Free Tree Training

Registrations are now closed for the final instalment of the training

Struggling to recognise trees without their leaves? Do you want to know your birch from your beech by using buds and bark alone?

Register to attend free tree training this winter. Learn about trees and connect with nature where you live, study or work.  

Free Tree Training Courses

The education charity, Field Studies Council, are offering limited free places on one day winter tree identification and care training courses to people living in 7 coastal areas in England: Bexhill-on-Sea, Brighton & Hove, Great Yarmouth, Hull, Portsmouth, Ramsgate and Stockton-on-Tees, plus their surrounding urban areas.

As part of the Forgotten Places Project, connect with nature and improve your knowledge and skills to plant, protect and promote urban trees. Join us to discover your local trees this year.

This is the last of three courses delivered throughout 2022. These courses are offered in an in-person format, and there will also be an online alternative.

Identifying Broadleaf Trees in Winter

Our free Identifying Broadleaf Trees in Winter course is a beginner level course.

At the end of this course, you will be able to:

- Identify a range of common broadleaf trees in winter
- Become familiar with the more commonly found species in your area
- Use buds and twigs to make an accurate identification
- Recognise, by key characteristics, some of the most common urban broadleaf trees in winter
- Describe key features of trees in winter
- Identify careers working with trees and how you can access these

Register your interest by the 3rd October 2022 for your chance to reserve a place on one of our winter tree courses in 2022. You will be notified by the 7th October if you have been successful and will then need to book your free place.

There will then be a second round of allocations. We aim to communicate whether you have been successful or not by the 14th October.

Registration takes less than 5 minutes. Numbers are limited so register now! T&Cs apply.

Registrations are now closed

Winter Training Courses

These free one-day winter courses will be running in the following locations on the following dates:

- Bexhill on Sea – 12th November (10am-4:30pm)
- Brighton & Hove – 19th November (10am-4:30pm)
- Great Yarmouth – 12th November (10am-4:30pm)
- Hull – 26th November (10am-4:30pm)
- Portsmouth – 20th November (10am-4:30pm)
- Ramsgate – 19th November (10am-4:30pm)
- Stockton-on-Tees – 19th November (10am-4:30pm)

Online

Starts – 31st October

Week 1 Zoom: 7th November at 4:15pm
Week 2 and 3 Assignment: weeks commencing 14th/21st November
Week 4 zoom: 28th November at 4:15pm

This is a 4-week online course for which you will complete a variety of self-led online study content, activities, assignments and live Zoom sessions. Time commitment is approximately 2-3 hours a week and an E-certificate is provided upon completion.

Why Register for Free Training?

No previous experience is required to join. The courses will be delivered by a tree expert and focus on identifying trees, tree care, spotting tree pests and diseases, as well as an insight into careers working with trees. We will also be running these courses online, so there’s lots of opportunities for you to get involved!

You can register your interest in taking part in a face-to-face course in one of the 7 places listed above, or online. The online course will be held on Field Studies Council’s online learning platform and will include self-led learning, zoom sessions and fun activities and assignments split into 4-weeks of learning.

Registrations are now closed

More about the free training

These courses are from the UK leading education charity, the Field Studies Council.  

Field Studies Council is able to offer free places on these training courses thanks to the wonderful support of a project led by Trees for Cities to increase tree cover in smaller coastal cities and towns.

This project is funded by Defra in partnership with the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Trees for Cities will work with project partners to deliver community tree-planting and education events designed to revitalise coastal urban areas, including the Queen’s Jubilee celebration.

As well as a free place on one of our training courses, we will also send you tips for tree identification and highlight opportunities to volunteer, learn or work to help protect trees in your local area.

If you have any questions about the training please don’t hesitate to get in touch.