Woodland Plant Identification

This course will take place off-site from the Preston Montford Centre. You are able to park at Preston Montford and will then depart on minibus to the field site, Beechfield Dingle, Worthen. The course will finish back at Preston Montford. Please note, there are no toilet facilities at the field site.

The field visit allows you to appreciate the importance of Ancient Woodland Indicators in situ, see the niches they occupy and some of the challenges you may come across when identifying them.

The field site has a particularly rich ground flora including many Ancient Woodland Indicator species. Time will be spent identifying individual species and understanding their role in the woodland. Emphasis will be placed on key characters to distinguish each species from similar looking plants which in some cases can be common garden escapes and even invasive.

The only requirements for this course are an enthusiasm for plants and moderate walking ability.

This course relates to FISC (Field Identification Skills Certificate) levels 2-4. Click here to see more information about the BSBI FISC and the BSBI Botanical Skills Ladder.

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

• Understand what comprises an Ancient Woodland Indicator (AWI) species, how they might vary over the British Isles and how they can be useful in assessing a woodland.
• Recognise and name a wide number of AWIs, including a number of ferns and grasses.
• Distinguish between a number of AWIs and look-a-like species which may include invasive relatives and Schedule 9 species.

Who Should Attend? – General interest (amateur/professional), Local Authority ecologists, ecological consultants, conservation officers and staff within SNCOs and NGOs, students, environmental managers, land managers, wardens
and rangers. Anyone with an interest in woodland plants.

Knowledge Level – Beginner to Intermediate. Level descriptors can be found on the following web-page: Framework and Course Level Descriptors.

Prior Knowledge – No existing knowledge or experience is essential, but attendees will gain the most from this course if they have some prior understanding of the parts of a plants and associated terminology, have used a key (not necessarily botanical) and have some prior knowledge of UK flora. Field Identification Skills Certificate levels 2 and above

PLEASE NOTE: There is no accommodation or meal facilities provided with this course. Refreshments (tea and coffee) will be available. If we are unable to reach viable numbers for this course, we will inform you of the course cancellation 4-5 weeks prior to the course run. We would recommend when purchasing accommodation and/or travel you should take out your own insurance.

Bookings will close if course capacity is reached. 

Please email [email protected] if you have any questions.

Mark Duffell

Mark Duffell has had a lifetime interest in plants, gaining the RHS Diploma in Horticulture and completing an MSc in Biological Recording. He now runs Arvensis Ecology, splitting his time between conducting botanical surveys and teaching botanical identification and survey techniques to undergraduate and postgraduate students, consultancies and environmental organisations.

Provisional timetable

9:30 onwards arrival at Field Studies Council centre Preston Montford (refreshments and welcome).
10:00 leave Preston Montford for field site in minibus(es).
10:30 arrive at field site. Tuition on habitat present and identification of species. Walking and stopping along track for the rest of the day.
Lunch and breaks as required.
16:30 Return to minibus
17:00 Arrive back at Preston Montford.

Please note that there are no toilets at the fieldwork site. Please bring a packed lunch and any refreshments you might need during the day.

The approximate walking distance for the day is 2-3 km (at a botanical pace).

• 
  Expert Tuition
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  In Course Transport

The course has been carefully created by expert tutors and educators to help you build your knowledge and apply it within the field surrounded by like-minded individuals.

The course includes:

• Classroom learning covering the theory of the species
• Field excursions to apply new knowledge
• Expert tuition for which the Field Studies Council is renowned
• Clear objectives and progression
• Refreshments (tea/coffee)

You can rest assured that the absolute best content from an expert in environmental education will be provided. In choosing a Field Studies Council course, you will be joining thousands of people who learn with us each year.

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, read more here.

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 or access requirements, please let us know as soon as possible so we can make any necessary adjustments.

What to Bring

• Please bring your own drinks and meals for the day (lunch, snacks etc.).
• Wear suitable footwear (walking boots), bring suitable clothing (wet weather gear, warm clothing).
• Notebook, pens etc. to make notes.
• Hand lens

Recommended Literature

If you have the following books they would be useful (though not essential):

• Hotchkiss and Harper. 2016. Ancient woodland indicator plants. FSC, Shropshire.
• Merryweather, J.  2007. The Fern Guide: A field guide to the ferns, clubmosses, quillworts and horsetails of the British Isles. 3rd edition. FSC, Shropshire.
• Poland, J. & Clement, E.J. 2020. The Vegetative Key to the British Flora. 2nd edition. Private.
• Streeter, D. 2016. Collins Wild Flower Guide. 2nd edition. Collins, London.

Handouts and some ID guides (to borrow) will be provided by course tutor.