The archive was transferred to the custody of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society in 2002, before coming to the Borthwick in 2009. 

The collection comprises 27 boxes of minutes, species recordings and glass plate slides, covering 1874-1997. 

Access to the collection is available by appointment in our reading room, with 24 hours notice for photographic materials.  

The archive includes over a century of species recordings, 1894-1997, and a variety of reports showcasing the Society's ecological project work in various areas around York. 

The recordings, noted in specific recording books, provides an historical account of species and landscape change in the local area. 

The collection is used for active academic research.