The H. H. Bloomer Award

Awarded to an amateur naturalist for an important contribution to the knowledge of natural history.

Established in 1963 from a legacy by the late Harry Howard Bloomer FLS.

The next round of nominations for this award will open in May 2025.

• Open to any amateur* naturalist of any nationality and age, in any field of natural history for their important contribution to the knowledge of natural history
• For the purposes of the Award, an ‘amateur naturalist’ would be an individual with no current or previous paid employment in the field under consideration. Rather they should have pursued their interest out of sheer curiosity and passion
• Teachers are eligible, as are those working in areas of environmental or educational policy
• Nominee cannot, at the time of nomination, be a member of Council
• Nominee does not need to be a Fellow of the Society
• We do not accept self-nominations

Charley Eiseman

Charley Eiseman spends much of his time outdoors, finding and observing leaf-mining insects, documenting and understanding their biology and host-plant relationships. Outstanding photography accompanies documentation of the development and behaviour of the miners and their parasitoids, as observed in his home-lab. His are often the first observations of species, so far having co-authored descriptions of new species for 68 Diptera, three Lepidoptera and seven Hymenoptera. Charley has published 69 peer-reviewed papers, and his monumental book, Leafminers of North America is a unique resource in the level of detail in the descriptions, photographs and documentation. His public engagement work includes the BugTracks blog, talks, walks and popular articles.