With stunning photos, very clear descriptions and helpful diagrams, it provides a great introduction to a fascinating miniature world so easily overlooked. See more of the book and buy it here Bryophytes – mosses and…
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Finally, after a delay due to COVID-19, we are delighted that the novel, A Quiet Tide, by Marianne Lee, published by New Island, is being released this week to bookshops. It has had some lovely reviews, and members of Team Ellen who have read it have enjoyed it greatly. We also think it’s great that…
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Monday 15th October, 6pm was the Opening of the Ellen Hutchins, Ireland’s First Female Botanist Exhibition. The exhibition was opened by Astrid Wingler, Professor of Plant BiologyHead of Plant Science, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences and Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork. Carrie O’Flynn, the Historical Re-enactor featured on the poster (see above) was there…
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This is the date written in the corner of the earliest known drawing by Ellen Hutchins, and now in a bound volume of over 230 of them held in the Archives at Kew Gardens. We know that Ellen made her first ever drawing of a part of a seaweed in July 1808, and that by…
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