This beginner course is designed to give ecologists the foundational botanical skills that are essential for accurate habitat surveying using UKHab and NVC. You will learn useful techniques to help you identify key indicator species of different habitats, including wildflowers and grasses. 

This course will include:

• An introduction to vegetative and flowering parts of plants.
• An introduction to British wildflower families, including common and more unusual species.
• An introduction to common British grasses that are key indicator species for habitat surveying.
• Practical experience identifying wildflower and grass species in the field with an expert tutor.

UKHab and NVC classifications require ecologists to be able to differentiate between many habitats which are often very similar. To correctly assign a habitat classification requires the ability to identify key indicator species. In this course, you will learn basic botanical skills that will allow you to use distinguishing characteristics and keys to identify a broad range of species. You should leave the course with the confidence to independently develop your botanical skills in the field.