Course: Botanical Skills - HAU

Field Studies Council

2nd - 4th May 2025
Preston Montford, Shrewsbury, Shropshire
£300 - £505 (Students can get 20% off using code 'BioStudent20' at checkout)

EcologyConservation & Wildlife


This 2.5 day intermediate course explores a range of botanical skills that open up the world of plants for identification and surveying.

Core botanical skills are essential for successful surveying of habitats whether using UKHab or NVC classification. The ability to identify plants successfully enables the differentiation between many habitats, provides the foundation for site assessment, and the description of the habitats.

This course includes:

  • Comparative botanical terminology
  • Classification of plant families
  • Field and lab identification
  • Collecting and preserving specimens
  • Plant recording schemes

This course will introduce learners to the processes of vascular plant identification using a range of methods. Core botanical skills are essential for successful surveying of habitats whether using UKHab or NVC classification. The ability to identify plants successfully enables the differentiation between many habitats, provides the foundation for site assessment, and the description of the habitats of associated species of invertebrates and other fauna. Wildflower identification offers a foundation from which to build botanical skills. Learners will complete the course with the ability to independently develop these skills in the field having had experience of using floristic and vegetative features to identify a range of wildflower families. Learners will also have developed skills necessary for the collection, preservation, and validation of voucher specimens, and have a knowledge of relevant UK recording schemes and botanical societies.

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

  • Critically analyse and distinguish the morphological features of a wide range of plant taxa.
  • Demonstrate expertise in employing dichotomous keys, flora, and other botanical resources for species-level identification, incorporating the use of comparative terminology and critical evaluation of diagnostic features versus general characters.
  • Design and conduct field and laboratory research for plant identification, including the collection, preservation, and validation of voucher specimens.

This course is supported by our partnership with Harper Adams University.

Different booking options are available. Please refer to our website for further information and to book.

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About Field Studies Council (FSC)

Field Studies Council is a pioneering environmental education charity committed to enabling people to discover, explore, understand, and be inspired by the world around us. Established in 1943, our network of Learning Locations provide day and residential courses for all ages, from young children to retired adults, from schools and communities throughout the UK, reaching many others through our publications and community-based programmes

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