Course: Great Crested Newts: Ecology and Surveys

This advanced course will cover great crested newt identification and ecology, survey techniques, the Habitat Suitability Index (HSI), and will include opportunities to practice netting, bottle trapping, torch, and egg searching.

This course will include:

• Species identification
• An overview of legislation
• Great crested newt ecology
• Survey methods, including opportunities to practice netting, bottle trapping, torching, and egg searching
• Survey planning
• Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) for great crested newts
• Ways of recording and sharing your results

Great crested newts are fully protected in the UK and training/experience is required to gain a Statutory Agency licence to carry out surveys. This course will be delivered through a balance of classroom learning and opportunities to survey for newts at a variety of ponds, practising the main techniques discussed and identifying the newts found.

Please note – Natural England will accept an attendance certificate from a training course as supporting material towards a great crested newt survey licence. Click this link for more information. All participants will be provided with a certificate for this course on the day.

More dates and locations will soon be available to book for April/May 2025. Sign up for our Biodiversity Newsletter to hear about new courses as they are released.

This course is eligible for a student discount. If you are a current student, please use discount code BioStudent20 at checkout for 20% off.

Please refer to the Field Studies Council website for further information and to book.