PLANT IDENTIFICATION
Run in collaboration with The University of Wales, Aberystwyth, the course introduces participants to key identification skills, as well as a range of local species. The emphasis is on learning how to identify higher plants, rather than learning a defined species list.
On completion of the course, participants will be able to: confidently use a flora to identify new, unfamiliar specimens; identify a range of common higher plants; accurately record key aspects of any identification undertaken; and design a simple dichotomous key. The course includes a series of short field trips to identify plants in the local area.
COURSE OUTLINE
Day 1
1000 onwards: arrival. Please ask in reception or in the restaurant for directions to your room (where applicable).
1100 Coffee in restaurant, with informal introductions.
1200 Introduction to the course. Basic plant and floral structure.
1300 Lunch in restaurant.
1400 Detail of life cycle with DVD animation. Walk around the site at CAT to collect a range of leaves and flowers.
1630 Tea in restaurant.
1700 Examination of the collection to become aware of the diversity in form and structure and to become familiar with the terminology required for identification of plants.
1800 Dinner in restaurant.
Day 2
0830 Breakfast in restaurant.
0930 Introductions to keys and their use in plant identification. Producing our own simple key from our specimens.
1100 Coffee in restaurant.
1130 Use the flora by Francis Rose to identify specimens.
1300 Lunch in restaurant.
1400 Walk around the site at CAT to identify flowering plants together.
1630 Tea in restaurant.
1700 Continue to examine and identify specimens.
1800 Dinner in restaurant.
1900 Informal workshop.
Day 3
0830 Breakfast in restaurant.
0900 Examination of a range of specimens to recognise similarities and start to
become familiar with important and common flowering plant families.
1100 Coffee in restaurant.
1130 Identification of a new range of specimens.
1300 Lunch in restaurant.
1400 Continue to examine and identify specimens.
1600 End of course and hand in of lab/field notebook for assessment.
COURSE TUTOR
Margaret Howells of The University of Wales, Aberystwyth.
