Information
£189 per course
This course can only be done May – September when there are flowering plants!
Do you want to get to grips with plant ID, but feel daunted by the seemingly endless number of species in the field guides making you unsure where to start? If so, then our online self-study ‘Beginner’s Botany’ course has been designed especially for you!
Get 10% off all online courses by Ecology Training UK Ltd (ETUK)
if you book and pay online using this code: 8ZV1BNQH21AS.
Course Description:
This course aims to provide you with a basic knowledge of how to identify wild flowers using keys and field guides. During the course you will also become familiar with some of the most common flowering plants that you are likely to encounter in different habitats. This course can only be taken between May and September as you will be required to collect and identify plant samples.
The course will cover the following topics:
- Plant structure and features commonly used for ID
- Plant families and clues to their ID with examples for each family
- Using keys and field guides
- Examples of species from unimproved grassland and riparian habitat will be shown
- Includes tree workshop and some common grasses.
The tips you will learn from our experienced tutor will help you gain confidence in identifying plants yourself, at your own pace.
This a comprehensive course with a lot of content. Allow time to stop the videos frequently to make notes and refer to your samples and your ID book/chart.
Allow 10-15 hours to complete this course (equivalent of a 2 day field course).
What you will need:
At least one of these:
- Flower ID book:
- Collins Pocket GuideThe Wild Flowers of Britain and Northern Europe, Blamey, Fitter and Fitter New edition 1996 (out of print but available secondhand)
- The Wildflower Key. Francis Rose (2006)
- Collins Tree Guide (2004)
- FSC Guides to flowering plants – grassland plants 1 and 2, trees, grasses.
- Or other flower ID book with trees and grasses in it.
Also:
A hand lens or magnifying glass.
A hard-back sketchbook (A4 minimum, A3 better) to collect your samples in (optional)
Sticky tape to stick your samples in your book (optional)
Course format – Video:
Part 1
Plant structure and habitats
Playing time: 1 hour 15 mins
Part 2
Plant families
Playing time: 1 hour 12 mins
Part 3
Tree and grass ID
Playing time: 1 hour
Part 4
Practice and Assessment
Playing time: 46 mins
Assessment
The assessment is in three parts:
- In the Part 4 video there is a plant quiz and tree quiz – submit your answers by email.
- You will need to collect some flowering plant samples and send a picture by email or Whatsapp or short video via WhatsApp of 10 identified flowering plant species with their common name, Latin name and family.
- A short end of course quiz.
What our students say
“I liked the course, it was very comprehensive. I’m surprised how much I enjoyed the online elements of the course, I thought I would do better in a face to face course but honestly being able to go at my own pace is really working for me as I can spend time on the bits I find tricky as they come up rather than making a note to look things up later… I like the YouTube videos, being able to pause or even speed up the video to match my pace works well for me. I do feel like I learnt a lot. I would 100% recommend the course to others.” SC
Price: The course costs £210 (plus VAT) or £189 (plus VAT) if you book and pay online using the code 8ZV1BNQH21AS. This does not include the price of the core text.
How to book: You can book on-line at https://ecologytraining.co.uk/course/beginners-botany/.
Once you have booked, we will e-mail you to confirm that your booking has been received and you will then be able to start the course straight away.
If you are a company, you request an invoice by emailing ecologytraininguk@gmail.com.
Who is Ecology Training UK?
ETUK is one of the leading ecology training providers in the UK and strives to provide a range of field and online courses suitable for conservation and ecology consultancy. We provide a range of online courses including Habitat Management, Habitat Restoration, Managing Woodlands for Biodiversity, Reptile and Amphibian ID, Mammal ID, Invasive Species, Surveying for Protected Species, Phase 1 habitat mapping, and various bat courses. Most courses are UK-biased.
The company is run by Sue Searle BSc PGDip MCIEEM who is a principal ecologist and senior tutor with over 20 years experience in the ecology sector. We are passionate about wildlife, wild places and encouraging people to progress their careers!
