Location
Preston Montford
Duration
3 days
Date
Fri 22, July 2022 18:00 - Sun 24, July 2022 16:00
Level
Intermediate
Tutor
Sue Rees-Evans
Price
£50.00
Course details

This residential course incorporates everything you need to know to be able to accurately identify and record dragonflies and damselflies.

With a mix of classroom presentations, workshops, lab-based sessions, and field-based activities, our expert tutor will guide you through the life cycle, ecology, and identification of UK dragonflies and damselflies. Following adult  identification workshops, field visits will then incorporate instruction on safe netting and handling of adult specimens for identification purposes before release. Exuviae will also be studied and identified (in most cases) to species level using microscopes. In addition larval specimens will be netted for identification, but no specimens will be collected or preserved. Information on dragon and damselfly recording, submitting records and connecting with schemes, societies and groups will also be provided.

NB. It should be noted that content in this course replicates some workshops given on Biolinks dragonfly and damselfly one-day courses. This residential weekend represents a great opportunity to study dragonfly and damselfly adults, larvae and exuviae all in one weekend!

  • Certificate upon course completion.
  • Access to microscopes, specimen collection, lab equipment, field equipment and identification resources.
  • Tuition from tutor specialising in dragonflies and damselflies
  • Please email [email protected] if you have any questions.
  • Please note that this course will involve using specimens that have been killed and preserved

This course is aimed at adults only and course attendees must be at least 18 years old in order to attend.

By the end of this course, you will:

  • have a good understanding of the life cycle of Britain’s dragonflies and damselflies
  • be able to use external features for specimen identification
  • gain practical experience in safe netting and handling of adult specimens whilst using field guides to identify individuals accurately to species-level
  • gain practical experience observing and identifying dragonfly and damselfly exuviae using a microscope
  • gain practical experience in netting dragonfly and damselfly larvae and observing diagnostic characteristics
  • be given guidance on how to take your interest further and contribute to associated recording schemes

NB. The guides listed below will be used on this cours. Copies will be available for all aprticipants to borrow, but the tutor will also have copies available for sale for those that wish.

‘Field Guide to the larvae and exuviae of British Dragonflies’ by Steve Cham
For sale at £7.50 (cash/cheque only).
‘Britain’s Dragonflies: A field guide to the damselflies and dragonflies of Britain and Ireland (4th ed.)’ by Dave Smallshire and Andy Swash. For sale at £17.95 (cash/cheque only).

Tutor: Sue Rees-Evans

Sue Rees Evans is the Shropshire County recorder for Dragonflies and the Odonata Tsar for the Shropshire Ecological Data Network. Sue has also written and manages the Shropshire Dragonflies website which serves as an online atlas and hosts the Shropshire Dragonfly Watch flight season blog. With a real enthusiasm for hands on teaching, Sue has taught numerous courses on Dragonfly and Damselfly identification over the last 10 years for the FSC, various Wildlife Trusts, the National Trust and numerous projects such as Biolinks, Invertebrate Challenge and Cold-blooded and Spineless. .

Course Fees

Resident (Sole Occupancy)     £50.00

Course fees are subsidised by the FSCBioLinks project. Accommodation, meals and all course-related materials are included. If attendees who have booked together require a shared room please contact the centre to arrange this.

Please note that bathrooms may be shared and we are unable to guarantee en-suite bathrooms for any bookings.

Waiting List

If the course is full and you would like to be added to the waiting list, please email us at [email protected]g and let us know the name, date and location of the course you'd like to be added to the waiting list for.

What's Included
  • Expert Tuition
  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Full Board Accommodation
  • Hot and Cold Drinks
  • Certificate upon course completion.
  • Access to microscopes, specimen collection, lab equipment, field equipment and identification resources.
  • Tuition from tutor specialising in dragonflies and damselflies.
  • Please email [email protected] if you have any questions.
  • Please note that this course will involve using specimens that have been killed and preserved

Bursaries and Subsidies

FSC BioLinks

FSC BioLinks is an exciting project for FSC in the South East and West Midlands, bringing together existing volunteers with skills in biological recording and identification, and new volunteers.

This project provides subsidised training courses, learning opportunities and digital tools focussed on invertebrate identification for anyone involved or interested in biological recording, to build and strengthen the community.

Invertebrates provide us with many useful ecosystem services, like pollination and decomposition, which we cannot survive without but their numbers are declining. Few people know how to identify or record invertebrates meaning there is a lack of data.

We are delighted to have been awarded a grant of £1.23 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund for this project.

Before You Attend

Getting to FSC Preston Montford

FSC Preston Montford, Montford Bridge, Shrewsbury SY4 1DX

Direct enquiries: 01743 852040 (Mon-Fri, 9am–5pm)

  • By Road: From the A5, take the roundabout exit signposted to Mid-Wales and Welshpool (A458). One mile along this road, turn right onto B4473, we are located on the left after approx ½ mile.
  • By Bus or Train: Shrewsbury stations.

What to bring

  • Notebook and pencil
  • Appropriate clothing and footwear for outdoor activity
  • Hand lens (if you have one)

There will be a member of staff with first aid training and access to a first aid kit on site. If you have special medical requirements please let us know as soon as possible so we can plan the course.

Check-in & Check-out

  • Check-in on the first day will be between 16:00 and 18:00 - if you need a later check-in, please contact the centre to notify them in advance
  • Check-out on the final day will be at 09:30. We will arrange somewhere secure to store your luggage for the remainder of the day.

Sorry this course has ended