Biodiversity Course FAQs

How do I find Biodiversity courses available to book now?

Our full catalogue of courses can be viewed here. All courses that are currently live and available to book now can be viewed here, where you can filter by centre/category/region/etc as required.

What if the course I want to do has no dates available to book or is “out of stock”?

If the course you are interested in is not available to book or is listed as “out of stock” please email [email protected] for more details.

We can add you to a waiting list to be notified when it is available to book, or if we get a cancellation on a fully booked course.

Why does the course I want to book say “Sorry this course booking is closed”?

Booking for our Biodiversity online courses and our in-person courses at Field Studies Council centres close two days before the course start date. Booking closes four days before the course start date for in-person courses at external venues.

This is to allow time for the administration and course co-ordination teams to finalise preparations.

Are Biodiversity courses suitable for under-18s?

Our Biodiversity courses are designed for adults. Our tutors are therefore not required to complete a DBS check, so for this reason we cannot allow under-18s to attend. This applies to both in-person and online courses.

Many of our Field Studies Council centres run courses and projects for young people and families. You can contact your closest centre directly to ask about their planned events.

We also have various publications available which may be of interest, useful for identification purposes when out and about.

Can I book a course on behalf of someone else?

Courses can be booked online for yourself, and/or for a friend, family member, colleague or employee as required. When you checkout on the website, there is an option to add “Course Attendee Details”. Please add the details of the person/s who will be going on the course at that point.

Booking information emails are only sent to you as the lead booker/purchaser, and we ask that you forward on all of the emails to the attendee as required.

If you are purchasing an online course the attendee will receive emails from the online learning platform a few days before the course start date, and then will receive reminders and course updates for the duration of the course.

Why am I not receiving emails about my course?

Booking confirmations and other course information emails are sent to the person who booked the course as the lead booker. We ask that they forward these emails to the course attendees as required.

For in-person courses: The name supplied as the “Course Attendee Details” at checkout will be the one on the attendee list sent to the tutor and venue and that person will be expected on the day.

For online courses: The name and email address supplied as the “Course Attendee Details” at checkout, will be the ones used to set up an account on Moodle to participate in the course. This should happen a day or so before the course is due to start. At that point you will start to receive emails and notifications directly from the learning platform (Moodle).

If you have not received log in details and instructions (or the course hasn’t appeared on your existing dashboard if you have done an online course with us before) by 9:30am on the course start date, please do not hesitate to get in touch on [email protected]

Can I book a course using a purchase order number?

We would encourage everyone to book our Biodiversity courses online using a card payment.

However, for groups of 10 and over, or in limited circumstances, you can book using a PO number for inclusion on an invoice, by emailing us on [email protected] . We will let you know what details we require in our reply.

We will need the PO number before we can make the booking, and course places cannot be reserved before booking. Once the manual booking has been processed, we will send an invoice (for payment by bank transfer) to the lead booker and any finance contact provided.

Can I buy a course as a gift?

We think our courses make great gifts for nature enthusiasts! When you find a suitable course, and go to check out on the website, there is an option to add “Course Attendee Details”. Please add your gift recipient’s details at that point.

Booking information emails are only sent to you as the lead booker/purchaser. This should prevent any surprises being spoiled.

We ask that you forward all course information emails to the attendee once it is appropriate to do so. These emails include details that the attendee will need to know.

If you are purchasing an online course, the attendee will receive emails from the online learning platform (Moodle) a few days before the course start date, so please be aware that your gift recipient will be made aware of the course at that time.

If the course that you book turns out not to be suitable, you can transfer your funds from one course booking to another, provided that neither course has started and the new course has availability. This is only possible up to 14 days before the course start date (or if you are still within your 14 day cooling off period). You can do this by emailing [email protected].

Please see our cancellation policy at the start of this FAQ document for more details.

How do I know whether the course is the right skill level?

Recommended existing skill levels for attendees are shown on each course information page on the website. These are intended as guidance only, and to prevent the disappointment caused by attending a course that turns out to be too difficult or too easy.

More details can be found here.

It is intended that learners can progress through Introductory > Beginner > Intermediate > Advanced courses in their chosen subject area (or “framework”).

Are there any discounts or funding available?

Some Biodiversity courses are eligible for discounts and subsidised funding, including a student discount. Eligibility information can be found in the “Bursaries and Subsidies” tab on each course information page.

More detailed information about the bursaries and subsidies available for Biodiversity courses can be found here.

Information on discounts for group bookings can be found here.

To have the chance to receive our early bird discounts of up to 25%, please sign up to the Biodiversity Newsletter.

Is there a way to be notified when new courses are made available on the website?

To be the first to hear about new courses and Biodiversity Programme events, and have the chance to receive our early bird discounts of up to 25%, please sign up to the Biodiversity Newsletter.

Can I book a large group onto a Biodiversity course?

We offer group discounts for bookings of 10 or more people on existing, scheduled Biodiversity courses.

We also offer on-demand runs of existing courses at a time and place to suit you and your team, and a bespoke course development service for more specific training requirements not already covered by our full course catalogue.

More details can be found here, or by emailing [email protected].

What if my course gets cancelled by the Field Studies Council and I have already booked my transport and accommodation?

We recommend that course attendees purchase the appropriate travel insurance to cover travel and accommodation losses in the event of unavoidable cancellations. We are not liable for indirect costs incurred to enable your attendance on a course.

Very occasionally courses are cancelled by us at the last minute, for example, if there is a problem with the venue or the tutor that cannot be solved. We will notify you as soon as possible if this happens and initiate a course fee refund immediately. Refunds can take up to 14 days to reach your bank account.

We do viability assessments four to five weeks before the course start date, at which point we may make the decision to cancel if there are not enough bookings.

Can I bring a child on the course with me?

Attendees cannot bring children on our Biodiversity courses.

Our courses are quite intensive and require a high level of concentration due to the use of scientific names and complex ID resources, and often include group work.

Our courses are advertised as being for adults, and as a result, our tutors are not required to complete a DBS check, so for this reason we cannot allow under-18s to attend.

Can I bring a carer/support worker on the course with me?

We do offer a discount on our in-person Biodiversity courses for carers and support workers who may need to accompany course attendees.

This discount varies depending on the course.

• Where a minibus is required (and a course therefore has a fixed number of spaces), carers receive a 50% discount on the course cost.
• If the course does not require a minibus, carers and support workers are able to attend free of charge.
• Please note, this discount is only applicable to the course fee and does not apply to accommodation or meals, which are normally booked separately.

When you are ready to book a course, we ask that you email us at [email protected] to discuss.

Once the fee/discount has been agreed, we will make a manual booking for you and send an invoice for payment by bank transfer.

Can I bring a dog on the course with me?

Attendees cannot bring dogs on our Biodiversity courses.

Our courses are quite intensive and require a high level of concentration due to the use of scientific names and complex ID resources, and often include group work.

Our venues often have their own policies regarding dogs on site that we must adhere to.

If an assistance or a guide dog is required by a course attendee, please email [email protected] so that we can make arrangements.

Can I contact other course attendees to share travel arrangements?

As the team responsible for co-ordinating courses, sadly we cannot offer to facilitate shared travel arrangements as we cannot guarantee that it would be successful and we don’t want people relying on this service to be able to get to courses. We also do not want to risk putting people in potentially unsafe or uncomfortable situations.

Furthermore, we are unable to share the personal information of our customers, so we cannot give out contact details for other course attendees.

If you require any advice regarding public transport arrangements, please do not hesitate to get in touch at [email protected].

Can I have the tutor’s contact details before the course?

Unfortunately, we are unable to share the personal information of our tutors without their permission. If you have a question regarding your course either logistical or content-based, the biodiversity team can help and liaise with the tutor [email protected].

Can Biodiversity courses be used for Natural England protected species licence applications?

The Gov.uk website indicates that two written references are needed for most protected species licences.

Whilst our great crested newt, dormouse and bat courses could possibly be used as supporting evidence or in the place of a reference, we cannot guarantee this.

We recommend that you contact Natural England directly for confirmation and further information on references by emailing [email protected].

You can find the government guidelines here – References and experience needed to support your protected species application or registration – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Please note, not all of our in-person courses currently include completion certificates as standard.

How much physical exertion is involved on an in-person Biodiversity course?

Our in-person courses tend to have an even split between a classroom session and a practical field session. By their very nature, our courses nearly always require some degree of walking to find the target species or habitat, on what is often uneven terrain.

Where possible, we will endeavour to adapt our courses to the needs of attendees. If you think you might require specific arrangements to accommodate your needs in order to safely attend a course, please email us before booking on [email protected].

Please also email or phone at the time of booking to inform us of any medical conditions that the tutor or venue may need to be aware of.

What do I need to bring?

Please refer to the website listing for all course requirements, these are listed in the ‘Before You Attend’ tab. Please note there may be mandatory equipment or publications required to attend your course.

In general, we would suggest bringing the following on any in-person biodiversity course that you attend:

• Notebook and pencil
• Lunch and refreshments
• Sensible shoes and waterproof clothing
• Any relevant field equipment that you have, e.g. hand lens, binoculars, relevant field guides

Do I get a certificate of completion?

Please note, not all of our in-person courses currently include completion certificates as standard. If you require a certificate for career progression or as proof of attendance for funding, please email [email protected] before booking to find out if your course includes one.

How do I access an online course?

We use Moodle as our online course learning platform.

Please note, courses are not accessed from your account on the Field Studies Council website.

More information on our online courses can be found here.

If you are new to online courses with the Field Studies Council, an account will be set up on Moodle using the name and email address supplied at checkout as the “Course Attendee Details”. This usually happens between 24 and 48 hours before the course start date. This will generate an automatic email with login details and instructions.

If you have done an online course with us previously, you will not be sent login details again, and you should use the same password and username that you used for your previous course.

An email is sent from Moodle on the course start date, and at the start of each week to let you know that new content is available to view.

The Moodle log in page is here: https://courses.field-studies-council.org/login/. We advise that you bookmark this page so that you can find it easily again each week. This is where you will always access your online course, and any future online courses that you do with us.

There is a handy ‘How to’ video at the beginning of your course which explains the basic functions of Moodle.

Webinars will be hosted on Zoom, using the same link each week. Links and meeting IDs will be displayed in the course introduction. An email will be sent an hour before the webinar is due to start with the relevant information.

Am I able to book an online course that has already started?

Due to the administration involved, we are unable to add any additional learners onto a course that has already started.

If you find that a course has already started, you can email [email protected] and ask to be added to the waiting list for the next run of the course. Please note that spaces are not reserved and are available on a first-come first-served basis.

Can I transfer from an online course that has already started?

We cannot transfer attendees from online courses that have already started.

Extenuating circumstances may be taken into consideration and a decision made based on how much of the course content has been accessed. Please email [email protected] to discuss.

When does my online course start?

The course start and end dates are shown in larger, bold font on each course information page of the website, above the webinar dates. These define the length of time you will have access to the course.

Generally, the first week’s content becomes available one week before the first webinar. That date is what we consider to be the course start date.

The idea is that course attendees can work through the content and complete the activities before the webinar at the end of each week, when they will get the opportunity to discuss everything with the course tutor and other attendees.

What is the structure of an online course?

Our online courses are designed so that you can access the content at a time that is convenient for you. For most courses, the first week’s content becomes available one week before the first webinar, and all of the content can be accessed for a further couple of weeks after the last webinar, giving you some flexibility on how to manage your time.

Please note, course structure can vary. Any changes to the structure will be noted on the website and in the welcome email.

Webinars are generally scheduled for the same day and time each week – each discussing the content made available that week. There is normally an activity to complete during the week. Some courses have assignment due dates in places of webinars in certain weeks.

Webinar dates should be clearly listed on the course information page on the Field Studies Council website. They are also listed in the introduction section when you get access to the course on Moodle.

Courses close two weeks after the last webinar (or assignment due date), giving learners additional time to work through any missed content. After that date you will no longer have access to the course.

I haven’t received login details for Moodle, what do I do?

1. If you are new to online courses with the Field Studies Council, an account will be set up on Moodle between 24 and 48 hours before the course start date. This will generate an automatic email with login details and instructions. If you have not received this email by 9:30am on the course start date, please email [email protected] to request a password reset. Please include the name of the course that you have booked.
2. If you have done an online course with us previously, you will not receive your login details again – use the same password and username that you used for your previous course. If you cannot remember your password, please email [email protected] to request a password reset. Please include the name of the course that you have booked.

What IT skills are required to do an online course?

For most, Moodle is intuitive once you get the hang of it, and there is a handy ‘How to’ video at the beginning of your course that explains the basic functionality.

If you are able to use an internet browser (e.g. Chrome, Firefox), apps, and email, you should be able to do an online Biodiversity course with the Field Studies Council.

If you are struggling at any point you can contact the team on [email protected].

What equipment do I need to do an online course?

It is recommended that you access your course on a PC or laptop. Please be aware that there will be reduced functionality if you chose to attend the course using a tablet or smartphone.

Moodle can be accessed via any internet browser using the desktop version of its website (https://courses.field-studies-council.org/login/), or via the Moodle app on any smart device. However, it is most compatible with the Google Chrome internet browser.

A device with a camera and microphone is required to participate in the Zoom webinars.

You do not need to print any of the course material to be able to complete a course, so a printer is not required unless you choose to print something yourself.

Please refer to the website listing for all course requirements, these are listed in the ‘Before You Attend’ tab. Please note there may be mandatory equipment to attend your course.

Will Moodle work on my Apple device?

Some Apple device users experience difficulties with some aspects of our courses, mainly downloading the course materials. Unfortunately, Apple’s browser Safari is not recommended when accessing Moodle, but some users do not have any problems.

If you wished, you would be able to install Chrome on your Apple device. You can find more details here – https://www.google.com/intl/en_uk/chrome/. Alternatively, you can try using Firefox.

If you’re not able to use any of the recommended browsers, we suggest you copy and paste the relevant information into a Word/Pages document that you can then save to your device or print.

If you are having difficulties downloading any of the course materials, please double-check all your permission settings to ensure downloads and pop-ups are allowed.

The Field Studies Council is unable to email content directly to you.

You have until two weeks after the last webinar (or last assignment due date) to work through the course and save any information you need.

I am based outside of the UK, can I do an online Biodiversity course?

We have had a number of attendees from countries outside of the UK on our online courses in the past. However, please be aware that:

1. Our webinars are scheduled on GMT during October to March, and BST during our summer months. The exact date when we switch from GMT to BST is different each year but should be easy to find out online. However, webinars are also recorded and can be watched anytime if they are not attended in person.
2. Most of our courses are written in a UK context, and some tutors may only have experience of UK representatives of a particular taxa.
3. Some supplementary material (e.g. videos from third parties) may not be viewable when using an IP address in certain countries.

Will there be a chance to ask the tutor questions?

Each topic (week) will have a Q&A forum at the end where you can submit questions for the tutor. The tutor may answer these directly on the forum, or they will often attempt to cover these during the Zoom webinar sessions.

What level of social interaction should I expect from an online course?

Interactive elements may include online webinars, discussion forums, and database or assignment submissions. However, the level of interactivity will vary between courses.

For a fully rounded experience, we do recommend participating in both the online webinars and the forum discussions available during a course. However, there is also the opportunity to ‘reply privately’ to course tutors in both instances.

We are currently implementing recommendations from the National Autistic Society across our framework courses, to ensure accessibility to a broad range of learners.

If you have any concerns, please email [email protected].

How long do I have to complete an online course?

The general structure of our online courses is designed to allow all attendees to work through the course content at their own pace. Webinars are recorded, and written content can be downloaded to review later.

Each course is made up of topics, and course duration depends on the number of topics included. One topic is usually tackled each week and includes content and activities that are estimated to take up to three hours to complete, including the live webinar.

Each course allows access for an additional two weeks after the delivery of the final webinar or assignment due date.

How do I download/save course content?

There is a handy ‘How to’ video in the “About this course” workbook at the start of your course on Moodle (and again at the end of the course), which shows you how to print pages or workbooks and save them as PDFs.

Please note that we are unable to download and email content to each learner, so this must be done through the learning platform Moodle.

What if I can’t attend all/any of the webinars?

All webinars are recorded and uploaded to the learning platform the next working day, so if you’re unable to attend in person you will still be able to watch the session later and get as much as possible from the course.

Webinars are not a compulsory element of the course. We do recommend making every effort to attend them, as they will include further information and an opportunity to interact with an expert tutor.

You do not need to let the tutor know that you are not attending a webinar (unless they ask you to).

You can use the Q&A forum at the end of each week’s content (which closes one hour before each webinar) to ask questions that you would like the tutor to answer in your absence.

How long are the Zoom webinars?

Generally, each webinar is scheduled for a duration of 45 minutes, but please allow an hour of time just in case it overruns.

Occasionally courses have slightly longer webinars. Please refer to the website listing to double-check webinar lengths. The webinar start and end times are listed under the dates for each course run.

Do I need to bring anything to the Zoom webinars?

You will be told in the course content if you need to prepare anything for the Zoom webinars. We recommend having something to take notes with.

I have been waiting to enter a Zoom webinar for more than 5 minutes after it was due to start, what do I do?

Please double-check the webinar dates for your course to make sure you are attending at the correct time and date. It may sound obvious, but it can be easy to confuse the date of the first webinar, and it could be that there is an assignment due date instead of a webinar one week.

Date and times of webinars can be found at the top of the course information on Moodle, in the introduction section, just under the ‘How to use Moodle’ video.

If the webinar should definitely be happening, please email [email protected] and ask to be admitted. The inbox is monitored from 15min before the start, and for the first 15min of the webinar, so someone will be available to help.

Can I have an extension to finish the course?

We are unable to offer extensions. Courses are reset to be reused after each run, and are often worked on between runs. However, attendees have access to the course for at least two weeks after the last webinar. This should allow plenty of time to complete the course.

If you do get behind on a course, and the closing date is approaching, we would advise watching all of the webinar recordings as soon as you can. You can download the written course content to review later. Instructions on how to do that can be found in the course introduction section.

For assignment deadlines, the tutor may not be able to give feedback on late submissions. This is completely dependent on the tutor’s other commitments. You are welcome to submit late and potentially not receive feedback, and you should still be able to complete the course.

To get your course completion certificate, you will need to have met a certain number of criteria. If you don’t think you will be able to do that by the course end date, please email [email protected] and we will see what we can do. Please note, it is much easier to help you with completing the course while it is still open.

What if I have technical difficulties?

If you have any technical difficulties there is a dedicated ‘Technical Q&A’ forum for questions in the introduction section of your course. Please submit your issues there, and a member of the team will reply. If your issue isn’t resolved within 48 hours, please email [email protected].

Do I get a certificate of completion?

All of our online courses include a certificate of completion. There are usually certain conditions that need to be met (e.g. all quizzes completed and passed) to release this certificate, which will be emailed to you and will remain on your Moodle account.

Please be sure to supply your full name as you wish it to be shown on your course completion certificate. If the name on your Moodle account is incorrect, you can change it yourself by accessing your ‘Profile’ on the top right corner.

The name on the certificate cannot be changed after it has been produced.

For Dyslexic users

We have put together a list of third-party resources to aid with accessibility, including browser-based screen readers and dyslexia fonts.

At the Field Studies Council, we are continuously assessing the accessibility of our educational resources and information to ensure that they are readily available to a diverse audience.

In our commitment to best practices, we have actively consulted with various external organisations specialising in accessibility standards. By seeking expert advice, we aim to continually enhance our offerings and create an inclusive environment for all users.

To further improve the accessibility of our learning materials, the following browser plugins and extensions may be of interest and will work with Moodle within browsers:

Text to Speech Browser extensions:
Read Aloud (Chrome)
Read Aloud (FireFox)
Natural reader (Chrome) This does require setting up an account.
Helperbird (Edge) This comes with both free and pro features

Dyslexic Fonts
Dyslexia Friendly (Chrome)
Helperbird (Edge) This comes with both free and pro features
Open Dyslexic (FireFox)

Main Contact Details

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 01743 650840

Social Media

Facebook @fscbiodiversity

Twitter / X @FSCBiodiversity

Instagram @fscbiodiversity

YouTube @FSCBiodiversity

Eventbrite – The Field Studies Council