Discovering Botany – Online

This beginner course will introduce you to the botany of flowering plants and equip you with the skills to recognise the key features needed for plant identification. This course will cover some of the most common wildflowers that you are likely to encounter right on your doorstep. Alongside expert tutor content and webinars, this course is brimming with field-based activities and self-guided learning to continue to develop your knowledge of UK wildflowers. This is the perfect course for those wanting to start their wildflower identification journey.

This is a 4-week online course covering 4 topics, for which you will complete a variety of self-led online resources and activities. Each topic is then concluded with an interactive Zoom workshop to complement the online content. Time commitment is approximately 2-3 hours a week and an E-certificate is provided upon completion.

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

• Understand the basic evolution of flowering plants, and how they fit in the plant kingdom.
• Describe the function and label the basic vegetative parts of plants needed for using botanical keys.
• Describe the function and label the basic floral parts of plants needed for using botanical keys.
• Use the Field Studies Council Walks and Waysides guide to recognise some of the most common flowering plants of grassland, hedgerow and wayside.
• Share this knowledge with friends, family and fellow volunteers.

Who Should Attend? – Nature enthusiasts, students, rangers, early career ecologists, etc.

Knowledge Level – Introductory. Level descriptors can be found on the following webpage: Framework and Course Level Descriptors

Prior Knowledge – No existing knowledge or experience is needed for this course, just a willingness to contribute and learn.

Please note – bookings will close 2 working days before the course start date to allow for all participants to be enrolled to the online platform – bookings will not be taken after this time.*

*Bookings will close sooner if course capacity is reached .

Understand how our online courses are delivered

Live Webinar Information

There are 4 webinars for this course, taking place at the end of each week. Please see the date listing below for the day and time.

Please note – webinars will be recorded and uploaded to the virtual learning platform for learners unable to attend.

Karen Van Oostrum

Karen van Oostrum has a love of plants and the environment, underpinned by a solid understanding of plant adaptability, physiology and genetics. A Biology graduate of Oxford University with a Ph.D. in wheat genetics, Karen was Head of Education at Cambridge University Botanic Garden from 2006 – 2012. Karen specialises in: running taster courses for adults in Botany, Microscopy, Genetics and Plant Breeding; and supporting the teaching of plant science in Primary Schools.

Week 1: An introduction to flowering plants
Self-study material available from the start date.
Week 1 Live Webinar at the end of week 1

Week 2: Introducing vegetative parts
Self-study material available after week 1 webinar
Week 2 Live Webinar: at the end of week 2

Week 3: Introducing flowering parts
Self-study material available after week 2 webinar
Week 3 Live webinar at the end of week 3

Week 4: Common species of grassland, hedgerow and wayside
Self-study material available after week 3 webinar
Week 4 Live webinar at the end of week 4

The final deadline to complete any outstanding assignments and self-study components 2 weeks after the final webinar

Time commitment: This course will require approximately 2-3 hours of your time each week. This includes covering course materials on our Moodle learning platform and the Zoom session.

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  Expert Tuition

The course has been carefully created to help you continue to build and develop your knowledge as the course progresses. With content crafted to the online Moodle Platform and bespoke to the Field Studies Council.

The course includes:

• 45-minute interactive weekly Zoom workshops to connect with the tutor and other participants
• Expert tuition for which the Field Studies Council is renowned
• Activities to work on independently in advance of each Zoom workshop
• Tailored course completion certificate

Once registered, you will follow well-illustrated, user-friendly ’books’ to pick up knowledge. Quizzes and skill checks will give you instant feedback on your learning. Forums give students the chance to interact with each other as well as a place to share work.

Student Discount

This course is eligible for a student discount. If you are a current student, please use discount code BioStudent20 at checkout for 20% off all Biodiversity courses.

Natural History Bursaries

There are a number of natural history bursaries available to help with the cost of your course. To find out if you and your chosen course are eligible, find out more here.

Accessing Your Course

Once you sign up you’ll receive an email at least 24 hours in advance of the course opening with details of how to access our easy-to-use platform, Moodle.
Moodle can be accessed through a browser or an app.
Webinars are via Zoom so you won’t need any new software to attend

Recommended Devices

It is recommended that you access your course through a PC or laptop. Please be aware that there will be reduced functionality if you decide to access the course through a tablet or smartphone. The Field Studies Council is unable to email content directly to you.