Makeover for Natural History Society of Northumbria

Oct 2 2009 by Tony Henderson, The Journal

A 99-YEAR-OLD heron has taken flight at last – as part of a makeover for one of the oldest natural history societies in England.

The Natural History Society of Northumbria, which is celebrating its 180th birthday, is now installed in new offices at the Great North Museum in Newcastle, where its collections are on show.

The society has more than 900 members, regular academic publications, a nature reserve, a priceless library and archive collection and owns the Great North Museum building.

The first step in a new-look society was to change its heron logo, which has been in use since 1910.

Society chairman Prof Peter Davis said: “Although the standing heron sketch has served us well, it was also very outdated and rather static and did not represent the dynamism within the society.

“The new heron takes flight into a revitalised museum.

“We worked on a range of options for a new logo, producing a variety of choices of animals and birds but the heron in flight proved the most popular.”

The new logo was designed by artist and society member Joan Holding and Jane Brown, the society’s marketing and development officer.