Grassland plant ID course 5th/6th July

This course will provide an introduction to grassland plant identification, grassland ecology and survey.  Emphasis will be made on practical survey experience and plant identification, particularly identification using vegetative features. Course participants will visit a range of grassland habitats located at nearby County Wildlife Sites and Devon Wildlife Trust reserves.  By the end of the course, participants will be familiar with a variety of grassland habitat types and will be confident with the identification of a range of grass, rush, sedge and herbaceous species.  Course attendees will be familiar with unimproved, semi-improved and improved swards and will have a greater understanding of how physical features (such as hydrology and pH) affect grassland sward composition.

Additional topics covered within the course will include grassland management, classification and survey technique.

Day 1
Classroom session
Introduction to grasses, sedges, rushes and herbaceous species.  Learn how grassland management affects species composition in swards, with a particular focus in looking at unimproved, semi-improved and improved grasslands.

Field visits
Field visits to grassland sites including County Wildlife Sites (CWS) and Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) nature reserves.  Focus on grassland plant identification.

Day 2
Classroom session

• Grassland communities and indicator species (used to identify acid/calcareous/neutral, wet/dry and improved/semi-improved/unimproved characteristics)
• Grassland management
• Grassland classification (BAP, Phase 1 and NVC)

Field visits
Field visits to several grassland sites including CWS and DWT nature reserves. Focus on grassland plant identification, grassland management and survey technique.

Sites we will be visiting
Woodah Farm CWS – Landholding with improved, semi-improved and unimproved grassland communities.
Deer Park Farm CWS – Landholding with steep, grazed species-rich neutral grassland.
Ruggadon CWS and DWT nature reserve
Haldon Hill – Unimproved acid grassland.

This course will be based at Woodah Farm in Devon (approximately 10 miles south of Exeter).
Course costs are £160 + VAT for 'early bird' bookings made before the end of May and £200 + VAT for bookings made thereafter. To book onto this course, please call us on (01392) 274128.