Britain has a strong tradition of natural history societies and groups, and in Leicestershire and Rutland this is very much the case. The Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society, locally known as the Lit. and Phil., was founded in 1835, and the Natural History section is still an important group in the county. In 1849 the society presented its various collections to the city of Leicester, creating the city’s first museums.

Leicestershire and Rutland’s natural history societies are crucial in providing records and carrying out surveys in the counties.  Without them, there would be a much poorer picture of distribution and changes that occur.  With global warming, monitoring these changes is becoming ever more important.