Training Courses & Events
With over twenty years of experience in teaching, training, and leading botanical events, Arvensis Ecology has established itself as one of the leading training providers of botanical identification and surveying techniques.
We offer courses tailored to our audience, and have provided training to government organisations, NGOs, universities and colleges, ecological consultancies and private individuals.
We can deliver a suite of courses tailored to your organisation’s needs, in an engaging and informative way. Typically, courses are a mixture of practical (lab based or outdoors) and presentations, with clear handouts and presentations. Bespoke resources include handouts to a particular group, presentations and/or taxonomical keys tailored to the course.
Arvensis Ecology regularly runs courses for the Field Studies Council and the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM). Details of any courses we are currently running for these organisations are on our Courses & Events page.
Arvensis Ecology is a Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC) recognised assessor and Gold Standard Surveyor. We provide FISCs through the Field Studies Council and other organisations.
If you or your company would like a course or event tailored to your organisation’s requirements then please contact us.
“I was a complete novice, having never used a plant key before. Mark was excellent at adapting his teaching to my knowledge level, and altering his explanations so they were easier to grasp quickly. I particularly liked his use of analogies when describing plant features (e.g. bollards vs speed bumps) that I think made it easier for the whole group. He was extremely well prepared having samples of different species and equipment to take hard to reach specimens in the field, as well laminated copies of the learning material.”
A. Sutton
Conifer Identification – October 2024
Examples of previous courses offered include:
General botanical Identification:
- Botany for Beginners/Improvers/Gardeners
- Learning to use Botanical Keys
- Using the Wildflower Key
- Tackling Stace’s “New Flora of the British Isles”
- Using the Vegetative Key
Habitat based courses:
- Plants of Heathlands, Bogs and Mires
- Woodland Plants
- Grassland Plants
Survey techniques:
- Introduction to Phase 1 surveying
- Introduction to NVC surveying
- NVC Grasslands
- NVC Woodlands
- NVC Mires and Heaths
- Site Assessment using Vegetation
Specialist plant groups:
- Poaceae – Grasses
- Cyperaceae – Sedges and their allies
- Juncaceae – Rushes
- Grasses, Sedges and Rushes
- Apiaceae – Umbellifers/Cow Parsley family
- Asteraceae – Daisies, Dandelions and Thistles
- Brassicaceae – Cabbage family
- Pteridophytes – Ferns and their allies
- Aquatic plants
- Woodlands flora and Ancient Woodland Indicator species
- Invasive Plant species, their identification and how to separate from similar species
- Winter Tree ID
- Broad-leaved Trees identification
- Identification of Conifers