Fern Societies

The following list of societies has been created as a resource for finding societies to join or visit.

If you can help us update the list by correcting current entries or providing new entries regarding fern societies, please contact Fern Central.

We have society listings for the following countries:

• Africa
• Australia
• Britain
• Japan
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Philippines
• Switzerland
• United States

Africa

Fern Society of South Africa

Contact:

c/o Jolanda Nel, Secretary
PO Box 73125
Lynnwood Ridge, 0040
South Africa

Dues:

• Regular membership is R40, including monthly "Newsletter"
• Southern African membership is R50
• Overseas membership is R60

Meetings:

The last Saturday of every month except December. Venues announced in newsletters.

Australia

Fern Society of South Australia

Contact:

c/o Cynthia Kirkham, Secretary
P.O. Box 711 G.P.O.
Adelaide, South Australia 5001
Australia

Dues:

• Regular membership is AUS$7.50
• Newsletter membership is AUS$10, includes monthly "Newsletter"
• Junior membership is AUS$3
• Overseas members add postage AUS$20 air mail, AUS$10 surface

Meetings:

8:00PM Last Friday each month except December at the Assembly Hall, Adelaide High School, West Terrace, Adelaide

The Fern Society of Victoria

Contact:

c/o Lexie Hesketh, Secretary
P.O. Box 45
Heidelberg West, Victoria 3081, Australia

Dues:

• Single membership is AUS$15, includes monthly "Newsletter"
• Family Membership is AUS$18
• Overseas membership is AUS$30

Meetings:

7:30 PM 3rd Thursday, The Theatrette, Inglesby Road, Camberwell

Special Events:

Annual Fern Show, last weekend in March at the Homesglen College of TAFE - Waverly Campus, 585 Waverly Road, Glen Waverly There is a fern competition and sale. Entry fee is AUS$3 for adults.

SGAP Fern Study Group

Contact:

c/o Maureen Woolett, Secretary
3 Currawang Place, Como West,
New South Wales 2226
Australia

Dues:

• Subscription to quarterly newsletter is AUS$4; Aus $10 overseas
• Full membership (access to spore bank, etc.) Available only to members of the Society for Growing Australian Plants (SGAP)

Meetings:

Varies, contact the Secretary

Western Australian Fern Society

Contact:

c/o Mrs. J. Friend
210 Kent Street
Rockingham, W.A., 6168
Australia

Dues:

• Single membership is AUS$4, includes monthly "Newsletter"
• Family Membership is AUS$6

Meetings:

2:00PM First Sunday each month except January at the South Perth Rotary Hall, Sandgate Street, South Perth

Britain

British Pteridological Society

Contact:

c/o Miss A.M. Paul
The Natural History Museum
Cromwell Road
London SW7 5BD
England

Dues:

• Full personal membership is BP15, includes annual "Pteridologist," "Gazette," and "Bulletin."
• Personal membership is BP12.50 and does not include the "Gazette."
• Student membership is BP9.
• Family membership in any category, add BP2.
• Airmail postage for all journals is BP4; for those not receiving the "Gazette", BP2.50.

Meetings:

Varies, see "Bulletin" or contact Secretary

Special Events:

Malvern Spring Show, Three Counties Showground, Malvern. Various Field Meetings

Japan

Japanese Pteridological Society

Contact:

c/o Prof. K Iwatsuki
Dept. of Botany, Faculty of Science
Kyoto University
Kyoto, Japan

Dues:

Meetings:

Special Events:

Nippon Fernist Club

Contact:

c/o Institute of Forest Botany
Faculty of Agriculture
University of Tokyo
Yayoi-cho, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Dues:

Meetings:

Special Events:

Netherlands

Nederlandse Varenvereniging

Contact:

c/o Rens Hubers, Secretary
Dwarspad 15
1721 BP, Broek op Langedijk
Nederlands

Dues:

• Regular membership is Euro 16
• Foreign Membership is Euro 20

Meetings:

The annual meeting is the last Saturday in April in the gardenhouse of the Botanical Garden in Leiden, Netherlands. The Autumn meeting is the last Saturday of September or the first Saturday of October.

Special Events:

The Dutch Fern Society has at least four excursions a year in Holland and Belgium. They also have courses in drying and identifying ferns. The courses are usually held at the Botanical Garden in Leiden, Netherlands

Notes:

A quarterly magazine called "Varen Varia" (Dutch language) is produced for the members on a quarterly basis (cost included in the membership fee). There is a society-associated web page at www.nederlandse-varenvereniging.nl.

New Zealand

Nelson Fern Society

Contact:

c/o Mrs. Joyce Bonnington
9 Bay View Road
Atawhai, Nelson, New Zealand

Dues:

• Regular membership is NZ$10 in New Zealand, includes quarterly "Newsletter"
• Overseas Membership is $10 in own currency

Meetings:

7:30 PM, 4th Thursday monthly,

Special Events:

Monthly competitions at meetings plus many field trips.

Philippines

Fern Society of the Philippines

Contact:

National Museum
P. Burgos St.
Manilla, Philippines

Dues:

Meetings:

Special Events:

Switzerland

Schweizerische Vereiningung der Farnfreunde

Contact:

c/o Dr. J.J. Schneller
Obere Heslibachstrasse 16, CH8700
Kusnacht, Switzerland

Dues:

Meetings:

Special Events:

United States

American Fern Society (AFS)

Contact:

c/o Dr. David B. Lellinger
326 West Street
Vienna, VA 22180-4151

Dues:

• Regular membership US$8 in USA, Canada, Mexico and US$11 elsewhere; Includes bimonthly "Fiddlehead Forum"
• Journal Membership US$15 in USA, Canada, Mexico and US$22 elsewhere; Includes "Fiddlehead Forum and scientific publication "American Fern Journal"

Meetings:

None

Special Events:

Yearly presentations at the American Botany Society Convention, including special Fern Foray fern photography and/or collection trip.

Delaware Valley Fern and Wildflower Society

Contact:

c/o Clara W. Bondinell
1512 Franklin Lane
Wayne PA 19087

Dues:

• Single membership is US$7, includes quarterly "Newsletter"
• Family Membership is US$10

Meetings:

Two general meetings, Horticultural Center, Fairmount Park; various trips

Special Events:

Annual Philadelphia Flower Show Exhibit, February.

Hardy Fern Foundation

Contact:

c/o Barbara Carman, Corresponding Secretary
P.O. Box 166
Medina, WA, 98039-0166

Dues:

• Student membership is US$10 in USA, Canada, Mexico; includes quarterly "Newsletter"
• Active Membership is US$20 in USA, Canada, Mexico;
• Family Membership is US$25

Meetings:

None

Special Events:

Louisiana Fern Society

Contact:

c/o Mary Elliott
41038 S. Range Rd.
Ponchatoula, La. 70454

e-mail: 75103,1016@ compuserve.com

Dues:

Meetings:

Special Events:

Los Angeles International Fern Society

Contact:

c/o Dave Fay, Membership secretary
P.O. Box 90943
Pasadena, CA 91109-0943

Dues:

• Regular membership is US$20 in USA, Canada, Mexico, 3rd class or add US$4 for first class; ; includes bimonthly "LAIFS Journal"
• US$26 elsewhere for surface, $US$28.50 for air mail; includes bimonthly "LAIFS Journal"

Meetings:

7:30 PM third Friday each month except August, downstairs lecture hall, Arboretum of Los Angeles County, entrance on Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia

Special Events:

Annual Fern and Exotic Plant Show and Sale, Labor Day Weekend, Exhibit Hall, Arboretum of Los Angeles County

New York Fern Society

Contact:

Dr. John Mickel
New York Botanical Garden
Bronx NY 10458

Dues:

• Regular membership is US$8
• No expertise required, only an interest in ferns

Meetings:

10AM - 1PM first Saturday, October-May, New York Botanical Garden including discussions, slide shows, and workshops on a variety of topics including cultivation, propagation, collection, identification, and life history of ferns.

Special Events:

Summer field trips in the local NY area.

Memphis Fern Society

Contact:

c/o Chris Spindel
3985 South Galloway Drive
Memphis TN 38111-6841

e-mail: Fyrnlady@AOL.com

Dues:

Meetings:

Second Monday night September through May at 7 PM at the Memphis Botanic Garden

Special Events:

San Diego Fern Society

Contact:

c/o Ms. Amna Cornett
3905 Ibis Street
San Diego CA 92103

Dues:

• Annual Single Membership is US$8
• Annual Family Membership is US$10
• Overseas membership please add US$12 for postage

Meetings:

7:30 PM, 3rd Thursday each month,Casa del Prado Building, Balboa Park, San Diego.

Special Events: Annual Show and Sale, Saturday (12-5) and Sunday (10-5), 3rd weekend in August,Casa del Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego. Contact the Show Chairman, Bob Halley at 1714 Malden Street, San Diego, CA 92109, USA or phone 858-272-1019 for more information.

Sarasota Fern Society

Contact:

c/o Bobbie Hull
plantnut@cyberstreet.com
Sarasota FL

Dues:

• Annual Single Membership is US$?
• Annual Family Membership is US$?

Meetings:

Special Events: Annual Show and Sale, 3rd weekend in May, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 811 South Palm Avenue, Sarasota FL 34236

Southwestern Fern Society

Contact:

c/o Ann Herrington
2121 Richwood Drive
Garland, TX 75044
e-mail: annh@airmail.net

Dues:

• Annual membership is US$10

Meetings:

Second Thursday of each month at 7:30 PM in the Conference Room of North Haven Gardens, 7700 Northaven Road, Dallas, TX. Members attending meetings receive a free fern each month.

Special Events:

Fern forays and special speakers throughout the year. Annual show and sale at the Dallas Fall Home and Garden Show, Dallas Market Hall, Semmons Freeway, Dallas. [September 20-22, 1996] Sale only at the Dallas Spring home and Garden Show. Sales at both the Spring and Fall Fort Worth Home and Garden Shows.

Tampa Bay Fern Club

Contact:

c/o Carl Strohmenger
PO Box 15578
Tampa Florida 33684-5578 USA
813-932-0172
e-mail: cstrohme@hsf.usf.edu

Dues:

• Individual membership is US$12/yr, includes monthly newsletter
• Family membership is US$14/yr, includes monthly newsletter
• All memberships run from January 1-December 31

Meetings:

7:30 PM fourth Thursday each month (except November and December). Each meeting includes a short educational program on some aspect of fern growing, a program speaker, refreshments, and a fern raffle/exchange. The May meeting features an auction of ferns and other plants with none of the regular agenda items.

Special Events:

Each year the club participates in the Spring and Fall Plant Festivals at the University of South Florida's Botanical Garden. The plant festivals are held in April and October. Members are encouraged to grow ferns for sale at the festival.

The society now has a web site at http://www.geocities.com/fernmaster/2000/index.htm

Texas Gulf Coast Fern Society

Contact:

c/o Donna McGraw, Secretary
8507 Colonial Oaks Lane
Spring, Texas 77379
e-mail: donnamcg@swbell.net

Dues: Includes monthly newsletter

• Individual membership is US$10/yr
• Family membership is US$15/yr
• Stedent membership is US$5/yr

Meetings:

Monthly, second Sunday, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Study group frequently meets at 1:00 p.m. prior to regular meeting. Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Garden, Houston, TX.

Special Events:

Holiday season meeting in December at special fern oriented location. Annual Fund Raiser Fern Sale/Exhibit at Texas Home and Garden Show held in mid February at George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, TX

The society temporarily has a web site at http://www.rwsarchitects.com/fern.htm

Tropical Fern & Exotic Plant Society

Contact:

c/o Reggie Whitehead, President
TFEPS
6880 S. W. 75 Terrace
South Miami, Florida 33143
e-mail: Regferns@aol.com

Dues: Includes monthly newsletter

• Individual membership is US$15/yr
• Family membership is US$17/yr

Meetings:

• Monthly, Monday of every month, with the exception of July and August
• Fairchild Tropical Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road, Miami, FL 33156
• TFEPS meets at 7:30 p.m. in the Corbin Building. Visitors are always welcome to attend.

Special Events:

• Our Annual Auction is the fourth Monday of October
• Fern & Exotic Plant Show & Sale June 1 & 2, 2002

Web Site: The society has a web site at http://www.tfeps.org