​Joe Firmin was one of the (re)founders of Colchester Natural History Society in 1953. From then until his death in 2013, he was the head, heart and soul of the Society. He was born at a farm near Fordham Heath, and spent his childhood on Bunting's seed farm where his father worked. Joe's love of nature flourished among the abundant wildlife there and on the adjacent Hilly Fields. He used to describe his excitement at watching the ‘butcher birds’ (Red-backed Shrikes) which nested there in those days. Subsequently Colchester Borough Council purchased the former seed farm as an extension to the Hilly Fields local nature reserve.

Joe attended Colchester Grammar School, before working as a reporter on a local newspaper from the age of 16. He continued his career as a journalist after completing military service, beginning his weekly column, ‘Watching Wildlife’, in the Essex County Standard. This continued for more than 50 years and did much to foster an interest in local wildlife among his readers, as well as bringing the activities of CNHS to the attention of a wider public.

Soon after beginning this column, Joe took part in setting up a new ‘edition’ of our natural history society (the first had been established in the early 1870s but soon ceased to exist). In those days, evening talks in the winter and local field-visits in the summer, were supplemented by coach trips further afield (to the Norfolk Broads, the Brecks, even to Box Hill and the North Downs). Joe always gave of his great knowledge and love of nature on these trips – explaining the species we might see and then leading our walks.

In the early days the Society had an active youth section and nurtured the interest and enthusiasm of numerous notable naturalists. Russell Leavett was one of those younger members, who became a distinguished naturalist and is now one of our hon. vice-presidents. Joe always welcomed new members to the society and wore his knowledge lightly. His great skill as a writer was put to work in several publications in addition to his ECS column, and he wrote short books both about his early days in the ‘Flower Fields’ and his time spent searching out rare butterflies in his beloved Provence. He participated in numerous local wildlife organisations and was a leading light in setting up the Essex Moth Group. There is now a street named after him in Stanway.

Joe's marriage to fellow expert naturalist Linda, still an active supporter of the Society, was a great delight in his later years. I cherish memories of an eventful trip with him to southern France in search of rare Large Blue butterfly species, but a quote from an obituary sums up best how I remember him: "Though he was a man of great knowledge and ability as a writer, he never lost his delight in nature – exclaiming in delight at the first appearance of a common butterfly in spring as though it was his first."

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Ted Benton