Welcome to the booking page for the Field Studies Council’s Open University field schools.
Please add the courses you wish to join to your basket, and then register or login to provide your contact details. You can then pay for your courses using a credit or debit card
By booking an Open University field course at a Field Studies Council Centre you are accepting the booking terms and conditions specified here. The main points to note are highlighted below:-
Deposit
A deposit will be required to secure the booking (£150) and the final balance is due 56 days before arrival.
Balance of Fees
An invoice for the balance of fees will be sent to you approximately 3 months before the arrival date. The booking price balance must be paid no less than 56 days prior to the arrival date.
If any payment is not made in accordance with the payment schedule, Field Studies Council may treat the booking as cancelled and apply the applicable cancellation charge.
Transfer
If you wish to transfer to a different course we will make every effort to meet your requirements.
Cancellation
If a student wishes to cancel their booking they must inform the Field Studies Council via email or letter as soon as possible.
- More than 56 days prior to the course start date – refund or amount paid including deposit or transfer*
- Between 56 and 15 days before the course date transfer*
- 14 day or less before the course start date no refund or transfer*
- Within 14 days of purchase (unless course is due to start in this time): Refund transfer*
Note: *Transfer must be to another course advertised on Field Studies Council website and taken within 12 months of the cancellation notice to Field Studies Council.
By booking an Open University field course at a Field Studies Council centre you are accepting the booking terms and conditions specified here. Field Studies Council will share data with relevant staff at Open University to ensure the planning and safe delivery of the courses.
Example Timetable
Itinerary (subject to change)
Day 1
6:00pm – Arrive and settle into rooms
6:30pm – Evening meal
7:15pm – Session 1
- Introduction to the centre
- What do you hope to get from the course?
- Pollination PowerPoint presentation
Day 2
9:15am – Session 2
- Classroom introduction to pollinating insects (Bees, hoverflies, etc.)
- Exploration of the centre grounds looking for flowers and insects
- Demonstration of how to use nets to collect insect specimens and how to identify insect specimens in the field
12:30pm – Lunch
1:00pm – Session 3
- Observations in the field focussing on what can be measured in terms of flower variables, insect variables and environmental variables.
- Demonstration of how to use appropriate equipment to measure environmental variables.
3:30pm – Tea Break
4:00pm – Session 4
- Statistics workshop
5:30pm/6pm – Break
6:30pm – Evening meal
7:15pm – Session 5
- Idea sharing session – students work in groups to assess what is practicable to measure
Day 3
9:15am – Session 6 Plan a big group investigation
11:00am – Session 7 Big group pilot study
12noon – Appraise and adjust plan
1:00pm – Working lunch in the field
3:30pm – Statistics and group feedback
4:30pm – Session 8 Identifying flowers using Francis Rose Wild Flower Key workshop
6:30pm – Evening meal
7:15pm – Session 9 Other flower keys – BSBI and Plant Family Characteristics
Day 4
9:15am – Session 10 Small group investigations
3:00pm – Session 11 Project groups feedback
4:00pm – Finish
- Evening finishing time varies on days 1-3 but will not extend beyond 9pm.
Please note: that all days and timings are subject to change depending on weather and unforeseen circumstances.
Before You Attend
What to bring:
- Suitable footwear and clothing appropriate for the outdoors
- Waterproofs (can be borrowed from the centre if needed)
- Lunch box and water bottle
- Pencils, pens and notebook.
- Laptop could be useful but not essential
Opportunities to attend this course
-
Fri 02, April 2027 6:00pm - Mon 05, April 2027 4:00pm
-
Tue 06, April 2027 6:00pm - Fri 09, April 2027 4:00pm