2025-12-31-accounts

The Linnean Society of London

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS

For the Year Ended 31 December 2025

Charity No. 220509

Company No. RC000313

(Royal Charter Company)

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

Contents

		Page
LEGAL	AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
•	Trustees	3–4
ABBREVIATIONS		5

ANNUAL REPORT

• President’s Review 2025

• 6

• • A Message from the CEO 7

• • Strategic Pillar: Membership 8

• • Strategic Pillar: Research 11

• • Strategic Pillar: Society 19 • Strategic Pillar: Operations 26 • Feedback 28

• • Public Benefit 29 • Core Values and Strategic Plan 29 • People: Staff and Committees 30 • Financial Review 34

INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT	40
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (SOFA)	43
BALANCE SHEET	44
CASH FLOW STATEMENT	45
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS	46
Appendix
Full listing of Linnean Society Events & Meetings for 2025	61

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

1. LEGAL STATUS

The Linnean Society was founded in 1788, received a Royal Charter in 1802 and Supplemental Charters in 1904, 2005 and 2024. The Society is a registered charity, No. 220509.

2. ADDRESS

The Linnean Society of London New Burlington House Piccadilly London W1J 0BF

3. PRINCIPAL ADVISERS

Bankers:

Barclays Bank Plc PO Box 13555 Acorn House 36–38 Park Royal Road London NW10 7WJ

Auditor: Knox Cropper LLP 65 Leadenhall Street London EC3A 2AD Investment Manager: Evelyn Partners 45 Gresham Street City of London London EC2V 7BG

LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

TRUSTEES

Council, composed of the Trustees of the Linnean Society, is the governing body providing strategic direction for the Society. At the close of 2025, there were 16 Fellows on Council (14 Elected and two Co-opted). Most Fellows step down after a three-year term unless they are re-elected or co-opted. In October 2025 the Council agreed that it would be efficient to reduce its membership over time to 12 Trustees. The Society’s Charter and Bye-Laws mandate the President and Treasurer as the Society’s only Officers.

Following their election, all Trustees are provided with key governance documents. These include Charity Commission documents such as CC3: The Essential Trustee, the Society’s Charters, Bye-Laws and Standing Orders, and the Trustee Code of Conduct. Trustees receive a full induction in which they are briefed on their duties, meet staff, and can raise questions and provide feedback.

Throughout 2025, Trustees continued to focus on reviewing and updating policies, monitoring major and strategic risks, and conducting oversight of the Society’s strategy. Council reviews the major and strategic risks in the Society’s Risk Register on a quarterly basis, and the Finance & Risk Committee reviews the entire Register annually. In June 2025, the Council tasked the President and CEO with undertaking a review of the Society’s committees and to report their findings in 2026.

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

All the members named below, except for those who retired in 2025, formed the Board of Trustees as at the date of signing the Trustees’ Report.

TRUSTEES

Officers

Professor Anjali Goswami, President (retired 22 May 2025)

Dr Mark Watson, President (from 22 May 2025)

Edward Banks, Treasurer

Elected Trustees

Professor Paul Barrett (retired 22 May 2025)

George Bull (from 22 May 2025)

Subhadra Das, Vice President

Dr Linda Davies (from 22 May 2025)

Professor Amy Dickman

Professor Philip Gilmartin (from 22 May 2025)

Dr José F. González-Maya (from 22 May 2025)

Dr Peter Gregory (from 22 May 2025)

Andrea Hart

Fiona McWilliams

Dr Juliano Morimoto (from 22 May 2025)

Professor Michael J. Reiss (retired 22 May 2025)

Professor Stuart West

Dr Heather White

Co-opted Trustees

Dr Isabel Larridon, Vice President

Dr Howard Nelson, Vice President

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

ABBREVIATIONS

ABGD	Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery
ACE	Arts Council England
ADAS	Agricultural Development Advisory Service
AGM	Annual General Meeting
AI	Artificial Intelligence
ASAP	Assemble Species by Automatic Partitioning
BCP	Business Continuity Plan
BES	British Ecological Society
bGMYC	Bayesian Generalized Mixed Yule Coalescent
BL	Bye-Law
CE	Common Era
CEO	Chief Executive Officer
CFN	Council for Nature
CNRS	Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique
Defra	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
EBHL	European Botanical and Horticultural Libraries group
FLS	Fellow of the Linnean Society
FMLS	Foreign Member of the Linnean Society
FRS	Fellow of the Royal Society
FRS 102	Financial Reporting Standard 102
HM	His Majesty
HIH	His Imperial Highness
HIM	His Imperial Majesty
HRH	Her Royal Highness
Hon FLS	Honorary Fellow
IAPT	International Association for Plant Taxonomy
ICZN	International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature
IF	Impact Factor
IUCN	International Union for Conservation of Nature
ISAs	International Standards on Auditing
KS2	Key Stage 2 (Primary education for pupils aged 7–11 in England and Wales)
LSL	Linnean Society of London
Lt Col	Lieutenant Colonel
LWT	London Wildlife Trust
NBH	New Burlington House
OA	Open Access
OM	Order of Merit
OUP	Oxford University Press
PLS	President of the Linnean Society
RES	Royal Entomological Society
RHS	Royal Horticultural Society
SI	Special Issue
SOFA	Statement of Financial Activities
SORP	Statements of Recommended Practice
UCL	University College London
VI	Virtual Issue
ZSL	Zoological Society of London

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

ANNUAL REPORT

PRESIDENT’S REVIEW 2025

2025 was a landmark year for the Linnean Society—a year of new beginnings. With the signing of our 999-year lease on New Burlington House, the granting of our new Royal Charter and Bye-Laws and the adoption of our Strategic Plan all by the close of 2024, we could move beyond essentials in 2025. We began delivering long-held projects and exploring new ideas to advance our mission: cultivating a global community working for a world where nature is understood, valued and protected. These foundations were laid during Professor Anjali Goswami’s presidency and I feel privileged to take the helm at this time in our history. The Society and I owe her immense gratitude.

Few moments in our 237-year history have brought such change. Our work has never been more important, and it is vital we are equipped to meet our ambitions. When Anjali handed over the presidency at our Anniversary Meeting in May, she entrusted me with continuing the Society’s development as a charity and fulfilling the membership’s expectations. In my first President’s Lecture I reflected on the need to adapt in response to challenges facing nature, charities and learned societies. Organisations cannot remain fixed in their ways; they must change to meet new demands or risk falling behind.

Our Strategic Plan places greater emphasis on outward impact and benefit to nature and society. We have prioritised four pillars of activity: Membership, Research, Society and Operations. The first three focus on understanding, valuing and protecting the natural world by drawing on the expertise of our Fellowship, enabling vital research and engaging wider society. The fourth ensures the Society has the people, platforms and resources to deliver this work. Strong progress has been made in putting this plan into practice, led by our exceptional staff and journal Editors-in-Chief and supported by many Fellows contributing through committees, events and activities. I must also acknowledge Priya Nithianandan, our Head of Finance, who died suddenly in May 2025. Priya was one of our longest-serving colleagues and a deeply respected member of staff who is greatly missed. Our staff, led by CEO Professor Gail Cardew, deserve recognition for carrying forward major projects with determination during a period marked by loss and change.

Guided by our new Bye-Laws, 2025 also saw the embedding of new governance processes and development of Standing Orders to support them. There were minor teething problems, but only one amendment to the Bye-Laws—to enable rolling membership fees, approved at the Anniversary Meeting. I am particularly pleased with the work of the new Fellowship Committee, chaired by Fiona McWilliams, which has strengthened scrutiny of applications and created a clear way for Fellows to contribute their views directly.

To deliver our mission, we must involve people with diverse expertise, perspectives and needs, making the Society a forum for all voices. Progress is evident through global participation, new faces at New Burlington House and growing Fellowship applications. I am excited and honoured to lead the Linnean Society forward, building on the achievements of the past and inspiring a future where nature is cherished and protected worldwide.

Dr Mark Watson PLS

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

A Message from the CEO

Over the past year, our community has shown remarkable resilience, professionalism and care. In May, right before the Anniversary Meeting, we faced profound loss with the sudden and unexpected passing of our much-loved Head of Finance, Priya Nithianandan. Priya was a thoughtful presence in the life of the Society, and we continue to feel his absence deeply.

Against this backdrop of loss and change, it is a testament to the commitment of our staff, Trustees, volunteers and wider membership that progress against our 2025 strategic targets has remained strong. While the year demanded flexibility and mutual support, it also demonstrated the depth of talent and shared purpose across the organisation.

Our work on fundraising and membership development necessarily focused on strengthening internal systems and processes, rather than outward promotion and acquisition. This foundational work may be less visible, but it is vital. By investing in infrastructure and improving how we operate behind the scenes, we are building a more sustainable and resilient platform for future activity. In the first half of the year, we completed the migration of our online collections from CoSector to the Preservica digital platform. This substantial project culminated in the relaunch of Linnean Online, opening up our collections in new and more accessible ways. It marks a significant milestone in our commitment to sharing knowledge and widening access to our remarkable resources.

Meanwhile, our medals and awards were slightly reshaped, with the Linnean Medal now to be awarded in duplicate, one for excellence in research and the other recognising the protection of nature. This was also the first year that the awards for PhDs—the Irene Manton Prize and the John C. Marsden Medal—were organised through the journals, with the Editors-in-Chief (EiCs) selecting the recipients from impressive papers based on PhDs published during the year. The new process ran smoothly, and our EiCs are delighted with this additional avenue to encourage submissions from early career researchers.

Onsite, a low-cost refresh of the shop, combined with an expanded merchandise range, helped us surpass our budget target. We also introduced a ticket charge for in-person lectures and have been pleased with the outcome: no-shows have fallen significantly, income has increased, and attendance remains strong, with major lectures selling out. Our exhibitions continue to thrive, with Naturalists’ Notebooks achieving the highest attendance to date and a lively, sold-out workshop programme attracting new audiences.

Towards the end of the year, we were delighted to co-host the Green Careers Conference with the British Ecological Society (BES). The event welcomed around 70 attendees and generated highly positive feedback. Engagement on LinkedIn following the conference was particularly strong, extending the reach of the event well beyond those in the room and reinforcing our role in supporting emerging talent across the natural sciences.

Finally, our Education Team exceeded their target for school workshops, and bookings for 2026 are already encouraging, with many repeat visits.

In a year that tested us in many ways, these achievements reflect a community that is dedicated, adaptable and united in purpose. Thank you for your continued support and commitment.

Professor Gail Cardew

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

MEMBERSHIP

We are a membership organisation. Our members are advocates for nature around the globe. We will grow, diversify and support our membership to expand their capacity to work in support of our mission.

In 2025, the Linnean Society celebrated the impact of collective curiosity and expertise. Our diverse, global membership drives research, sparks debate and inspires discovery. Through lectures, publications and workshops, they bring our collections and history vividly to life, while collaborations foster innovative approaches to conservation and natural history. From groundbreaking research to prestigious honours, our community shows how shared passion and knowledge can transform understanding, influence policy and ignite a worldwide conversation about the natural world.

Growing Our Membership

The Society’s membership is a truly diverse and interdisciplinary community of like-minded people, all united in their love of nature and natural history. In March 2025, following the recommendations of the 2024 Membership Review by Culture Consultants, Pru Shackley was appointed to the new position of Head of Membership and Development. This role has full operational and strategic responsibility for the membership and the organisation’s development activities. This includes supporting the Fellowship Committee, who had their first full year of operation in 2025, overseeing the updated Fellowship application process which launched at the end of 2024.

We are delighted to report that in 2025 we welcomed 164 new Fellows, 85 new Associates and 134 new Student Associates, making 383 new members in total. While there were several defaulters and resignations, the total number of members 2025 was 3,256.

Collaborating with Our Community

One of our central strategic priorities is to actively engage our members across the full scope of our work. Whether through events, workshops, or contributions in print and online, we warmly invite them to share their expertise and insights. In doing so, we seek to cultivate a vibrant, collaborative community—one that not only embraces emerging research, but also champions new fields of inquiry and welcomes new voices.

Throughout much of 2025, we gathered self-reported data across our activities to ensure we are fostering contributions from a diverse range of voices and perspectives. This process has enabled us to reaffirm and strengthen the central role our membership plays in shaping and enriching our work. Across our events, over 40% of speakers were members of the Society, sharing their own paths of study with a global audience, like the popular evening lecture by Mike Gunton FLS of the BBC’s Natural History Unit, ‘An Insider’s Guide to the Secrets of Making a Wildlife Blockbuster’. Or the Linnean Lens talk by Leah Demitriou FLS looking at Richard Owen’s private scrapbook—an intriguing and intimate glimpse into the mind of the man behind the term ‘dinosaur’.

This also extends to the written word. Around 60% of articles in our membership publication, The Linnean , are written by members. John van Wyhe FLS explored Thomas Henry Huxley’s life and research, marking his bicentenary and highlighting how our view of historical figures evolves. Elaine Charwat FLS investigated how buildings and bird-window collisions affect German bird populations— and shared how some simple solutions, like subtle dotted grids on larger windows, are already showing promising results.

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Celebrating and Connecting New Members

In 2025 three popular welcoming ceremonies were held to bring together and celebrate 52 recently joined Fellows. The first welcomed 20 new members before the fully booked Anniversary Meeting and AGM on Thursday 22 May. In September at an oversubscribed President’s Lecture, 23 Fellows were formally inducted by the President before he gave an insightful talk on the history and evolution of the Society. Finally in December, nine more Fellows were admitted before another soldout event—the annual Founder’s Day lecture by our much-admired Fellow, Jenny Uglow, on the fascinating Gilbert White.

Spotlighting the Success of Our Membership

We celebrate the extraordinary breadth of expertise within our international membership— spanning continents, disciplines and fields of discovery—and we are proud to recognise the remarkable achievements of our members.

In March, Martyn Rix FLS received the 2025 Victoria Medal of Honour from the Royal Horticultural Society, one of the highest distinctions in British horticulture. In August, John Koprowski FLS was elected President of the American Society of Mammalogists. Vivek Menon FLS was chosen by IUCN Members to chair the IUCN Species Survival Commission, and Anjali Goswami PLS (President: 2022– 2025) was appointed Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

These honours reflect not only individual excellence, but the global impact and influence of our membership.

New Membership Category: Honorary FLS

The new membership category of Honorary Fellow (Hon FLS) was established in May 2025 following the Society’s revised Charter and Bye-Laws becoming operational in November 2024. Honorary Fellows were previously known as Fellows honoris causa (HonFLS) for British subjects, or Foreign Members (FMLS) for non-British subjects.

Following this update, Council requested an in-depth review into the process and eligibility for Honorary Fellows to ensure that it was clear, equitable and fit for a modern learned society. As a result, the purpose of Honorary Fellowship is now to thank individuals for their contributions to the work of the Linnean Society and its mission. This is distinct from Medals and Awards which may be awarded for contribution to the field of natural history, but where there is not necessarily any link to the Society. Existing Honorary Fellows will continue to be recognised as such, regardless of when they were appointed and the selection criteria used.

Royal Patron

We were thrilled in early 2025 when HRH The Princess Royal accepted Patronage of the Linnean Society, having been a member in an honorary capacity since 2007 during Carl Linnaeus’ Tercentenary. A champion of science and youth engagement with nature, The Princess Royal’s support was warmly welcomed by then-President Professor Anjali Goswami as a powerful boost to the Society’s mission of fostering a global community that values and protects the natural world.

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Vice-Patrons

The Society’s revised Charter and Bye-Laws also established the role of Vice-Patron, previously known as Honorary Members (HonMLS), in a change that sought to bring greater clarity to their role within the life and work of the Society. Council may invite persons who champion and support the object of the Society to accept the role of Vice-Patron of the Society.

Currently there are five Vice-Patrons:

HM King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden HIM The Emperor Emeritus of Japan HIH The Prince Hitachi of Japan Baroness Young of Old Scone Sir David F. Attenborough OM FRS

In Remembrance

Finally, we respectfully remember those members whose deaths were reported to our Council throughout the year:

Fellows
Professor John Allen	Dr JeremyHolloway
Mr Ronald Baxter	Dr U. Kya
Dr Alan Brafield	Professor David Landon
Dr Michael Darby	Professor Maurice Moss
Mr Kenneth Davison	Mr Alexander Muir
Professor Patrick Denny	Mr Ian Phelps
Professor Joseph Ewusie	Professor Yeleswarapu Sarma
Professor Richard ForteyOBE	Dr Alan Silverside
Mr Mathew Frith	Lt Col Colin Watkins
Mr Cyril Giles

Honorary Fellow

Professor Jean Leclercq

Associate

Mr George Sowerby

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

RESEARCH

We are an international resource and hub for the study of the natural world. We will leverage our collections and other assets to promote and enable research and action for nature.

Throughout the year, the Society amplified its global impact, making collections, archives and research more accessible than ever. Our journals continue to publish with purpose, not only advancing high-quality science but also nurturing authors and early career researchers. Digital platforms expanded, with treasures like the Percy Sladen archive and women’s correspondence networks opened up for new scholarship. Away from New Burlington House, our grant schemes offer support for research in the field and in the lab. Together, these initiatives position the Society as a dynamic hub, bridging historic legacy with bold, future-focused natural history research.

Publishing with Purpose: Trusted, Inclusive Science for a Global Community

Our Journals

The journals of the Linnean Society are more than just an income source—they represent a key part of our work to support the natural history community. Our authors, reviewers and Editorial Boards are part of our community, and through our Editorial Office and wider Engagement Team, we aim to promote the work of that community, and particularly support those at the start of their career.

Our Editors-in-Chief are a key part of this, providing leadership for their journals, supporting and enabling their Editorial Boards. We are indebted to each of them for their hard work to grow their journals, while also ensuring that through our peer-review process, we provide useful feedback and proper scrutiny of the work submitted to us.

In 2025, we saw a significant increase in the number of papers submitted to our journals. Each of our hybrid journals was able to publish more high-quality, peer-reviewed papers than in 2024.

The Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society in particular, led by Editor-in-Chief Jeff Streicher, saw an unprecedented number of submissions. Many papers published in the journal also gained significant scientific and general attention. One paper on the species Janjucetus dullardi gained an altmetric score of over 3,000.

These growing submissions put extra pressure on our Associate Editors, who play a vital role in reviewing papers. However, the team across our journals managed the extra workload admirably, with all journals maintaining good submission-to-publication timelines. Feedback from our publisher’s author satisfaction survey was good across the journals, with all of them achieving an average score of at least 8 out of 10. Thank you to all of our Associate Editors and Reviewers, who volunteer their time to support the journals and their peers in this way.

Our special issues in progress during the year included the highly popular ‘Mobilising Natural History Collections in the Global South’, guest edited by Iroro Tanshi, who also delivered a Lunchtime Lecture for the Society on her own research.

The Evolutionary Journal of the Linnean Society , led by Julia Day, continued to publish papers from its special issues on speciation, adaptive radiation and evolution on islands.

The Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , led by Steven Dodsworth, prepared a special issue from the Conference of Young Botanists, as part of its supporting early career botanists.

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Our support for a community of early career researchers was continued through our lunchtime lectures based on papers across the journals. From the Evolutionary Journal , ‘The Andes are a driver of physiological diversity in Anolis lizards’, from the Zoological Journal ‘Ecomorphological correlates of inner ear shape in Australian limb-reduced skinks (Scincidae: Sphenomorphini)’ and from the Botanical Journal , ‘Bat Foraging: Where and how they do it’. Meanwhile Zoological Journal author and Editorial Board Member Neil Gostling FLS was part of our Pint of Science event in May.

As part of our wider events programme, we held a Biological Journal of the Linnean Society Day Meeting on ‘Organismal Resilience in a Rapidly Changing World’, which brought together a global panel of speakers, who will be contributing papers to the special issue in 2026. As well as a huge thanks to the Special Issue Guest Editor, Zac Cheviron, and the Biological Journal ’s EiC Karen Sears, we are grateful to the Company of Biologists and OUP for their support for the event.

The Paper Trail

This year we launched The Paper Trail, a blog series that presents potentially complex scientific research in a more accessible way to a wider audience. For example, in July, a blog based on the Botanical Journal’s paper ‘Opportunities and limits of image-based plant stress phenotyping: detecting plant salt stress status using machine learning techniques’ uncovered how machine learning can be used to spot salt stress in plants, revolutionising how we farm amidst rising sea levels.

Blogs are written by both paper authors and guest bloggers from a global community, many of whom are early career researchers wanting to develop their science communication skills. The Paper Trail has helped improve the visibility of the journals and enabled the original papers to be shared with several hundred people who may not otherwise have come across the research. Paper authors have been incredibly pleased with the outcome, with many commenting on the collaborative and positive experience. One author wrote, ‘I really love The Paper Trail and all the stories posted from your journals. I think it is great scientific outreach.’

Supporting Scientific Discovery Through Targeted Grants

LinneSys: Systematics Research Fund

The Linnean Society and Systematics Association collaborate to support the LinnéSys: Systematics Research Fund with £41,000 annually used to fuel discovery in taxonomy and systematics, backing small-scale projects up to £1,500. Supporting fieldwork, equipment access, specimen preparation, publications and education initiatives, it empowers researchers while strengthening the foundations of biodiversity knowledge that, by extension, informs citizen science worldwide.

In 2025, LinnéSys supported 40 projects worldwide awarded from a total fund of £40,618, with the Society contributing £33,618. Projects span uncovering hidden diversity in Ituglanis amazonicus , revising the snake Tantilla melanocephala , and resolving blue monkey beetle cryptic species. Without clear classification and naming, species vanish unnoticed, ecosystems unravel silently and conservation becomes guesswork. Taxonomy provides the essential map of biodiversity—without it, we cannot truly measure, manage or prevent further loss.

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

Recipient Name	Country	Research Project Title
Paulo José Vilardo Abreu	Brazil	Hidden diversity: Taxonomy and distribution of the Ituglanis amazonicus (Steindachner,1882)complex
Gabriel Vinicius Felix Afonso	United States of America (USA)	Axial-skeleton elongation in bony-tongue fishes (Osteoglossomorpha): Evolutionary innovations and phylogenetic implications
Cecilia Maria Ariemma	Spain	Morphological and phylogenetic characterization of Eusimonia wunderlichi: A unique or cryptic species?
Daniela T. Candia Ramírez	Mexico	Diversity and taxonomy of the genus_Mexentypesa_ Raven,1987(Araneae: Mygalomorphae)in Mexico
Alvin N. Caril	Philippines	Diversity survey of deep water microgastropod species under Conoidea around Panglao,Philippines
Zhe-Yu Chen	Australia	Integrative taxonomic revision of Amphicoelina from China(Gastropoda: Stylommatophora)
Giacomo Chiappa	Italy	The amphiatlantic top-shell_Calliostoma occidentale_ (Mighels & C.B. Adams,1842)
Jonathan Colville	South Africa	Untangling cryptic species of blue monkey beetle: Scelophysa trimeni
Diego Alejandro Cómbita Romero	Colombia	Unravelling the taxonomy and evolution of Miocene tortoises from La Venta,Colombia
Lara Serpa Jaegge Deccache	Brazil	Systematics, Evolution and Biogeography of Ouratea Aubl.(Ochnaceae)
Weverton dos Santos Azevedo	Brazil	Integrative taxonomic revision of the historically challenging snake_Tantilla melanocephala_(Linnaeus, 1758)
Gengyu Fang	United Kingdom (UK)	Megafish fossils from the Qaidam Basin and pharyngeal bone disparityin Cyprinids
Thomas Farrell	United Kingdom (UK)	Redescription of_Priapulites konecniorum_Schram 1973,from the Mazon Creek Lagerstätte
Julia Gerasimova	Germany	Exploring the biodiversity of the_Bacidia_crustose lichens in Mediterranean region
Abdullah Gohar	Egypt / United States of America (USA)	Investigating auditory bulla osteohistology in cetaceans and underwater hearing evolution in mammals
Ixchel Sarahi González Ramírez	United States of America (USA)	Spore morphology for understanding the monospecific genus_Calasterella_(Marchantiophyta, Aytoniaceae)
Sanika Goray	India	Examining the taxonomic identity of a polymorphic _Impatiens_endemic to Western-Ghats,India
Niamh Kennedy	Ireland	The comparativegenomics of the Andrenidae
Ghyslain Chabi Kpétikou	Benin	Unveiling the taxonomic richness and ecological patterns of_Marsilea_L.(Marsileaceae)in Benin
Erin Krichilsky (Rin)	United States of America(USA)	Re-discovery and comparative genomics of a rare pollen-feedingwasp
Chien-Hsiang Lin	Taiwan	Species boundaries in_Arius_(Sea Catfish) in Taiwan and the Philippines
Inés Galán Luque	Spain	Increasing available genomic data of comb jellies to understand their systematics
Morgan Lee McCarthy	Denmark	Assessing the taxonomic status of beaked whale strandings in the North Atlantic
James McCulloch	United Kingdom (UK)	Describing the unnamed, non-native species of springtails in the UK
Katherine Montana	United States of America(USA)	Multiple paternity and reproductive morphology across the dragonfly phylogeny
Gabriela Narváez	Chile	Reconstructing the evolutionary history of the subgenus_Nothofagus_of South America

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Grazielle Tainá A. Resende Paiva	Brazil	Evolution of the Cerrado flora: Taxonomy, morphology and phylogenomics of_Coracoralina_ (Eriocaulaceae)
Ancheng Peng	France	Mitochondrial phylogenomics and evolution of social behaviour in earwigs
Caroline Pessoa de Lima	United Kingdom (UK)	Using paleoproteomics to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships of extinct Pleistocene antilocaprids
Susanne Reier	Austria	Comparative phylogeography and cryptic diversity of Acanthocephalan parasites and their Gammarid hosts
Sara Rodrigues Passos Rocha	Spain	Conservation genomics of the Critically Endangered giant bronzegecko_Ailuronyx trachygaster_
Jennifer Rose	Spain	A taxonomic study of wild bees in the Basque Country
Rodrigo Márquez Sanz	Spain	Systematics of resupinate Thelephorales in poorly sampled regions
Daniel Schönberger	United States of America(USA)	Can historical specimens resolve the taxonomic uncertaintyin the_Papilio machaon_complex
Ashutosh Sharma	India	Integrated systematics approach for resolving _Impatiens_species complexes in the Himalayan biodiversityhotspot
Katya Jeanneth Romero Soler	Mexico	Taxonomic revision of_Pitcairnia_(Pitcairnioideae, Bromeliaceae)in Mexico
Yu Kai Tan	United States of America(USA)	Curious collectors: Does cryptic speciation explain specialised collectingbehaviour of carrier snails?
Chawatat Thanoosing	Thailand	A mysterious bumblebee, hidden nearly a century: Systematics of_Bombus_inpeninsular Thailand
Kevin Torgersen	United States of America(USA)	Systematics and macroevolution of a widespread complex of Neotropical freshwater fishes
Mark Wilkinson	United Kingdom (UK)	The identity and neotypification of Linnaeus’ Caecilia tentaculate

Other Grants

The Anne Sleep Award , established by Mrs Ivy Sleep in honour of Dr Anne Sleep FLS, provides up to £3,000 biennially to support outstanding early career researchers conducting biological research between the UK and the Middle or Far East.

In 2025 this was awarded to Dr Shahina A. Ghazanfar FLS for a project studying and recording plants along the Hijrah path. The Hijrah (622 CE), marking the start of the Islamic calendar, was the Prophet Muhammad’s journey from Mecca to Yathrib (Medina) across a diverse ecological landscape. While some studies of vegetation exist for western Saudi Arabia, no research has comprehensively documented the plants along the Hijrah route or explored their historical and cultural uses. With the path opening to tourism in November 2025 and expected to welcome thousands of pilgrims annually, this project will systematically record plant species along the route using transect surveys, document their traditional and medicinal uses, and link identified species to their historical significance, contributing to regional ecology and ethnobotany.

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The Appleyard Fund , established in 1968, offers grants up to £2,000 for botany or zoology research. Available to Fellows and Associates not in full-time biology employment, it supports project expenses.

Awarded to Dr Jeanne Yetchom Fondjo, this project will revise the poorly known, flightless grasshopper genus Mazaea in Cameroon, where recent molecular data suggest hidden species diversity. Researchers will collect specimens, examine morphology and sequence multiple genetic markers. Phylogenetic relationships and species boundaries will be determined using molecular delimitation methods (ABGD, ASAP, bGMYC) alongside morphological analysis, with data being made available on public databases. The project aims to discover new species, map where they live, build a DNA reference library and clarify the taxonomy of these grasshoppers. The results will help inform biodiversity conservation, enhance identification tools and provide genomic resources for future studies.

Linnean Society Collections: Preserving the Past, Shaping Future Discovery

Our Collections: Digital Access, Global Reach

In 2023, we set out to transform how our digitised collections are preserved and shared. While our journals remain a trusted home for original research, our collections—hosted on Linnean Online— represent an extraordinary and free to access research resource in their own right. But as our digital ambitions grew, it became clear that our previous platform could no longer support both the collections and an expanding digital archive. So, in November 2023, we chose a new digital preservation partner: Preservica.

What followed in 2024 was a monumental effort. More than 61,000 records—containing nearly 220,000 images—were carefully reviewed, cleaned and enhanced. Metadata was refined and expanded, creating a richer, more powerful dataset designed to improve discoverability and user experience.

In early 2025, Digital Assets Manager Andrea Deneau collaborated closely with developers to migrate and rigorously test the collections in their new digital home. By the end of March, the new platform went live, and the results have been encouraging. The system is not only versatile, but ready to grow alongside our expanding digital archives. In just nine months, the platform has welcomed over 1,000 users each month—more than three-quarters joining us from outside the UK—demonstrating its truly global reach. It has been a strong investment in the future of accessible, sustainable research.

Opening the Archive: Powering New Research

From within our Collected Archives, a range of collections were catalogued and made fully accessible through our archive catalogue. These include collections for members, such as D. H. Scott and Rina Scott (ref: SEO), and for organisations, including the Selborne Society and the Gilbert White Archive (ref: SS), with detailed descriptions now available for the first time.

The Collected Archives also hold significant material on nature conservation. In February, the IUCN and Richard Fitter (ref: FIT) archives were catalogued and uploaded, followed in October by the archives of the Council for Nature (ref: CFN), expertly catalogued by Project Archivist Alex Milne. In total, approximately 1,395 new records were added to the catalogue, opening up exciting new possibilities for research and greatly improving accessibility to these invaluable archives. Since going

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live, we have already received numerous requests from researchers to consult this material in person, demonstrating the immediate impact of this work.

Unlocking the Percy Sladen Archive

Through the Percy Sladen Memorial Fund, we appointed Project Archivist Becky Darnill in August to catalogue the Percy Sladen archive held at the Society. Percy Sladen (1849–1900) was a Fellow and Zoological Secretary of the Society, and a marine biologist who studied echinoderms, famously detailing a landmark account of the starfishes collected on the HMS Challenger expedition (1872– 1876). The Percy Sladen Memorial Fund was set up by his wife Constance Sladen—one the of first female Fellows admitted to the Society—in 1904.

Sorting and appraisal of the extensive Sladen material (77 boxes and three volumes) was the initial step. A hierarchical arrangement was made, organising it into distinct areas including foundational documents, governance papers and grant applications. Listing and collating the material is underway, with a view to transferring it to a catalogue, making the collection globally accessible for the first time. This will have potential research applications in not just zoology, but in geology, archaeology and early studies in anthropology.

Strengthening Partnerships: Championing Collections, Collaboration and Community

In 2025, our Head of Collections Dr Isabelle Charmantier became part of the advisory board for the Natural History Humanities programme as part of the ‘Collections-Connections-Communities’ research initiative at the University of Cambridge. As part of this, we participated in a popular panel discussion at the British Society for the History of Science conference, looking at natural history humanities, presenting to a packed-out room on the role of the Linnean Society collections and their benefit to the programme.

Other collections-based networking included Librarian Will Beharrell attending the European Horticultural Libraries (EBHL) annual meeting in Paris, and Assistant Archivist Christina McCulloch representing the Society at the Places, Plants and People Archives Network meetings throughout the year. These groups offer a terrific way to share knowledge, grow and adapt to changes in the academic research environment.

Linnaeus Link

The Linnaeus Link Project is an international collaboration devoted to the work of our namesake, the 18th-century naturalist-physician, Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778). The aim has been to provide a comprehensive bibliography of Linnaean-interest publications, reflecting the diverse output of contemporary scholarship, and the holdings of major research collections world-wide. It has been recognised by the International Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT) and the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN).

After much discussion, it was decided by common agreement between the 24 Linnaeus Link partners that the Linnaeus Link Union Catalogue—an online union catalogue of Linnaean material held in repositories globally—would be closed at the end of June 2025, although the group is keen to continue as a network.

Librarian Will Beharrell continued work on the bibliography of Linnaean works, first started by Basil Soulsby (who headed up the Natural History Museum’s General Library) in the early 1900s. The result was an online digest published at the end of the year entitled ‘The Year’s Work in Linnaean

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Studies’. Plans are also being put in place to have an annual Linnaeus Link lecture, hosted by the Linnean Society.

From Archive to Analysis: Haludar’s Art Revealed

Several botanical and zoological illustrations by the Bengali artist Haludar, from the Francis Buchanan-Hamilton collection, were sent to the Kelvin Centre for Conservation in Glasgow for image analyses (including stereomicroscopy and infrared reflectography). This is forming part of scientific illustrator Claire Banks’ PhD thesis ‘Company Drawings of Natural History: The evolution of techniques and materials c. 1790–1820’. We are looking forward to finding out more information about the illustrations, and the 18th- and 19th-century pigments used.

Student Placements, Fresh Perspectives

Each year, the Society offers research placements, fostering connections with early career scholars while uncovering fresh insights into our collections. In 2025, we welcomed London Singletary, a Master’s student in History at King’s College London. London’s work transcribing and indexing the Society’s Council Minutes has been invaluable, as, for the first time, these records will be fully searchable, opening them up to wider scholarly use. He also examined the travel diary of the Society’s founder, James Edward Smith, tracing his Grand Tour of Europe in the late 18th century and identifying differences between published and unpublished versions. Blogs and articles based on London’s research will be shared in 2026.

Meanwhile, as part of a student placement with UCL, Emily O’Connor has been cataloguing the notebooks of William Keble Martin, author of Concise British Flora in Colour (1969). Her work records plant species, localities and observation dates, offering insight into Martin’s fieldwork. Once complete, the catalogue will be fully searchable by name, location and date, greatly enhancing access for researchers and the public. This is an ongoing project, with completion anticipated in 2026.

AdoptLINN: Conserving Treasures for Tomorrow

Our AdoptLINN conservation scheme supported the care of some remarkable items in 2025, including the largest project: the oil portrait of botanist Nathaniel Ward displayed in our Meeting Room. Measuring 141 x 110.5 cm, the painting had yellowed and darkened from over 150 years of Piccadilly soot, with additional splashes and smears from a 2008 ceiling leak. Conservator Amanda Paulley meticulously cleaned the portrait using smoke sponge brushing and petroleum spirit, retouching only damaged areas with sympathetic colours before applying a light varnish. The transformation was dramatic, and this work was generously supported by Keith Salvesen FLS.

The scheme also preserved one of our most striking books, John Gould’s A monograph of the Ramphastidae, or family of toucans (1834). This heavy double folio had a detached spine and boards after nearly two centuries of use. Conservator Janet Ashdown rebuilt the spine, added a linen hinge for reinforcement, and recovered it in matching leather, ensuring the book is ready for another 200 years.

Overall, AdoptLINN raised £4,240 (including Gift Aid) via 15 gifts from eight donors. Nearly 39% was given for general conservation, allowing the Collections Team to select items for care in the donors’ names, directly supporting the long-term conservation of our treasures.

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Linnean Society Medals and Awards 2025

Through its medals and awards, the Linnean Society has long recognised individuals who have made outstanding contributions to understanding the natural world. We were honoured to welcome our 2025 medal and award recipients:

AWARD	RECIPIENT
Linnean Medal For services to science	Professor David Macdonald CBE, Universityof Oxford,UK
Darwin–Wallace Medal Awarded to a person or group who have made major advances in evolutionary science	Professor Trudy Mackay FRS, Clemson University, USA
Bicentenary Medal Awarded to an early career scientist, in recognition of excellent research in the natural sciences	Dr Joanne Littlefair, University College London, UK
Irene Manton Prize For the best doctoral thesis in botany in a UK university	Jamie B. Thompson, University of Bath, UK
John C. Marsden Medal For the best doctoral thesis in biology in a UK university	Jamie C. Weir, University of Edinburgh, UK
John Spedan Lewis Emerging Leader Award For an initiative with notable positive impact for the UK natural environment	Megan Gimber, People’s Trust for Endangered Species, UK
H. H. Bloomer Award Awarded to an amateur naturalist for an important contribution to the knowledge of natural history	Aasheesh Pittie, Indian BIRDS, India
Jill Smythies Award A medal and £1,000 to a botanical artist for outstanding, diagnostically relevant, published illustrations	Hyewoo Shin,Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, South Korea

Medal and Award Revisions

In line with our new strategy to broaden engagement, we are updating our awards portfolio to reflect a wider range of disciplines and contributions.

The Linnean Medal is now aligned with our mission ‘to cultivate a global community working for a world where nature is understood, valued and protected’. There are now two Linnean Medals: (1) The Linnean Medal for significant and sustained advances in the understanding of nature. This includes academic research into any relevant branch, including science, history and the humanities. (2) The Linnean Medal for significant and sustained dedication to the protection of nature. This includes conservation, communication, education and advocacy.

The Darwin–Wallace Medal , awarded for evolutionary biology, will be awarded triennially.

For early career researchers, the Irene Manton Prize and John C. Marsden Medal will now recognise PhD-led papers published in the Society’s journals. Four prizes of £500 will be awarded annually, selected by the journal Editors-in-Chief.

These changes took effect following the Anniversary Meeting on 22 May 2025, with the revised awards to be presented in May 2026.

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SOCIETY

We will motivate people to take positive action, because protecting the natural world requires the involvement of the whole of society.

One of our major aims for 2025 was to encourage people to care for the natural world by making science and history open and engaging. Our free exhibitions invited visitors to pause, reflect and discover the stories behind both people and objects—revealing curiosity, creativity and the human effort needed for scientific discovery. By lending items and offering tours, talks and workshops, we welcomed students, researchers and families to our Piccadilly home. In person and online, speakers shared research and untold stories in clear, accessible ways, helping more people connect with the natural world. These activities and more deliver on our lease commitments, opening our building further and advancing an ambitious decade-long programme of expanded public engagement and access.

Collections in Action: From Exhibitions to Global Engagement

Exhibitions: From Notebooks to Wunderkammers

Our exhibitions have become a major draw, inviting visitors to explore the richness of the Society’s collections. In 2025, we hosted three compelling displays.

Still Life: Depicting Nature from Woodcuts to X-Rays ran from September 2024 to February 2025, attracting 1,270 visitors with its intriguing evolution of imagery—drawings, woodblocks, paintings, photographs, nature prints and more—in scientific study.

Naturalists’ Notebooks , curated by Dr Isabelle Charmantier, ran from March to September 2025 and celebrated the humble yet vital notebook. From handmade journals to luxurious volumes, the exhibition highlighted how notebooks have shaped the work of celebrated thinkers past and present. Featuring additional personal volumes from current Fellows, it became our most popular exhibition to date, drawing 2,798 visitors.

The year concluded with Wonder , inspired by the classic cabinet of curiosity or Wunderkammer . Curated by Andrea Deneau, it offered a playful ‘pick and mix’ of our collections, captivating audiences until March 2026.

Altogether, our exhibitions welcomed nearly 5,000 visitors, offering engaging journeys through art, science, history and, best of all, curiosity. An enticing programme of events was also devised for each, with workshops on creating cyanotypes and notebook-making, lectures with experts onsite and online and curator-led tours.

Collections on Tour

Alongside our own exhibitions, wherever possible the Society is happy to loan items for display elsewhere. We were delighted to be a part of the British Library’s exhibition Unearthed: The Power of Gardening (2 May–10 August 2025), which explored the transformative, enriching and sometimes radical power of gardening in Britain and the impact it has on people, communities and the environment. The Society loaned several items: an 18th-century seed packet of New Zealand flax from Norfolk Island, Charles Darwin’s vasculum (a receptacle for collecting plant specimens) and the portrait of an enslaved man at the foot of a breadfruit tree by Antiguan artist John Tyley.

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Discovering Natural History on Piccadilly

In 2025, our Private Tours programme flourished, welcoming a wide range of visiting groups and strengthening valuable connections. Among our guests were the Swedish Linnaeus Society—who also met with us to explore future collaborations—the London Appreciation Society, the Gardens Trust and the Beatrix Potter Society, for whom Archivist Liz McGow curated a special display of archival treasures. Altogether, we delivered 34 private tours to 240 visitors, sharing the depth of our collections while generating vital income to support our work.

Our popular Treasures Tours continued to captivate the public, offering rare access to our ‘strong room’ in small, intimate groups led by our expert Collections Team. Frequently selling out well in advance, we hosted 12 tours in 2025—including two exclusively for members—welcoming 135 visitors.

Inspiring the next generation with Educational Tours remains central to our mission. We hosted 176 students from institutions across the UK and abroad, including Fordham University, Florida State University, Rikkyo School in England, Seoul National University and UCL. From A-level groups to archival specialists, students explored exhibitions, encountered original materials and even tried their hand at nature journalling.

Beyond New Burlington House

We love taking the Society ‘on the road’ to share our collections and research more widely. Throughout the year, Isabelle Charmantier gave a lecture for the Selborne Society at their education centre in London’s Perivale Woods, exploring ‘Naming Nature: Carl Linnaeus and the Linnean Society of London’. Will Beharrell spoke at the Royal Society’s Libraries of Science conference about ‘The Linnean Society Library: Two centuries of continuity and change’, alongside historian Anna Marie Roos and Emma Laws from Exeter Cathedral, later joining a lively panel discussion. Nearly 160 people attended the event, both in person and online. Meanwhile, Archivist Liz McGow presented a virtual lecture for the CNRS International Emerging Actions WOMNH 19 in Uppsala, Sweden, examining ‘Writing Science in the 19th century: British women’s correspondence networks’. She highlighted the remarkable letters of women around our founder, Sir James Edward Smith, revealing the often-overlooked networks shaping science and natural history. These outreach activities help to bring our collections and history to life.

Hidden Stories, New Research

Our Treasure of the Month blog series offers an exploratory dip into some of the lesser-known items within our collections. Overseen by Archivist Liz McGow, each blog is written by a curator or member of the Linnean Society team. Ten ‘Treasures’ were produced throughout the year, with highlights including the notebooks of amateur botanist Dorothy Chapman (1877–1974), complete with newspaper cuttings, dried flowers and photographs, and a 1782 pub bill outlining dinner for Carl Linnaeus’ son at the King's Arms, Kew Green, during his travels to England.

Collections were also highlighted in The Linnean , with so many of our members being part of, and interested in, the museum and curatorial community. Henry Noltie FLS explored a botanical manuscript from the collections (MS/620), uncovering stunning, lesser-studied illustrations by the 19th-century Indian artist Manu Lal. And Sarah Bilston FLS examined the rise of Britain’s early conservation movement through the newly-catalogued archives of the Selborne Society—one of the country’s oldest environmental organisations—tracing its origins amid the pressures of rapid industrial and urban growth.

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From Nature to Knowledge: Imaginative Events for Every Audience

Under the guidance of Anna Perman, and managed by Katie Lau and Scarlet Forrester, our public events programme continued to broaden the Society’s reach. Attracting new audiences and raising awareness of our work, it also provided members with meaningful opportunities to meet, connect and exchange ideas across disciplines.

In 2025, the team ran a remarkable 91 events—despite just 1.5 staff dedicated primarily to events— showing an extraordinary effort. Sixty-seven in-person events welcomed 3,253 attendees to our building or nature walks, while 22 online and two hybrid events reached 2,914 people, demonstrating broad interest.

Our in-person events foster connections across fields, attracting influencers and leaders to the Society. Scientific talks covered tiger genetics, citrus fruits, the natural history of the dodo and climate modelling. Alongside these were sessions on communicating nature through documentaries, art and music, and the history of studying nature, culminating in the Founder’s Day lecture by Jenny Uglow FLS.

We are grateful to attendees for feedback, which has helped to guide improvements and often praises our venue and speakers. Of the 334 people who responded, events scored 4.6 out of 5. Highlights of what people valued about our events include:

• ‘Challenging perceptions and stimulating critical thinking around conservation orthodoxy.’ ( James Bullock, Conservation and Rewilding in a Changing Climate )

• ‘The speaker was a natural storyteller which really helped to convey her messages and engage the audience.’ ( Rosa Vasquez, The Spirit of the Rainforest )

• ‘Opened my eyes to museum displays which l have seen for decades without seeing the bias in them.’ ( Jack Ashby, Nature’s Memory: Behind the Scenes at the World’s Natural History Museums )

• ‘I always enjoy the Linnean Society's lectures. Because I live in the United States, I can only attend by video. Please keep doing them.’ ( Iroro Tanshi, Bat Foraging: Where and How They Do It )

A Collective Effort: Strength Through Collaboration

Partnerships form a key part of this aim. This year, we were part of London Craft Week with the artist Tess Newall and furniture designer Alfred Newall. We also delivered a policy lecture on misinformation with the Systematics Association. Other partners included the British Ornithologists’ Club, Pint of Science and the BES. For Open House, we coordinated with our neighbours across Burlington Courtyard, opening on the same day—on that one day alone we welcomed 1,171 people to the Society.

In collaboration with India Cole at Queen Mary University, our day meeting ‘(Re)Discovering Natural History Collections’ brought together 75 attendees working with natural history archives and collections, and explored the research being undertaken, as well as innovative ways to communicate about collections, including smells and individual stories.

Life Through a Linnean Lens

Our online Linnean Lens talks continue to bring the Linnean Society’s collections to a global audience. Highlights of 2025 included historian Sachiko Kusukawa’s Linnean Lens lecture on Leonard Fuchs’s Historia Stirpium (1542), which attracted 203 online attendees and over 10,000 YouTube

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views. Equally popular was volunteer John Abbott’s live demonstration on ‘How to conserve 18thand 19th-century paper’, engaging 225 viewers with practical insights. These digital events offer expert-led, in-depth explorations that make our historic collections accessible and captivating to audiences worldwide.

Lunchtime Lectures: Natural History That Connects and Inspires

This year’s Lunchtime Lectures brought natural history vividly to life, welcoming 1,200 attendees to an inspiring programme of 11 diverse talks. From the genetic analysis of E. coli in our food systems to woodland management and the colonial history of the okapi, the series explored science, history and conservation across an impressively wide spectrum of ideas and perspectives.

We were proud to host speakers from every stage of academia—early career researchers, PhD candidates, doctors and activists—each offering compelling global perspectives on the challenges and possibilities shaping our natural world today.

Our most popular lunchtime event, drawing more than 170 guests, featured Dr Iroro Tanshi, whose captivating lecture explored the foraging behaviours of African bats and showcased her groundbreaking research in collaboration with the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society .

With another exciting programme ahead, we look forward to continuing to make natural history accessible, dynamic and deeply relevant to a growing, loyal audience.

Bringing in New Audiences

Our workshops and nature walks are essential gateways for first-time visitors to the Society. This year’s nine workshops—spanning botanical art, embroidery, knitting, cyanotype printing, linoprinting and notebook-making—brought together people united by nature, creativity and craft. Our nine nature walks engaged those eager for the outdoors, including staff-led bat walks in April and September, an insect walk with Connor Butler FLS, and a nature walk and zine-making workshop with blogger Zabby.

Amplifying Perspectives Across Nature, Science and History

As mentioned in ‘Membership’, this year (and for the first time), we gathered self-reported data from our speakers, bloggers and contributors to The Linnean to ensure our programme reflects a rich mix of voices. The findings have shown that:

• 19% of The Linnean contributors and 26% of event contributors were under 35

• 34% of contributors came from outside academia

• • 48% identified as female, 43% as male and 9% as non-binary • 27% identified as being from non-white backgrounds

Growing Connections: Our Education Programme Inspiring Science and Nature Engagement

Inspiring 1,100 Students Through Hands-On Science

This year we trialled our Evolution workshop for KS2, offering it free to schools for a limited period to refine and perfect the activities. Students explored Charles Darwin’s work, the evolutionary tree and his connection to the Linnean Society, before presenting their findings on a ‘new species’ in a peer-reviewed style—just as naturalists did in Darwin’s day.

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Over the year, around 1,100 students from 33 schools attended our onsite workshops on Classification and Evolution. While most schools came from the London area, we were thrilled to welcome one school all the way from Devon. Online sessions were fewer (five workshops) but helped reach additional learners beyond the onsite programme.

To make the workshops even more accessible, we also trialled taking them directly into schools. These sessions can help accommodate students with additional or behavioural needs, or for schools unable to visit the Society, ensuring that the excitement of hands-on science reaches every learner.

Our Local Nature: Supporting the Next Generation of Nature Leaders

Since its launch in 2020, the Our Local Nature grant scheme has awarded nearly £30,000 to 49 projects, empowering young people across the country to take practical action for nature. This year was no different, with £6,000 awarded to help young people bring their projects to life. Demand for this youth-led scheme was exceptional: 412 applications were submitted for the 2025–2026 cycle, reflecting the scale of young people’s commitment to environmental action. Ayesha Meredith-Lewis shortlisted a fantastic range of proposals—from enhancing bat habitats in Cumbria to creating a wellbeing garden in Birmingham—for consideration by our Youth Panel.

Fourteen students aged 16–18 applied to join the Youth Panel; seven were selected and, with support from the Society, led the grant-making process themselves. Together, they awarded funding to seven projects, directing resources to initiatives they believe will make a tangible difference in their communities.

The Cheer Up Squad, for example, had received £775 earlier in the year to deliver ‘Growing Hope’, providing plant-growing kits to 50 children aged 3–10 following hospital treatment. Young volunteers assembled and distributed the kits, promoting sustainability by repurposing recyclable materials as watering devices—nurturing both environmental awareness and recovery through hands-on engagement with nature. Movingly, one parent noted: ‘It takes my son some time to get out of bed after coming home from the hospital. Now, he checks his plant first thing every morning. It’s been such a small but powerful change.’

Inspired by the dedication of young project leaders, we were thrilled this December to secure funding from the Mayor of London’s Green Roots Fund, enabling Our Local Nature to support projects along London’s waterways from 2026.

Nature Network

This was the first year of Nature Network, a nature engagement project targeting 11–14-year-olds (KS3 students) across North and West London. Thanks to funding from John Lyon’s Charity, we have been able to recruit a dedicated Project Manager and offer the scheme at minimal cost to eligible schools.

With the aim of inspiring young people into potentially studying science and natural history at higher education, the project is also about diversifying audiences using natural spaces and recognising the health benefits of spending time in nature. We ran sessions at five schools across the autumn term, often tying science and art together, engaging with a total of 89 students. Even the most unassuming corners of a school site can be home to a range of biodiversity—in one Ealing school we caught badgers on a trail camera!

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Though recruiting participating schools was less successful than anticipated, 100% of teachers and school staff reported a positive outcome. One science teacher shared a list of noticeable benefits for their students:

‘Students making a ‘connection with nature’ and their own lives. Some have really just sat outside and paid attention to things around them. That nature and ‘science’ can be artistic. Increased awareness of different species around their community.’

We were successfully awarded a second year of funding and hope to build on everything we’ve learned in 2026.

Green Careers Conference

Building on the success of our 2024 conference, the Society, in partnership with the BES, hosted another event celebrating careers in the natural world. We welcomed over 70 students and career changers to our Green Careers Conference, offering talks from professionals sharing their own journeys—including Tony Day from The Volunteer Charity and Jamila Brown from JB Impact Agency—alongside CV clinics and interview workshops. Attendees were able to connect with experts in a personal and relaxed setting, gaining practical advice and the confidence to explore their own pathways.

Our library came alive with exhibitors from institutions such as the London Wildlife Trust (LWT), Zoological Society of London (ZSL), the Royal Entomological Society (RES) and Royal Parks, giving participants the chance to discover training and work opportunities while asking questions freely.

In October, the Society further expanded its reach at the ZSL Careers Event, engaging over 250 attendees and inspiring young people to pursue careers in nature, conservation, communication and the history of science.

Amphibians, Fungi and Festival-Goers

In June 2025 the Society ran a stall for the first time in the Science Futures area at Glastonbury Festival. The area focuses on science communication and environmental awareness, with our stall located within the Futurarium, a large marquee that hosts five different organisations each year. Engagement Officer Scarlet Forrester and Journal Officer Georgia Cowie designed, built and ran several interactive activities while disseminating information about the Society and its aims for the full five days of the festival.

The main attraction? ‘Toad in the Hole’, a carnival-style game encouraging visitors to launch handmade frog beanbags through holes in a board with the aim of educating them on amphibian conservation. Holes were coloured red or green, representing active threats to global amphibian populations and some real-world measures to protect them, respectively. The game was a huge success, with many people returning later in the day to talk more about our work and have another go. Many visitors didn’t know about the threats faced by amphibians, and our game allowed them to learn specifics without feeling daunted, before directing them towards related charities they could support. Over 500 visitors engaged with our stand, with nearly 100 sign-ups to Linnean News. We also made several lasting connections with other scientific bodies, including the Daphne Jackson Trust, University of London, ADAS entomology research and the BBC Natural History Unit.

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The Education Team was delighted to be invited to take part in the 2025 All Things Fungi Festival at the Chiddinglye Estate in East Grinstead. Across two lively days, Ayesha Meredith-Lewis, Scarlet Forrester and Georgia Cowie hosted an interactive stall titled ‘Fungi Fling’—a hands-on game that challenged visitors to ‘forage’ for mushrooms and test their species-spotting skills.

Participants identified which mushrooms were edible, with those correctly choosing safe, non-toxic species earning higher points. The sharpest forager of the day took home a special prize pack of Society goodies! Designed to highlight the importance of accurate mushroom identification, the game sparked curiosity, conversation and plenty of friendly competition. More than 380 people stopped by, deepening their knowledge of species identification and discovering more about the Society.

Social Media: A Year of Steady Growth

This year, more people chose to follow our work online, and that steady growth has been genuinely encouraging. It means more people are reading, watching and staying connected with what we do.

• YouTube grew from 4,760 to 7,455 subscribers —a 57% increase , showing growing interest in our talks and recorded events.

• LinkedIn rose from 1,896 to 2,898 followers —up 53% , helping us stay in touch with colleagues and professionals.

• Bluesky increased from 5,771 to 8,691 followers —a 50% rise as more people joined us there.

• Mailchimp subscribers grew from 3,159 to 4,717 —up 49% , meaning more people are choosing to receive our news directly.

• Instagram climbed from 5,110 to 7,274 followers —a 42% increase , with strong interest in images from our collections and events.

• Facebook grew from 10,226 to 11,405 followers —a steady 12% rise .

Behind each number is someone who has taken an interest in our work, and that growing community matters.

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OPERATIONS

We recognise that to achieve our strategy, we need to be resilient and sustainable. We will ensure that we have the right tools, resources and staff to deliver our mission.

In 2025, New Burlington House thrived as a hub for visitors, events and merchandise. Thoughtful pricing, new shop displays and digital initiatives helped share our collections widely, while print-ondemand and licensing opened fresh ways for people to engage. Behind the scenes, staff training and building improvements strengthened the Society for the future.

Under the terms of our lease with the government, we are obliged to report on any substantial improvements to the building, beyond general maintenance. There were no such improvements to the Linnean Society building in 2025.

Hosting, Engaging, Sustaining: Room Hire and Events

Room Hire

Overseen by Operations Assistant Tatiana Franco, room hire at New Burlington House continued to attract strong engagement in a very competitive market. Set around an attractive historic courtyard and neighbouring the Royal Academy of Arts and other Learned Societies, the venue welcomed 2,636 guests across 96 bookings, including 13 new client groups.

Room hire generated £24,052 achieving around 89% of the projected target. While slightly below expectations, the volume of bookings and new partnerships demonstrates sustained demand and provides a solid foundation for repeat business and future income growth in this prestigious Piccadilly setting.

Events

At the beginning of 2025, we introduced a small charge for in-person lectures at New Burlington House, with members enjoying a 20% discount, while online lectures and broadcasts remained free. This change, supported by members in a 2024 survey, has helped to cover rising costs and building improvements such as new AV in the Meeting Room and new emergency lighting.

Charges were already being applied to other types of events, including Treasures Tours, day meetings, education sessions and nature walks. Collectively, these generated £28,192, achieving 123% of the year’s proposed target. This income not only supported the smooth running of our programme but also allowed us to maintain free online offerings, reaching audiences far beyond our walls. The modest charges drastically reduced the number of no-shows, helping us to plan the organisation of the events on the night more effectively.

By balancing small fees with member discounts and free digital access, 2025 demonstrated how thoughtful event pricing can sustain our activities while keeping the Society’s collections, talks and experiences accessible to as many people as possible.

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Bringing Our Collections to Life: Inspiring Products, Supporting Our Work

Onsite Shop

With exhibitions driving increased visitor numbers, we transformed our shop space to better capture attention and maximise sales. Despite spatial limitations, Helen Shaw, Jo Macdonald and Leonie Berwick introduced simple yet highly effective display enhancements, creating a more visible and inviting retail area. A bespoke card display was installed, making it easier for visitors to browse and leave with a meaningful memento of their visit.

A revised second edition of L: 50 Objects, Stories and Discoveries from the Linnean Society of London was published at the start of the year, featuring a reflective foreword by Sir David Attenborough OM FRS. Sales remained steady throughout 2025. We expanded our range with new exhibition-linked postcards, individual greetings cards and a Christmas card celebrating the ‘at-risk’ hedgehog, which proved especially popular. Notebook sales rose significantly following promotion alongside the Naturalists’ Notebooks exhibition and online. A limited-edition ‘Naturae’ candle also sold strongly, while new tea towels and a foldable tote bag were designed and prepared for launch in 2026, in response to visitor feedback.

Overall, merchandise generated £10,166—meeting our £10,000 target. This good performance not only demonstrates strong visitor engagement but also provides valuable profit to reinvest in future exhibitions, collections care and public programmes.

Images and Print-on-Demand

Building on our partnership with Magnolia Box (which began in 2023), Leonie Berwick and Andrea Deneau digitised, edited and added metadata for a fresh autumn upload. Promoted via our social media channels, this generated almost £500 in income.

Looking ahead, we also established a new collaboration with Bridgeman Images at the end of 2025. We uploaded 200 high-resolution images for licensing and signed up for the product-on-demand option, offering products from mugs to cushion covers and phone cases. These new opportunities will be actively promoted throughout 2026, helping more people discover and enjoy our collections while supporting the Society’s work.

Supporting People and Strengthening Skills

Throughout the year, staff received training in the following areas: cybersecurity, crisis management, premises (health and safety, risk assessments, evacuation procedure), safeguarding, dementia awareness, digital fundraising and legacies, communications, marketing and social media, evaluation of impact, carbon reduction and first aid. Additionally, the Senior Management Team received training on understanding people and behaviours, establishing effective relationships, emotional intelligence, navigating difficult conversations and conflict resolution.

By supporting staff to develop new skills and deepen their expertise, we strengthen our organisational resilience, improve the quality of our services and ensure that our team is equipped to respond to the evolving needs of the communities we serve.

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FEEDBACK

TALKS AND LECTURES

Founder’s Day Lecture: Gilbert White, the Revolutionary Outdoor Naturalist (Jenny Uglow):

‘The feeling of being present as something important was taking place, and the social gathering in the library afterwards.’

Lunchtime Lecture: Botanical Triumph in a 16th-Century Italian Villa (Paola Bonfante):

‘I'm interested in botany, am a big fan of your free Zoom lectures and am particularly interested in Art History. This ticked ALL those boxes.’

EXHIBITIONS

Naturalists’ Notebooks

‘What a lovely exhibition. It’s so nice to see notebooks from the 1800s side-by-side with ones done by contemporary/current Fellows…it definitely inspires me to note down observations in my sketchbook!’

‘Wow! What a wonderful hidden treasure! I love scribbling in various notebooks and this was a revelation! Very inspiring, thank you.’

Wonder

‘Beautiful and witty!’

‘ Wonder is an extraordinary exhibition in the most majestic of settings. A delight!’

‘Really interesting and beautifully curated and displayed. All young people should see it!’

JOURNAL BLOGS

‘I've read some of your posts from The Paper Trail blog, I love them! I feel honoured you've selected our manuscript for the next post.’

WORKSHOPS, TOURS AND WALKS

Knitting Workshop: ‘ I loved all of it. The staff were so welcoming, the room was fantastic, it was so well led and informative, I felt as though I entered another world. Thank you all so much.’ Bat Walk: ‘It was really informative and instructors were very knowledgeable. It was really enjoyable to do something new and I would recommend it to anyone.’

THE LINNEAN

‘The Linnean magazine is, in a word, excellent! It is not only worth reading, but also worth watching. The topics are well chosen and written.’

‘Congratulations to everyone on this beautiful issue. I found it truly very interesting. I hope one day to write an article about my research […] for this beautiful magazine.’

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PUBLIC BENEFIT

The Linnean Society contributes to scientific, cultural, economic and social well-being nationally and internationally through a broad programme of activities. Our Arts Council England (ACE)-designated biological collections and historical resources—and our strong focus on biodiversity conservation, sustainability and science outreach—support the care and understanding of our planet. The Society’s key contributions to public benefit are:

• Safeguarding and promoting the Society’s heritage collections, through cataloguing, conservation and digitisation, improving access to primary information, making collections freely available to view online.

• Advancing and disseminating knowledge through four world-class research journals and providing support and recognition through grant schemes and awards to emerging scientists and naturalists.

• Engaging the public through exhibitions, regular tours of the collections, conferences and free public lectures, while our educational programme, which fuses science, history and art, reaches out to students of all ages and backgrounds, providing resources in schools, in New Burlington House and online.

The Society’s activities contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through support for the natural world, and through unique resources that illuminate environmental and social change. The Society connects academia with a diverse public, informing UK Government policy and promoting the international profile of the UK as a pre-eminent international hub for expertise about the natural world.

CORE VALUES AND STRATEGIC PLANNING

The Society’s vision, mission and values are:

Vision: A world where nature is understood, valued and protected

Mission: To cultivate a global community working for a world where nature is understood, valued and protected.

Values:

• We are a diverse community of people united by an active interest in nature, its management and conservation.

• We aim for excellence and integrity in all areas of our activity.

• We use our income and other finances to fulfil our charitable function and declared mission.

• We promote our science to all sectors of society.

• We value diversity and seek to broaden the inclusion of currently under-represented groups.

• We are an expert voice concerning relevant major issues and challenges of our time.

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PEOPLE

Officers and Council listed on pp. 3–4

Linnean Society Staff Team

CEO Head of Finance Head of Collections Head of Operations

Head of Engagement Head of Membership & Development Governance Manager Librarian Archivist Project Archivist Project Archivist (Percy Sladen Memorial Fund) Assistant Archivist Digital Assets Manager Conservator Communications & Events Manager

Publications Manager Education Manager Engagement Officer Journal Editorial Manager Journal Officer Operations Assistant Office Cleaner P/T

**Professor Gail Cardew (2021) ***

Priya Nithianandan (1991–May 2025) ; Michael Kyriakides (from June 2025) * Dr Isabelle Charmantier (2017) * Helen Shaw (2017) ; Josie Macdonald (from April 2025, maternity cover) * Anna Perman (2022) * Pru Shackley (2025) * Andrew Swan (2022) Will Beharrell (2019) Liz McGow (2016) Alex Milne (2021–February 2025) Becky Darnill (from August 2025)

Christina McCulloch (2023–September 2025) Andrea Deneau (2010) Janet Ashdown (2002) Padmaparna Ghosh (2020); Katie Lau (from March 2025, maternity cover) Leonie Berwick (2007) Ayesha Meredith-Lewis (2022) Scarlet Forrester (2024) Dr Hassan Rankou (2022) Georgia Cowie (2023) Tatiana Franco (2015) Fatima Mendonça (2015)

• Senior Management Team

Curators, Editors and Committees 2025

Curators

Oliver Crimmen (2017)

Fish, Shells & General Zoology Oliver Crimmen (2017) Insects Suzanne Ryder (2017)

– Dr Mark A. Spencer (2013 April 2025); Jacek Wajer (from April 2025) Glenn Benson (2014) Gina Douglas (2009)

Plants

Artefacts Honorary Archivist

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Editors

Biological Journal Dr Karen Sears (2023) Botanical Journal Dr Steven Dodsworth (2023) Zoological Journal Dr Jeffrey Streicher (2023) Evolutionary Journal Professor Julia J. Day (2023) The Linnean Leonie Berwick (2022)

Committee Chairpersons

Audit Dr Isabel Larridon (until May 2025); George Bull (from May 2025) Collections Dr Mark Watson (until May 2025); Andrea Hart (from May 2025) Engagement Dr Howard Nelson (until May 2025); Dr Linda Davies (from May 2025) Fellowship Fiona McWilliams Finance & Risk The Treasurer Medals & Awards Professor Paul Barrett (until May 2025); Professor Phil Gilmartin (from September 2025) Nominations The President Publishing Professor Stuart West Remuneration The Treasurer Safeguarding Professor Michael Reiss (until May 2025); Dr Peter Gregory (from May 2025)

The President and Treasurer are ex officio members of all Committees, with the exception of the Audit Committee, where the Treasurer is an attendee. The CEO is an invited attendee of all Committees. Staff also attend various Committees, but not as members.

Committee Members

Audit Committee for the 2024 Accounts

Dr Isabel Larridon (Chair)

Dr Mark Watson

Dr Heather White

Fellowship representative, Tim Bush

Fellowship representative, Professor William Friedman

Fellowship representative, George Bull (co-opted)

A representative of Knox Cropper (Auditors)

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Audit Committee for the 2025 Accounts

George Bull (Chair)

Subhadra Das

Dr Heather White

Fellowship representative, Karen Goldie-Morrisson

Fellowship representative, Dave Mitchell

A representative of Knox Cropper (Auditors)

Collections Committee

Dr Mark Watson (Chair, until May 2025); Andrea Hart (2015; Chair, from May 2025)

The Honorary Curators Professor Felix Driver (2023) Dr Louisiane Ferlier (2023) Debbie Lane (2020) Chris Mills (2022) Dr Chris Saunders (2021)

Engagement Committee

Dr Howard Nelson (Chair, until May 2025); Dr Linda Davies (Chair, from May 2025)

Lucy Carson-Taylor (2023) Dr Chiara Ceci (2024) Sara Abdulla (2024) James Fulcher (2023)

Fellowship Committee

Fiona McWilliams (Chair) Professor Amy Dickman (2024) Fellowship representative, Dr Alexandra Helen-Davey (2024) Fellowship representative, Jon Dunn (2024) Fellowship representative, Chadwick Hagan (2024) Fellowship representative, Dr Ellen Kenchington (2024)

Finance and Risk Committee

The Treasurer (Chair) Dr Charlotte Grezo (2020–October 2025) Fiona McWilliams (2023) Eoin Murray (2023) Elree Winnett Seelig (2023)

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Medals and Awards Committee

Professor Paul Barrett (Chair, until May 2025); Professor Phil Gilmartin (Chair, from September 2025) Dr José F. González-Maya (2025) Professor Kayla King (2022–May 2025) Dr Sandra Knapp (2022–May 2025) Dr Juliano Morimoto (2024) Dr Heather White (2024)

Nominations Committee

The President (Chair) Professor Phil Gilmartin (2025) Steph Holt (2022–May 2025) Dr Sandra Knapp (from August 2025) Dr Howard Nelson (2022); (May 2025, co-opted for 1 year) Dr Mark Watson (from May 2024; May 2025, Chair)

Publishing Committee

Professor Stuart West (Chair) Dr Isabel Larridon (2024) Professor Alistair Hetherington (2023) Kathryn Spiller (2024) Nick Lindsay (2024) The Editors-in-Chief Representatives from the publisher, Oxford University Press (OUP)

Remuneration Committee

The Treasurer (Chair) The President George Bull (from May 2025) Dr Mark Watson (from May 2024)

Safeguarding Committee

Professor Michael J. Reiss (Chair, until May 2025); Dr Peter Gregory (Chair, from May 2025) Designated Safeguarding Officer Deputy Designated Safeguarding Officers

CEO

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

FINANCIAL REVIEW

The full financial accounts were prepared to conform to the Statements of Recommended Practice (SORP–FRS 102) and are presented after the report of the External Auditors.

SUMMARY

The Society’s income increased by £357,469 in 2025 to £2,632,979 from £2,275,510 in 2024. This was largely due to a significant one-off increase in income from Publications during the year, which is unlikely to be repeated in the future. Our expenditure was up on last year, increasing by £119,785 from £1,888,952 in 2024 to £2,008,737 in 2025.

Overall, our surplus of income over expenditure (before movements in investments) in 2025 was £624,242 (2024: £386,558). Without the benefit of donations and legacies our unrestricted funds surplus would have been £542,557. This metric, which excludes net gains / losses on investments, is the best way to assess the ongoing ‘operational’ financial performance of the Society but was somewhat inflated this year as a result of the one-off increase in revenue from Publications. At the start of the year, it was expected that we might be in a modest deficit on an ‘operational’ basis in 2025 so it is pleasing to have finished this year well ahead of this expectation.

The value of our investments increased during the year by £420,522 (2024: £303,077) taking the overall net surplus for 2025 to £1,044,764 (2024: £690,335).

Our unrestricted funds at the end of the year were £8,646,802 (2024: £7,743,634). We continue to try to balance the active use of our funds for charitable purposes with ensuring a sustainable financial position given the future challenges and uncertainties we face.

INCOME

Publications and Royalties

As usual, the overwhelming majority of our income came from our scientific research journals. Overall income from these publications was significantly higher than last year at £2,067,800 (2024: £1,718,019). After deducting the direct production, distribution and editorial costs payable by the Society, the net contribution of our journals was £1,891,382, an increase of £338,160 on 2024 (£1,553,222). Approximately £275,000 of this increase was due to one-off AI licensing income, which is unlikely to be repeated in future years. Without this one-off benefit, our Publishing income would have been up about 4% over 2024.

For our main journals, the Society continues a policy of hybrid publication, enabling those authors who wish to or are required to publish Open Access (OA) to do so, while maintaining a default policy of not economically disenfranchising those authors with no or low funding by not levying page charges. As the journals are our primary source of income, the Society, along with our publisher, keeps a close eye on the worldwide changing policies of OA. Our first online-only fully OA journal, the Evolutionary Journal of the Linnean Society, is making a small contribution to our finances.

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Membership Contributions

We are delighted to report that in 2025 we welcomed 164 new Fellows (2024: 147), 85 new Associates (2024: 60) and 134 new Student Associates (2024: 87) making a total of 383 new members (2024: 294). At the end of 2025, the total membership of the Society stands at 3,256, compared with 3,055 at the end of 2024. This includes all fee and non-fee-paying members. Retention rates remain good with less than 10% churn for the year. We are reviewing our membership platform to ensure it is optimised for our strategic needs and provides an effective and user-friendly service for the members of the Society.

Donations and Legacies

Grants, donations and legacies play an important role in sustaining our charitable activities and we are most grateful to all those funders and donors who have supported the Society during the year. We benefitted from donations and legacies of £46,408 during the year (2024: £74,860).

Investments

As a result of buoyant stock market conditions the value of our investments increased by £420,522 in 2025. After the sale of some investments, which had a corresponding increase in our cash balance, the net increase in the value of our investment portfolio was £380,954 from £5,896,090 at the end of 2024 to £6,277,044 at the end of 2025.

During the year, we used some of our cash funds to pay a further £300,000 of the outstanding deferred consideration for the purchase of the 999-year lease of our premises (see below). At the end of the year, our holding in money market funds (and other cash at our investment managers, Evelyn Partners) had increased to £2,449,800 from £2,227,834 at the end of 2024. These funds continue to provide us with high levels of liquidity with low levels of risk.

Total income from investments in 2025 was £196,158 (2024: £235,105).

Investment policy

Our aim is to enhance the value of both capital and income on a long-term sustainable basis. In order to meet this aim, the investment portfolio is of a prudent nature avoiding over concentration in individual investments and is invested across asset classes to mitigate exposure to any one investment category. Although the Society accepts that investment involves some element of risk, the overall portfolio has a balanced approach across asset classes and markets in order to avoid excessive risk. More speculative investments are avoided.

Following the purchase of the New Burlington House lease in 2024, we instructed Evelyn Partners to lower the risk level on our investment portfolio marginally. The investment strategy adopted by the Society currently targets returns over the medium term of at least 2.5% per annum above inflation as measured by the UK consumer price index.

During the year, we continued to implement the responsible investment policy that we adopted in 2020 to ensure our investment strategy seeks to minimise and ideally eliminate irresponsible corporate behaviour. The policy is intended to be entirely consistent with the duty to secure maximum returns from the prudent investment of charitable funds. The Society positively supports investments in well managed companies that are ethically, environmentally and socially responsible. The Society expects Evelyn Partners, as part of its normal investment research and analysis process, to take account of social, environmental, ethical and governance considerations in the selection,

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retention and realisation of investments. This includes consideration of key issues such as climate change, biodiversity, labour standards, human rights, racial or sexual discrimination, public health, corporate governance, executive pay and business ethics. The Society encourages Evelyn Partners to raise issues with organisations in which it invests and to raise standards in a way which is consistent with improvements in long term shareholder value. During the year, Evelyn Partners made several adjustments to our portfolio to improve its overall environmental and social impact.

We will continue to review our investment policy and the use of any surplus cash, particularly in view of the outstanding balance for the acquisition of the New Burlington House lease and the potential requirement for a significant capital investment from the Society in improvements to the building.

Other Income

Events yielded a total income of £28,192 in 2025 (2024: £19,743). Income from room hire and catering improved during the year to £30,849 (2024: £26,684). Our in-house shop selling books and other merchandise associated with the Society was enhanced during the year and is making a helpful contribution to our finances. Together with other trading activities, this contributed £10,166 in 2025 (2024: £11,298).

EXPENDITURE

98% of the Society’s expenditure was used to further our charitable objectives in 2025, with £32,755 (2024: £37,334) spent on raising funds and managing investments.

Charitable Activities

Our seven core charitable activities reported in the Accounts are: Education, Publications, Scientific Meetings, Collections, Collections (Curatorial), Collections (Conservation & Digitisation), and Research Sponsorship. Our total expenditure on these charitable activities in 2025 (excluding investment management costs) was £1,975,982 (2024: £1,851,618). The work of the Society in safeguarding and promoting our heritage collections, advancing scientific knowledge and understanding, and engaging the public and educational outreach, is set out in detail in the narrative above.

We provided funding for research projects (excluding support costs) across the globe of £47,117 (2024: £63,052) making grants to over 40 individuals.

Expenditure on staff salaries, National Insurance and pensions increased during the year to £1,046,060 (2024: £932,337), reflecting cost of living increases for all staff and the impact of some recent senior hires. The average number of employees in 2025 was 23 (2024: 22).

New Burlington House

In 2024, we purchased a 999-year lease of New Burlington House for a total price of £4,000,000. We paid £1,750,000 upfront from our cash reserves, with the balance of £2,250,000 left outstanding and payable to the Government over 10 years. The outstanding balance attracts interest at the rate of 5.8% per annum.

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In October 2025, we paid a further £300,000 of the deferred consideration due on the lease, reducing the balance outstanding to the Government to £1,950,000. In view of the ongoing interest charge on this outstanding balance, we will continue to review whether early repayment of some or all of this balance would be in the Society’s interest, taking into account the other financial commitments and risks facing the Society.

Following the purchase of the New Burlington House lease, we will no longer pay any rent to occupy our premises, although other costs (such as insurance, rates, maintenance and utilities) remain. We will also need to invest in the building to improve its accessibility, sustainability and efficiency, so there is likely to be material capital expenditure that will be required over the coming years.

FUNDS

The Society’s Total Charity Funds amounted to £12,062,607 at the end of 2025 (2024: £11,017,843). These funds are split between (a) Permanent Endowments and Restricted Funds and (b) Unrestricted Funds. Endowments and Restricted Funds amount to £3,415,805 (which includes heritage assets of £1,500,000 that cannot be monetised). Unrestricted Funds amount to £8,646,802. Within Unrestricted Funds, the Society holds a designated reserve of £5,059,790 to reflect funds already deployed on fixed assets or required to be deployed in the future, including the new lease. This year we have also re-instated the designated fund relating to future costs associated with our premises at New Burlington House. We have allocated £500,000 to this fund to cover certain identified (although not yet fully quantified) costs relating to the building, as well as to have some funds available to make matched contributions to funding received from external parties towards future improvements as required.

Reserves Policy

Under the Charities SORP 2019 free reserves are calculated as the total of investments and net current assets classified as unrestricted funds, less any assigned to designated funds.

The Society’s General Reserve is held to provide income to support our day-to-day charitable activities as well as to enable the Society to continue to operate effectively in the event that income is unexpectedly reduced. The level of contingency is set by the Council after detailed consideration by, and a recommendation from, the Finance & Risk Committee. In determining the level, future income and expenditure is assessed for reliability and commitment respectively. In addition, future capital expenditure, other commitments and contingency are considered.

Aside from general risks, the Society needs to maintain a General Reserve to safeguard against the risk of a decline in publication income due to changes in the business model of academic journal publishing. We also need to ensure that we have sufficient funds available to address required essential maintenance and modernisation of our premises and infrastructure. The General Reserve is available to provide further financial support in relation to both these matters.

The Trustees consider that a minimum of six months of operational expenditure should be held in the General Reserve with a minimum of approximately £1m. After the creation of a dedicated Building Reserve of £500,000, the General Reserve Fund now stands at £3,587,012 (2024: £3,136,657). The Trustees consider the current balance of the General Reserve to be reasonable in the context of the uncertainties facing the Society.

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OUTLOOK

Whilst the Society remains in a relatively healthy financial position, there continue to be significant challenges ahead. We need to continue to find ways to grow our income streams, which remain heavily dependent on revenue from our journals, and which are under long-term threat from trends in publishing. Our financial strategy needs to focus on income diversification in order to be able to continue and expand our activity and impact.

Whilst we continue to manage costs efficiently, we are not immune to inflationary pressures. We are also investing in the future development of the Society with new staff hires, which we expect to increase our income over time, but which will have a cost impact in the short term. There are also likely to be maintenance and other costs for New Burlington House that could be significant. As set out above, our publishing income is expected to reduce in 2026 because the one-off factors that increased the income in 2025 will not re-occur. The combination of these factors means that we are budgeting to be around break-even on an ‘operational’ basis in 2026.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Trustees of the Society extend their gratitude to all the Officers and Staff for continuing to be so careful in control of expenditure in their areas of responsibility and to thank the volunteers for their much-appreciated contributions. Finally, our particular thanks to Michael Kyriakides for stepping in as Interim Head of Finance following the sad loss of Priya Nithianandan in the early part of the year.

RISK ASSESSMENT

The Trustees regularly review the Risk Register, which summarises the major strategic, business and operational risks that the Society faces and have implemented appropriate systems and procedures to mitigate these risks. In 2024 the Trustees approved a new Risk Management Policy to guide their activity. The Society also has a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) and a Disaster Plan, which were developed to enable the Society to continue normal operations in the event of a serious disruptive incident. These plans are regularly reviewed and updated as needed.

STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES’ FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER THE CHARITIES ACT

The Trustees are required to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Society and of the surplus or deficit of the Society for that year. In preparing those financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

• Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently

• Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent

• Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Society will continue in business

The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Society and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with relevant legislation. They are also responsible for safeguarding the

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assets of the Society and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Responsibilities of the Treasurer

Bye-Law 15.1 states: The Treasurer shall generally be responsible for supervising the financial affairs of the Society and advising the Council on economic and financial questions. The roles, responsibilities and powers of the Treasurer are to be determined by the Council and set out in the Standing Orders. The Treasurer shall be appointed to hold office for a term of three years from the conclusion of the Anniversary Meeting at which they are elected. This term may be renewable by the Fellowship twice, giving a maximum period of office of nine years.

Audit Arrangements

As per Bye-Laws 17.2 and 17.4, Council has delegated responsibility for the annual financial audit to an Audit Committee, as set out in the Standing Orders and Terms of Reference for this Committee. This Committee comprises three Council members and two Fellows (who are not members of Council) and may co-opt additional members to provide specialist advice on a particular matter or for succession planning purposes. The Committee reports to Council and then to Fellows at the Anniversary Meeting.

Knox Cropper was appointed as auditors at the Anniversary Meeting in May 2025, and have expressed willingness to be re-appointed. These accounts were approved by Council on 2 April 2026 and signed on behalf of the Trustees by

________ Treasurer

________ President

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INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF

THE LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON

OPINION ON FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

We have audited the financial statements of The Linnean Society for the year ended 31 December 2025 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet, the Cash Flow Statement and the related notes, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion the financial statements:

• give a true and fair view of the state of the charity’s affairs as at 31 December 2025 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, for the year then ended;

• have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and

• have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011.

BASIS FOR OPINION

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

CONCLUSIONS RELATING TO GOING CONCERN

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

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OTHER INFORMATION

The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The Trustees are responsible for the other information.

Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard.

MATTERS ON WHICH WE ARE REQUIRED TO REPORT BY EXCEPTION

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

• the information given in the Report of the Trustees is inconsistent in any material respect with the financial statements; or

• sufficient accounting records have not been kept; or

• the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or

• we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF TRUSTEES AND AUDITORS

As explained more fully in the Trustees’ responsibilities statement, the Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the Trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the Trustees are responsible for assessing the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Trustees either intend to liquidate the charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

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AUDITOR’S RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE AUDIT OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

We have been appointed as auditor under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and report in accordance with the Act and relevant regulations made or having effect thereunder.

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:

• The Charity is required to comply with the charity law and, based on our knowledge of its activities, we identified that the legal requirement to accurately account for restricted funds was of key significance.

• We gained an understanding of how the charity complied with its legal and regulatory framework, including the requirement to properly account for restricted funds, through discussions with management and a review of the documented policies, procedures and controls.

• The audit team, which is experienced in the audit of charities, considered the charity’s susceptibility to material misstatement and how fraud may occur. Our considerations included the risk of management override.

• Our approach was to check that all restricted income was properly identified and separately accounted for and to ensure that only valid and appropriate expenditure was charged to restricted funds. This included reviewing journal adjustments and unusual transactions.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

USE OF OUR REPORT

This report is made solely to the charity’s Trustees and members, as a body, in accordance with Section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and regulations made under Section 154 of that Act. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we may state to the Trustees and members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditors’ report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than Trustees and members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Knox Cropper LLP, Chartered Accountants, Statutory Auditor 65 Leadenhall Street London EC3A 2AD

Date: 14 / 04 / 2026

Knox Cropper LLP is eligible for appointment as auditor of the charity by virtue of its eligibility for appointment as auditor of a company under section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006.

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2025

Notes Income and Endowments From: Donations and Legacies 2 Charitable Activities Members’ Contributions Publications 3 Scientific Meetings Library Education Other Trading Activities 4 Investments Total Income and Endowments Expenditure On: Raising Funds Investment Management Costs Charitable Activities 6 Education Publications Scientific Meetings Collections Collections: (Curatorial) Collections: (Conservation & Digitisation) Research Sponsorship Total Expenditure Net Income/(Expenditure) before Investment Gains/(Losses) Net Gains/(Losses) on Investments Net Income/(Expenditure) NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS Fund balance brought forward at 31/12/2024 Fund balance carried forward at 31/12/2025	Unrestricted Restricted Endowment 2025 2024 Funds Funds Funds Total Total £ £ £ £ £ 45,660 748 - 46,408 74,860 185,086 - - 185,086 180,886 2,067,800 - - 2,067,800 1,718,019 28,192 - - 28,192 19,743 4,844 20,000 - 24,844 5,907 3,763 40,000 - 43,763 2,930 40,728 - - 40,728 38,060 155,147 41,011 - 196,158 235,105
	2,531,220 101,759 - 2,632,979 2,275,510
	24,532 8,223 - 32,755 37,334 221,052 36,501 - 257,553 273,640 479,863 - - 479,863 437,797 333,265 - - 333,265 239,020 371,449 - - 371,449 397,988 225,043 - - 225,043 189,689 218,720 14,511 - 233,231 220,917 69,079 6,499 - 75,578 92,567
	1,943,003 65,734 - 2,008,737 1,888,952
	588,217 36,025 - 624,242 386,558
	314,951 53,792 51,779 420,522 303,777
	903,168 89,817 51,779 1,044,764 690,335
	903,168 89,817 51,779 1,044,764 690,335
	7,743,634 2,404,022 870,187 11,017,843 10,327,508
	8,646,802 2,493,839 921,966 12,062,607 £11,017,843

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31[ST] DECEMBER 2025

Notes FIXED ASSETS Heritage Assets 9 Tangible Fixed Assets 10 Investments 11 CURRENT ASSETS Debtors 12 Short Term Deposits Cash at Bank and in Hand TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS CREDITORS:Amounts Falling Due Within One Year 13 NET CURRENT ASSETS CREDITORS:Amounts Falling Due After One Year 14 NET ASSETS CAPITAL FUNDS Endowments 15 INCOME FUNDS Restricted 15 Other Heritage Fund Unrestricted Designated 16 General 17 TOTAL CHARITY FUNDS	2025 £ £ 1,566,950 4,492,840 6,277,044 870,125 2,449,800 187,221 3,507,146 (1,831,373) 1,675,773 (1,950,000) 12,062,607 921,966 993,839 1,500,000 2,493,839 5,059,790 3,587,012 8,646,802 12,062,607	2024 £ £ 1,566,950 4,606,977 5,896,090 498,039 2,227,834 134,082 2,859,955 (1,662,129) 1,197,826 (2,250,000) 11,017,843 870,187 904,022 1,500,000 2,404,022 4,606,977 3,136,657 7,743,634 £11,017,843	2024 £ £ 1,566,950 4,606,977 5,896,090 498,039 2,227,834 134,082 2,859,955 (1,662,129) 1,197,826 (2,250,000) 11,017,843 870,187 904,022 1,500,000 2,404,022 4,606,977 3,136,657 7,743,634 £11,017,843
			11,017,843
			870,187 2,404,022 7,743,634
			£11,017,843

These accounts were approved by Council on 2[nd] April 2026 and signed on behalf of the Trustees by

________ Treasurer

________ President

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

CASH FLOW STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31[ST] DECEMBER 2025

Notes CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES Cash generated from operations 19 Interest paid Net Cash provided by (used in) operating activities CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES Dividends, interest and rents from investments Purchase of Property, Plant and Equipment Proceeds from sale of investments 11 Purchase of investments 11 Net Cash provided by (used in) investing activities CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES New Loans Net Cash provided by (used in) financing activities Change in cash and cash equivalents in the reporting period Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the reporting period Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the reporting period Analysis of Net Funds/(Debt) Short Term Deposit Cash in Bank and in Hand Deferred Consideration and associated interest Net Funds/(Debt)	Notes CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES Cash generated from operations 19 Interest paid Net Cash provided by (used in) operating activities CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES Dividends, interest and rents from investments Purchase of Property, Plant and Equipment Proceeds from sale of investments 11 Purchase of investments 11 Net Cash provided by (used in) investing activities CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES New Loans Net Cash provided by (used in) financing activities Change in cash and cash equivalents in the reporting period Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the reporting period Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the reporting period Analysis of Net Funds/(Debt) Short Term Deposit Cash in Bank and in Hand Deferred Consideration and associated interest Net Funds/(Debt)	2025 2024 £ £ £ £ 40,647 110,918 - - 40,647 110,918 196,158 235,105 (1,267) (1,750,000) 1,078,318 509,870 (1,038,751) (383,334) 234,458 (1,388,359) - - - - 275,105 (1,277,441) 2,361,916 3,639,357 2,637,021 2,361,916 1st January 2025 Movement 31st December 2025 £ £ £ 2,227,834 221,966 2,449,800 134,082 53,139 187,221 2,361,916 275,105 2,637,021 (2,271,750) 171,655 (2,100,095) 90,166 446,760 536,926

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ ST] DECEMBER 2025

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The accounts are prepared in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 102 and the Charities SORP (FRS 102) and in compliance with the Charities Act 2011. The Society is a Public Benefit Entity.

Depreciation is provided on tangible fixed assets, at rates calculated to write each asset down to its estimated residual value over its expected useful life as follows:

Property: 50 years Lift and associated refurbishment work: 30 years Furniture and Fixtures: 10 years Environmental Control: 10 years Office Equipment: 3 years

Investments are stated at mid-market value. Gains and losses on disposals and revaluations of fixed asset investments are reported in the Statement of Financial Activities and added to the funds to which they relate.

Investment income is accounted for gross in the year of receipt.

Donations and legacies are accounted for when the Society is unconditionally entitled to receipt. No account is taken of stock held for resale. Contributions income is stated net of amounts received in respect of future years.

The Society is partially exempt for VAT purposes. Expenditure is stated net of VAT with irrecoverable VAT shown as a separate expense item.

Support costs are allocated to charitable activities on the basis of estimates of staff time spent on those activities and, in relation to accommodation costs, the relative space used by those activities.

Heritage assets donated to the Society are valued by an independent expert at the time of their donation.

Expenditure is accounted for when there is a constructive or contractual liability arising. A provision is made when the amount payable cannot be determined with certainty.

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

2. DONATIONS AND LEGACIES

NATIONS AND LEGACIES
John Marsden Fund Legacies Other Funds for Grants and Awards Other Donations	Unrestricted Funds £ - 20,726 7,000 17,934 45,660	2 2025 Restricted Total Funds Funds £ £ 748 748 - 20,726 - 7,000 - 17,934 748 46,408	2024 Total Funds £ 688 39,290 10,005 24,877
			74,860

3.PUBLICATIONS Joint Publication Account (Note 5) Other Publication Sales Royalties 4.OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES Room Hire Catering Translation Gain/(Loss) – US Dollar Other (merchandise and drinks)	2025 £ 2,064,211 2,886 703 2,067,800 2025 £ 24,052 6,797 (287) 10,166 40,728		2024 £ 1,715,363 1,211 1,445
			1,718,019
			2024 £ 25,257 1,427 78 11,298 38,060

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

5. JOINT PUBLICATION ACCOUNT

SALES Journals PUBLICATION COSTS Production and Distribution SURPLUS Other Costs Incurred by Society Editorial Costs SUMMARY Society’s share of Income – Note 3 Society’s share of Joint costs and other directly incurred costs		2025	Society Share £ 2,064,211 (108,056)	Total £ 2,301,300 (136,997)		2024 Publisher Share Society Share £ £ 585,937 1,715,363 (36,395) (100,602)	2024 Publisher Share Society Share £ £ 585,937 1,715,363 (36,395) (100,602)
		Total Publisher Share £ £ 2,757,845 693,634 (147,003) (38,947)				Publisher Share £ 585,937 (36,395)
		2,610,842 654,687	1,956,155	2,164,303		549,542	1,614,761
			(64,773)				(61,539)
			1,891,382				1,553,222
			2,064,211 (172,829)				1,715,363 (162,141)
			1,891,382				1,553,222

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

6. CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES

	Activities	Grant	Support
	Undertaken	Funding	Costs
	Directly	Activities	(Note 8)	Total 2025	Total 2024
	£	£	£	£	£
Education
Education Costs	6,398	-	-	6,398	7,577
John Lyon Fund	-	36,501	-	36,501	-
Support Costs	-	-	214,654	214,654	266,063
Total	6,398	36,501	214,654	257,553	273,640
Publications
Joint Publication Account (Note 5)	172,829	-	-	172,829	162,142
The Linnean Newsletter and Pulse	8,057	-	-	8,057	12,401
Support Costs	-	-	298,977	298,977	263,254
	180,886	-	298,977	479,863	437,797
Scientific Meetings
Expenditure	16,865	-	-	16,865	17,938
Support Costs	-	-	316,400	316,400	221,082
	16,865	-	316,400	333,265	239,020
Collections
Expenditure	10,874	-	-	10,874	14,641
Conservation Archives Project	-	-	-	-	37,046
Support Costs	-	-	360,575	360,575	346,301
	10,874	-	360,575	371,449	397,988
Collections (Curatorial)
The Linnaeus Link Project	1,222	-	-	1,222	8,490
Support Costs	-	-	223,821	223,821	181,199
	1,222	-	223,821	225,043	189,689
Collections: (Conservation &
Digitisation)	35,001	-	-	35,001	65,502
Percy Sladen Memorial Fund	-	14,511	-	14,511	-
Support Costs	-	-	183,719	183,719	155,415
	35,001	14,511	183,719	233,231	220,917
Research Sponsorship	-	47,117	28,461	75,578	92,567
Total	251,246	98,129	1,626,607	1,975,982	1,851,618

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

6. CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES (CONTINUED)

The grants set out above include grants made by the Society to individuals. In total, grants were paid to over 40 individuals during the year (2024: 37).

7. GOVERNANCE COSTS

Expenses of Officers and Council Audit Fee Legal and Professional Fees Staff and Other Related Costs	2025 £ 2,076 7,455 11,967 68,831 90,329	2024 £ 3,144 7,100 59,167 64,498
		133,909

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

8. SUPPORT COSTS Education £ Salaries and Wages 135,077 Premises Costs (depreciation) 33,242 Repairs and Maintenance 34,415 Office Costs - Other Costs (rent provision) - Governance Costs 11,920 214,654 2024 266,063 SALARY COSTS Gross Salary Employers National Insurance Employers Pension Contributions Consultancy fees Charged direct to projects Charged to Support costs Charged to Governance	Education £ 135,077 33,242 34,415 - - 11,920	Publications Scientific Meetings £ £ 220,265 181,133 27,706 35,322 8,746 43,161 2,524 3,967 23,133 35,247 16,603 17,570	Library £ 179,339 37,930 43,161 8,113 72,009 20,023	Collections Curatorial £ 108,691 36,112 43,161 2,164 21,264 12,429	Collections Conservation & Digitisation £ 88,149 39,224 43,161 180 2,803 10,202	Research Sponsorship Total 2025 Total 2024 £ £ £ 21,409 934,063 832,975 - 209,536 151,120 - 215,805 113,381 541 17,489 17,107 4,929 159,385 213,593 1,582 90,329 134,652
	214,654	298,977 316,400	360,575	223,821	183,719	28,461 1,626,607 1,462,829
	266,063	263,254 221,082	346,301	181,199	155,415	29,515 - 1,462,829
		2025 Total £ 823,949 83,287 81,289 57,535	2024 Total £ 779,267 80,788 72,312 -
		1,046,060	932,337
		48,638 934,063 63,359	36,958 832,975 62,404
		1,046,060	£932,337

The average number of employees was 23 (2024: 22).

One employee earned more than £60,000. The total emoluments of the senior management team amounted to £456,731 (2024: £319,659). Council and Committee members provide their services gratis and receive only out of pocket expenses.

Travel and subsistence expenses claimed for by Officers and Council and Committee members in 2025 were £2,076 (2024: £3,144)

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

9. HERITAGE ASSETS

AGE ASSETS
Heritage assets acquired since 2010	2025
COST At 1st January 2021 made up of Darwin’s Books 1,500,000 Nepal Maps 21,000 Smith Diaries 5,000 Opie Paintings 25,000 The Transylvania Florilegium Vol 1 5,475 The Transylvania Florilegium Vol 2 5,475 Tyley Drawing 5,000 DEPRECIATION (At 31st December 2025) At 1st January 2025 Charge for the Year NET BOOK VALUE (At 31st December 2025) At 31st December 2024 At 31st December 2025	£
	1,566,950
	- -
	-
	£1,566,950
	£1,566,950

In 2015, the Society received from the Charles Darwin Trust a gift of Darwinian and Wallacean material which contained many key works, manuscripts and letters which has been valued at £1,500,000. In accordance with FRS 102, donated heritage assets have been included at valuation.

The Society also holds a large number of scientific and historic assets which cannot easily be valued and which will not be sold because their maintenance is part of the primary objective of the Society. As a result, these heritage assets are not included in the Balance Sheet. These assets comprise:

a. biological specimens b. books and periodicals c. manuscripts, d. portraits and busts including notebooks, letters and artworks

These heritage assets of the Society are of primary value, internationally, to the biological sciences, and in terms of cultural value, to the history of science. The main collections of dried plant material, preserved animal specimens, books and manuscripts and correspondence of Carl Linnaeus and Sir James Edward Smith provide the foundation for classification, taxonomy and nomenclature.

All this material is irreplaceable and so it is stored under optimum environmental conditions. The collections themselves are accessible physically by any bona fide research worker, accompanied by a curator or appropriate member of staff. The Society, with generous grant funding, has financed the digitisation of this material, and these images are accessible to all, at no charge, through the Society’s website.

The Society’s Collections Development Policy recommends that any additional material must be in fields relevant to existing material.

The Society’s insurance policies cover damage to the fabric of the building and the seek-and-find or repair of the Library’s book stock, manuscripts, paintings and busts, but not the plant and animal collections as they are unique and irreplaceable. As such, they are invaluable to research and science but are valueless for insurance purposes.

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

10. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

Freehold Property Leasehold Property £ £ 518,854 4,000,000 - -	Lift Building Works £ 225,752 -	Office Equipment £ 210,464 1,267	Other Total £ £ 317,297 5,272,367 - 1,267
518,854 4,000,000	225,752	211,731	317,297 5,273,634
91,136 13,333 7,378 80,000	90,300 7,525	204,323 6,562	266,298 665,390 13,939 115,404
98,514 93,333	97,825	210,885	280,237 780,794
420,340 3,906,667	127,927	846	37,060 4,492,840

The freehold property held by the Society comprises Toynbee House in Wimbledon London, which is currently used primarily to house some of the Society’s collections. The leasehold property comprises the property at New Burlington House.

11. INVESTMENTS

Investments are held on a long-term basis to generate investment income for the Society.

UK Fixed Interest UK Equities Overseas Equities Investment Portfolio Market Value brought forward Add: Acquisitions Less: Disposals Realised Gains (Losses) on Disposals Gain (Loss) on Revaluation Market Value carried forward		2025 Book Cost Market Value £ £ 743,244 762,375 2,119,105 3,521,940 1,590,917 1,992,729 4,453,266 6,277,044 5,896,090 1,038,751 (1,078,318) 302,184 118,337 6,277,044		2024 Book Cost Market Value £ £ 511,491 538,023 2,689,513 3,226,320 989,696 2,131,747 4,190,700 5,896,090 5,718,847 383,334 (509,870) 124,639 179,140 5,896,090	2024 Book Cost Market Value £ £ 511,491 538,023 2,689,513 3,226,320 989,696 2,131,747 4,190,700 5,896,090 5,718,847 383,334 (509,870) 124,639 179,140 5,896,090
		Book Cost £ 743,244 2,119,105 1,590,917 4,453,266		Book Cost £ 511,491 2,689,513 989,696 4,190,700
					5,896,090
					5,718,847 383,334 (509,870) 124,639 179,140
					5,896,090

Realised Gains represent the difference between the sales proceeds and original cost of investments sold during the year. Revaluation gains and losses arise from the revaluation of investments to market value at the year-end.

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

12. DEBTORS

ORS
Due from Publisher Prepayments Other Debtors	2025 £ 823,833 13,622 32,670 870,125	2024 £ 378,943 - 119,096
		498,039

13. CREDITORS: Amounts falling due within one year

TORS:Amounts falling due within one year
Contributions received in advance Publishing income received in advance VAT Deferred Expenditure Service Charge Other Creditors Deferred Consideration – New Burlington House	2025 £ 68,098 1,238,560 213,303 28,083 - 133.234 150,095	2024 £
		75,766
		1,132,321
		215,143 34,390
		14,439
		168,320
		21,750
	1,831,373	1,662,129

14. CREDITORS: Amounts falling due after one year

Deferred Consideration – New Burlington House Lease	2025 £ 1,950,000	2024 £
		2,250,000
	1,950,000	2,250,000

The £1,950,000 is the outstanding proportion of the £4,000,000 consideration payable in relation to the acquisition of the New Burlington House lease from HM Government, which is payable in equal instalments over a 10-year period from October 2024 at 5.8% per annum.

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

15. ENDOWMENTS & RESTRICTED FUNDS 2025

Westwood Fund Trail-Crisp Fund Hooker Fund Goodenough Fund Minchin Fund Jane Jackson Fund The HH Bloomer Fund P. Appleyard Fund Dennis Stanfield Memorial Fund Omer Cooper Fund Bonhote Fund Jill Smythies Prize Fund Irene Manton Prize Fund A.G. Side Fund Jan Gillett Fund Denis Owen Fund Ivy Eleanor Sleep Fund Trewavas/Greenwood Fund Eleanor McMillan Fund Zimmerman Fund John Marsden Fund The John Topp Fund Percy Sladen Memorial Fund	Permanent Endowments Balance at 1.1.25 Endowments Received Gain/(Loss) on MV Balance 31.12.25 £ £ £ £ 8,482 - 505 8,987 7,666 - 456 8,122 19,727 - 1,174 20,901 - - - - - - - - 88,651 - 5,275 93,926 21,091 - 1,255 22,346 88,906 - 5,290 94,196 51,397 - 3,058 54,455 - - - - 35,715 - 2,125 37,840 59,512 - 3,541 63,053 74,006 - 4,404 78,410 - - - - - - - - - - - - 218,916 - 13,026 231,942 - - - - - - - - 196,118 - 11,670 207,788 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -	Restricted Funds Balance at 1.1.25 Incoming Resources Resources Expended & Transfers Gain/(Loss) on MV Balance at 31.12.25 £ £ £ £ £ 212 201 (2) 13 424 3,023 247 (27) 180 3,423 18,081 874 (164) 1,076 19,867 35,796 827 (608) 2,130 38,145 1,715 40 (16) 102 1,841 - 2,049 - - 2,049 7,039 650 (64) 419 8,044 17,597 2,462 (2,160) 1,047 18,946 2,125 1,237 (19) 126 3,469 79,775 1,844 (726) 4,747 85,640 1,154 852 (10) 69 2,065 825 1,395 (8) 49 2,261 11,052 1,966 (1,101) 658 12,575 75,610 1,748 (688) 4,499 81,169 10,957 253 (100) 652 11,762 2,348 54 (21) 140 2,521 160,744 8,776 (3,362) 9,565 175,723 42,816 990 (389) 2,548 45,965 188,080 4,347 (1,711) 11,191 201,907 48,846 5,662 (1,761) 2,906 55,653 33,532 1,523 (305) 1,995 36,745 162,695 3,762 (1,480) 9,680 174,657 - 20,000 (14,511) - 5,489 - 40,000 (36,501) - 3,499
John Lyon Fund
HERITAGE ASSET Charles Darwin Trust TOTAL	870,187 - 51,779 921,966	904,022 101,759 (65,734) 53,792 993,839
	- - - -	1,500,000 - - - 1,500,000
	870,187 - 51,779 921,966	2,404,022 101,759 (65,734) 53,792 2,493,839

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

15. ENDOWMENTS & RESTRICTED FUNDS 2024

Westwood Fund Trail-Crisp Fund Hooker Fund Goodenough Fund Minchin Fund Jane Jackson Fund The HH Bloomer Fund P. Appleyard Fund Dennis Stanfield Memorial Fund Omer Cooper Fund Bonhote Fund Jill Smythies Prize Fund Irene Manton Prize Fund A.G. Side Fund Jan Gillett Fund Denis Owen Fund Ivy Eleanor Sleep Fund Trewavas/Greenwood Fund Eleanor McMillan Fund Zimmerman Fund John Marsden Fund The John Topp Fund	Endowments Restricted Balance at 1.1.24 Endowments Received Gain/(Loss) on MV Balance at 31.12.24 Balance at 1.1.24 Incoming Resources Resources Expended & Transfers Gain/(Loss) on MV Balance at 31.12.24 £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 8,038 - 444 8,482 212 177 (177) - 212 7,254 - 412 7,666 2,795 203 (85) 110 3,023 18,667 - 1,060 19,727 16,907 911 (289) 552 18,081 - - - - 34,778 665 (1,377) 1,730 35,796 - - - - 1,623 34 (34) 92 1,715 83,886 - 4,765 88,651 - 1,772 (1,772) - - 19,978 - 1,113 21,091 6,590 551 (433) 331 7,039 84,224 - 4,682 88,906 17,733 2,262 (2,858) 460 17,597 48,660 - 2,737 51,397 5,171 1,094 (4,261) 121 2,125 - - - - 76,164 1,973 (1,973) 3,611 79,775 33,876 - 1,839 35,715 1,137 817 (817) 17 1,154 56,313 - 3,199 59,512 1,136 1,202 (1,513) - 825 70,028 - 3,978 74,006 10,644 1,678 (1,711) 441 11,052 - - - - 72,000 1,671 (1,671) 3,610 75,610 - - - - 10,273 330 (87) 441 10,957 - - - - 2,240 120 (12) - 2,348 207,149 - 11,767 218,916 151,548 8,705 (6,131) 6,622 160,744 - - - - 40,216 1,065 (336) 1,871 42,816 - - - - 208,584 7,257 (39,174) 11,413 188,080 184,861 - 11,257 196,118 44,416 6,459 (2,029) - 48,846 - - - - 31,903 1,317 (1,334) 1,646 33,532 - - - - 153,542 3,938 (1,182) 6,397 162,695
HERITAGE ASSET Charles Darwin Trust TOTAL	822,934 - 47,253 870,187 889,612 44,201 (69,256) 39,465 904,022
	- - - - 1,500,000 - - - 1,500,000
	£822,934 - 47,253 870,187 2,389,612 44,201 (£69,256) 39,465 2,404,022

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

15. ENDOWMENTS & RESTRICTED FUNDS (CONTINUED)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Permanent Endowments represent capital funds where only the income arising may be spent. Unspent income balances are disclosed as separate restricted funds, available to be spent in the future, although, from time to time, unspent balances may be added to capital.

Restricted funds may only be spent for the purpose prescribed by the donor.

16.DESIGNATED FUNDS Fixed Asset Fund Building Fund	2025 £ 4,559,790 500,000 5,059,790	2024 £ 4,606,977 -
		£4,606,977

The Fixed Asset Fund represents the extent to which the Society’s general reserve has been utilised to acquire fixed assets. This ensures that the balance on the general reserve gives a better indication of the funds available to the Society. This fund increased significantly during 2024 as a result of the purchase of the 999-year lease of our premises at New Burlington House for £4,000,000. This fund includes the full balance sheet value of the New Burlington House lease notwithstanding that deferred consideration of £1,950,000 remains outstanding in relation to it - this ensures that our future payment obligations to the Government in respect of the lease are fully covered by this fund. This year we have also included the £66,950 of heritage assets (as set out in Note 9 above) that are not restricted funds, and which are used to further the Society’s charitable purposes and as such we have no intention to monetise.

The Society has re-instated the designated fund relating to future costs associated with our premises at New Burlington House (the "Building Fund"). £500,000 has been allocated to the Building Fund to cover certain identified (although not yet fully quantified) costs relating to fire safety and roof repairs that will need to be incurred over coming years, as well other potential expenses. A portion of the fund may also be used to make matched contributions to funding received from external parties towards future improvements at New Burlington House. This level will be kept under review on an annual basis and could increase as new potential expenditures are identified and our plans for the future use of the building are developed.

The need to create other Designated Funds to reflect potential future costs and liabilities of the Society will also be kept under review on an annual basis.

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

17.GENERAL RESERVE Balance 1stJanuary Net Movement in funds for the year Transfer from Designated Funds Transfer (to) Designated Funds Balance at 31stDecember	2025 £ 3,136,657 903,168 114,137 (566,950) 3,587,012	2024 £ 4,704,438 628,672 1,750,000 (3,946,453)
		£3,136,657

We rely on the income from our General Reserves to support certain of our charitable activities. As such it is important to maintain a significant balance on General Reserve. In addition, the Society needs to maintain a General Reserve to provide contingency funding for day-to-day expenses of the Society in the event of unforeseen negative developments and in order to have contingency plans in place to maintain or replace publication income if Open Access regulations threaten the current business model for academic journals. The Society may also need to make significant capital expenditures to maintain and improve our premises at New Burlington House that are not covered by the Building Fund in Designated Reserves.

18. ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS 2025

Endowment and Restricted Funds Unrestricted Funds	Investments Fixed Assets Current Assets Liabilities Total £ £ £ £ £ 1,915,805 1,500,000 39,000 (39,000) 3,415,805 4,361,239 4,559,790 3,468,146 (3,742,373) 8,646,802
	6,277,044 6,059,790 3,507,146 (3,781,373) 12,062,607

ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS 2024

Endowment and Restricted Funds Unrestricted Funds	Investments Fixed Assets Current Assets Liabilities Total £ £ £ £ £ 1,480,197 1,500,000 294,012 - 3,274,209 4,415,893 4,673,927 2,565,943 (3,912,129) 7,743,634
	£5,896,090 6,173,927 2,859,955 (3,912,129) 11,017,843

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

19. RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) TO NET CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

Net income for the reporting period Adjustments for: Depreciation (Gains)/Losses on investments Dividends, interest and rents from investments (Increase)/Decrease in Debtors Increase/(Decrease) in Creditors	2025 £ 1,044,764 115,404 (420,522) (196,158) (372,086) (130,755) 40,647	2024 £ 690,335 53,547 (303,777) (235,105) 171,426 (265,508)
		110,918

20. RELATED PARTY DECLARATIONS

There were no transactions with related parties during the year.

21. TAXATION

The charity is exempt from corporation tax as all its income is charitable and is applied for charitable purposes

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2024

Notes Income and Endowments From: Donations and Legacies 2 Charitable Activities Members’ Contributions Publications 3 Scientific Meetings Library Education Other Trading Activities 4 Investments Total Income and Endowments Expenditure On: Raising Funds Investment Management Costs Charitable Activities 6 Education Publications Scientific Meetings Collections Collections: (Curatorial) Collections: (Conservation & Digitisation) Research Sponsorship Total Expenditure Net Income/(Expenditure) before Investment Gains/(Losses) Net Gains/(Losses) on Investments Net Income/(Expenditure) NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS Fund balance brought forward at 31/12/2023 Fund balance carried forward at 31/12/2024	Unrestricted Restricted Endowment 2024 2023 Funds Funds Funds Total Total £ £ £ £ £ 74,172 688 - 94,860 384,706 180,886 - - 180,886 168,170 1,718,019 - - 1,718,019 1,691,017 19,743 - - 19,743 15,343 5,907 - - 5,907 15,633 2,930 - - 2,930 2,331 38,060 - - 38,060 16,968 191,592 43,513 - 235,105 148,333
	2,231,309 44,201 - 2,275,510 2,442,501
	26,676 10,658 - 37,334 25,480 273,640 - - 273,640 257,867 437,797 - - 437,797 499,540 239,020 - - 239,020 275,154 360,942 37,046 - 397,988 480,804 189,689 - - 189,689 201,600 220,917 - - 220,917 183,739 71,015 21,552 - 92,567 84,433
	1,819,696 69,256 - 1,888,952 2,008,617
	411,613 (25,055) - 386,558 433,884
	217,059 39,465 47,253 303,777 369,345
	628,672 14,410 47,253 690,335 803,229
	628,672 14,410 47,253 690,335 803,229
	7,114,962 2,389,612 822,934 10,327,508 9,524,279
	7,743,634 2,404,022 870,187 11,017,843 10,327,508

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

Appendix: Full Listing of the Linnean Society’s Meetings, Events and Workshops 2025

PROGRAMME OF EVENTS 2025
14 January 2025	Leonhard Fuchs’s History of Plants	Sachiko Kusukawa
Linnean Lens	(1542)
15 January 2025	Bagh Chaal	Traversing the Heart
Lunchtime Lecture	of India
27 January 2025	A Time for Stitches
Workshop (Still Life exhibition)	Embroidering Linnaeus’ Floral Clock
30 January 2025	The Story of Nature	A Human
Evening Lecture	History
05 February 2025	What's On My Food?	Gabriel Astorga
Lunchtime Lecture
07 February 2025	Curator-Led Exhibition Tour
Special Event	Still Life
11 February 2025	(Re)discovering Natural History	Cecilia Bembibre, Oliver Cox, Joy
Symposium		Gregory, Miranda Lowe CBE, Advolly Richmond, Brad Scott,
		Marenka Thompson-Odlum, Will
		Tullett, Laura Van Broekhoven
12 February 2025	Connecting the Dots to Protect	Anna Metaxas
Evening Lecture	the Ocean
13 February 2025	Into The Light	Cyanotype
Workshop (Still Life exhibition)	Workshop from the Linnean Society’s Collections
20 February 2025	The Unnatural Trade	Naturalists
Nature Reader	and the Slave Trade
4 March 2025	How to Conserve 18th- and 19th-	John Abbott
Linnean Lens	Century Paper with Live Demo
5 March 2025	Interstices	The Hidden Histories
Lunchtime Lecture	of Women in Botany
7 March 2025	A Brief History of Naturalists'	Roland Allen
Evening Lecture	Notebooks
(Still Life exhibition launch)
11 March 2025	Botanical Triumph in a 16th-	Paola Bonfante
Lunchtime Lecture	Century Italian Villa

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

12 March 2025	Lino Printing at the Linnean	Scarlet Forrester
Workshop (Still Life exhibition)	Society
14 March 2025	Members Only Exhibition Late	The Linnean Society Team
Late Opening (Naturalists'
Notebooks exhibition)
18 March 2025	Intertidal Zones	Yuvan Aves
Evening Lecture
27 March 2025	Nature and Cultural Heritage
Evening Lecture	How to Conserve These Sources of Inspiration
04 April 2025	Curator-Led Exhibition Tour
Special Event	Naturalists’ Notebooks
07 April 2025	How Genetics Explain Tigers and	Uma Ramakrishnan
Evening Lecture	Secure Their Future
09 April 2025	Getting 'Batty' at Battersea	An
Nature Walk	Evening Bat Adventure	Society Team
10 April 2025	Conservation and Rewilding in a	James Bullock
Evening Lecture	Changing Climate
22 April 2025	The Great Linnean Bat Hunt
Nature Walk	Family Bat Walk	Meredith-Lewis
23 April 2025	Getting 'Batty' at Battersea	An
Nature Walk	Evening Bat Adventure	Society Team
25 April 2025	Make Your Own Notebook	Janet Ashdown
Workshop (Naturalists'
Notebooks exhibition)
06 May 2025	Linnaeus' Lapland Journey Diary	Staffan Müller-Wille
Linnean Lens	(1732)
14 May 2025	Botanical Drawing	Tess Newall
Workshop	(Part of London Craft Week)
15 May 2025	Plant Specimens Aren’t Flat	The
Evening Lecture	Many Dimensions of Herbaria
20 May 2025	Pint of Science │ Dodos, Giggles,	Helen Arney and Neil Gostling
Special Event	and Unexpected Hits: Science with a Twist!
22 May 2025	Linnean Society 2025 Anniversary	The Linnean Society Team
Governance Event	Meeting

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

28 May 2025	Chimpanzee Engineering Prowess	Alejandra Pascual-Garrido
Lunchtime Lecture		Making the Best Tools for the
	Job
05 June 2025	Shifting Focus	An Artist’s
Evening Lecture	Approach to Microscopy
12 June 2025	Misinformation and the Threat to	The Linnean Society with
Special Event	Conservation	The Systematics Association
17 June 2025	A Meticulous Observer	The
Evening Lecture	Fascinating Notebooks of Leonard
	Jenyns
18 June 2025	Mountains, Lizards, and the Battle	Jhan Salazar
Lunchtime Lecture	with Temperature
27 June 2025	Make Your Own Notebook	Janet Ashdown
Workshop (Naturalists'
Notebooks exhibition)
02 July 2025	How to Make a Woodland	Robin Hayward
Lunchtime Lecture
03 July 2025	The World According to Citrus	David J. Mabberley
Evening Lecture
08 July 2025	Science and Satire
Linnean Lens	The Remarkable Cartoons of
	Richard Owen
09 July 2025	Discovering Insects	A Guided
Nature Walk	Walk Through Wandsworth
	Common
17 July 2025	Climate Injustice	Fighting Global
Evening Lecture	Inequality to Combat Climate Change
25 July 2025	Curator-Led Exhibition Tour
Special Event	Naturalists’ Notebooks
31 July 2025	The Spirit of the Rainforest	Rosa Vásquez Espinoza
Evening Lecture
13 August 2025	Noodle Bodies, Gyroscope Ears,	Marco Camaiti
Lunchtime Lecture	and Phantom Girdles	Limb
	Reduced Lizards
28 August 2025	Making Nature Zines and Journals	Zabby Allen
Nature Walk and Workshop

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

|03 September 2025|Getting 'Batty' at Battersea | An|Georgia Cowie and the Linnean| |---|---|---| |Nature Walk|Evening Bat Adventure|Society Team| |04 September 2025|President's Lecture | Survival of|Mark Watson| |Members’ Event|the Fittest: An Evolving Learned|| ||Society|| |09 September 2025|The Spoils of Botany | Carl|Isabelle Charmantier| |Linnean Lens|Linnaeus’ Early Swedish Flora|| |12 September 2025|Curator-Led Exhibition Tour ||Isabelle Charmantier| |Special Event|Naturalists’ Notebooks|| |15 September 2025|Getting 'Batty' at Battersea | An|Georgia Cowie and the Linnean| |Nature Walk|Evening Bat Adventure|Society Team| |17 September 2025|Getting 'Batty' at Battersea | An|Georgia Cowie and the Linnean| |Nature Walk|Evening Bat Adventure|Society Team| |20 September 2025|Open House at the Linnean|The Linnean Society Team| |Special Event|Society|| |22 September 2025|Lino Printing at the Linnean|Scarlet Forrester| |Workshop|Society|| |24 September 2025|Getting 'Batty' at Battersea | An|Alice Cheetham and the Linnean| |Nature Walk|Evening Bat Adventure|Society Team| |25 September 2025|Queer Ecology Evening at the|Dani Crowley| |Special Event|Linnean Society|| |30 September 2025|Preview |Wonder_Exhibition|The Linnean Society Team| |Members’ Event||| |30 September 2025|Cabinets of Wonder | Archives of|Jane Wildgoose| |Evening Lecture|Disillusionment (_Wonder
Exhibition Launch Event)|| |07 October 2025|The Dramatic Evolution of Birds|Sushma Reddy| |Evening Lecture|on Madagascar|| |09 October 2025|Being Tree-ish | Notes on The|Harriet Rix| |Evening Lecture|Genius of Trees|| |14 October 2025|Into The Light | Cyanotype|Martha Gray| |Workshop (_Wonder_exhibition)|Workshop from the Linnean
Society’s Collections|| |23 October 2025|Big Brains | Studying Elephant|The Linnean Society with the| |Special Event|Intelligence|British Ornithologists’ Club|

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LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2025

04 November 2025	Treasures of the Linnaean Shells	John Ablett
Linnean Lens	Collection
05 November 2025	Green Careers Conference 2025	The Linnean Society with the
Day Meeting		British Ecological Society
06 November 2025	An Insider’s Guide to the Secrets	Michael Gunton
Evening Lecture	of Making a Wildlife Blockbuster
11 November 2025	Knit like a Victorian	Sarah Walpole
Workshop (_Wonder_exhibition)
13 November 2025	Nature’s Memory	Behind the
Evening Lecture	Scenes at the World’s Natural
	History Museums
18 November 2025	The Lost Orchid	Hunting An Icon
Evening Lecture	in the Linnean Society Archives
19 November 2025	Bat Foraging	Where and How
Lunchtime Lecture	They Do It
20 November 2025	Organismal Resilience in a Rapidly	Shane Campbell-Staton, Luis
Day Meeting	Changing World (Biological Journal)	Chevin, Chloe Haberkorn, Patricia Schulte, Rose Thorogood, Maren
		Vitousek, Chris Wheat, Glenn
		Yannic
18 November 2025	Busy ‘bout the Tree of Life:	Mark Blaxter
Special Event	Genome Sequencing of Biodiversity
02 December 2025	Founder's Day Lecture	Gilbert
Evening Lecture	White, the Revolutionary Outdoor Naturalist
03 December 2025	Hogs on Film	Urban Hedgehog
Lunchtime Lecture	Citizen Science!
11 December 2025	Christmas Lecture	An Odyssey
Evening Lecture	of Music and Nature
06 February, 06 March,	Treasures Tours: Tours of our library	and collections were held on
03 April, 22 May (Members only),	these dates throughout the year.
05 June, 03 July, 07 August,
03 September (Members only),
02 October, 06 November, 03
December

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