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RBGE Certificate in Practical Field Botany Applicant’s Handbook 2011 Leigh Morris, Greg Kenicer, Heather McHaffie May 2010
RBGE Certificate
in Practical Field Botany Applicant’s Handbook
2011
Leigh Morris, Greg Kenicer, Heather McHaffie May 2010
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Contents Page
1. Course Overview 4
2. Assessment 5 2.1 Notebook 5 2.2 Practical Tests 5
3. Course Fees 6
4. Application Procedure and ILAs 6
5. Equipment Required 6
6. Option 1: Day Course at Edinburgh 7
7. Option 2: 7-day Residential Course at Kindrogan 9
8. Unit Descriptors 11
CPFB-1 Plant Identification 12
CPFB-2 Preparation for Field Work 13
CPFB-3 Information Recording 14
CPFB-4 Field Collection, Pressing and Mounting 15
CPFB-5 Habitat Surveying 16
CPFB-6 Applied Field Work 1 17
CPFB-7 Applied Field Work 2 18
CPFB-8 Applied Field Work 3 19
9. Application Form 21
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1. Course Overview The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) has delivered high quality practical field botany training for over a century. At present, we provide training in our Garden for students from universities, colleges and government bodies. Internationally, our training programmes are key parts of development projects in botany, taxonomy, conservation and ecology. This botanical training has, to date, been delivered by many of RBGE’s expert staff in a variety of different ways. The RBGE Certificate in Practical Field Botany draws our expertise together and provides a standardised framework for RBGE’s practical botany training. An internationally recognised certificate is awarded to the candidates on successful completion of the programme. The programme provides students with a core set of practical botany skills and knowledge across all the key areas necessary to carry out field collection, identification, preservation and curation of botanical specimens. It achieves this through a clear and concise course framework, teaching materials, assessment and verification guidelines. The course is designed to be delivered and assessed using a predominantly practical approach. Assessment is focused around a notebook kept by the students during the course, a series of practical identification tests, and basic specimen collections made towards the end of the whole programme. Individuals can apply to study in a variety of ways, and the course can also be offered for staff within an organisation. In 2011, there are two options for individuals to study: Option 1: Friday – Monday, 3-6 June and 17-20 June 2011 (8 days), based at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and field sites in the Lothians.
Option 2: 7-day Residential course from 16-23 July 2011 at Kindrogan Field Studies Centre and field sites in Perthshire.
Course Tutor Dr Heather McHaffie works here at RBGE on the conservation of Scottish plants in partnership with Scottish Natural Heritage. This involves monitoring some species, collecting spores, seeds and cuttings to add to the conservation collections of vulnerable plants. Some of the plants are used in re-introductions and habitat restorations. She also teaches a range of courses and workshops on conservation, ferns and flowering plants for RBGE students, at Kindrogan Field Centre and other sites all over Scotland. There is an opportunity for students to contribute to the conservation of Scottish plants though projects which add to our knowledge of their distribution and how to cultivate them.
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2. Assessment
This is a predominantly practical course and this is mirrored within the assessment methods. You will be assessed in two ways:
2.1 Course Notebook & Botanical Specimens
You will be issued with course worksheets throughout the programme. You must use these to record the key knowledge points covered and the practical activities demonstrated and carried out during the units. You will also be given a course notebook. This will be your record book, detailing all necessary information on the plants that you have found and identified, in an appropriate format. The notebook should not be presented in an edited, computer-based format as it is a working notebook that you can refer to in the future and its presentation should not become a significant additional assignment. You will also press, prepare and accurately label a minimum of 3 plant specimens during the course.
2.2 Practical Tests
Skills to be assessed are outlined for each unit. These will be tested individually throughout the course where appropriate and during the applied field work days. Successful candidates will be awarded the ‘RBGE Certificate in Practical Field Botany’, which is graded as follows:
• Referral: <50%
• Pass: <60%
• Merit: <70%
• Distinction: 70% and above NB: Referred candidates may retake the practical assessment.
The course notebook and specimens will count for 40% of the final course mark and the practical tests for 60%.
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3. Course Fees
• Option 1 (Edinburgh): £450
• Option 2 (Kindrogan): £530 As well as expert tuition, the course fee includes:
• all course materials (including hand lens, field notebook and a copy of The Wild Flower Key by Francis Rose (2006 edition)
• field trip expenses
• assessment and certification Course fees for Option 2 also include a week’s fully-catered accommodation.
4. Application Procedure and ILAs
Please submit the application form at the back of this handbook along with a deposit cheque for the appropriate amount. This will be returned to any unsuccessful applicants. Courses depend on a minimum number of students to run. You will be kept informed if a course looks unlikely to go ahead. The Practical Certificate in Field Botany is an Individual Learning Account (ILA) registered course. Individual Learning Accounts are a Scottish Government scheme for those on low incomes. If you have a £200 Individual Learning Account, please include your ILA number on the application form. For more information about ILAs, please visit www.ilascotland.org.uk or ring 0808 100 1090.
5. Equipment Required
This is a practical course and each module will involve some outdoor work, either around the centre or in the field. You will need to bring:
• Outdoor clothes and footwear appropriate for the weather and location. • For non-residential courses - Packed lunch. For fieldwork days please make sure
you bring plenty to drink (tea and coffee are provided at the centre). • Hand lenses, notebook and field guides are provided at the start of the course but
please bring these with you each day along with something to write with. • Unit 3 - Information Recording requires digital cameras. Some will be available to
borrow but please bring your own if you have one. Any additional details for specific courses will be provided on booking.
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6. Option 1: Day Course at Edinburgh
6.1 Course Structure
The 8-day course is spread over two 4-day (Friday – Monday) blocks in June 2011. The first 5 days introduce different aspects of field botany and will focus on one of the individual units. They will include both classroom sessions and practical outdoor work. The last three days will be spent in the field, putting into practice the techniques learned.
6.2 Course Dates
Unit Number
Unit Title Date Time Location
CPFB-1 Plant Identification Fri 3 June 2011 10.00am - 4.00pm RBGE
CPFB-2 Preparation for Field Work Sat 4 June 2011 10.00am - 4.00pm RBGE
CPFB-3 Information Recording Sun 5 June 2011 10.00am - 4.00pm RBGE
CPFB-4 Field Collection, Pressing and Mounting
Mon 6 June 2011 10.00am - 4.00pm RBGE
CPFB-5 Habitat Surveying Fri 17 June 2011 10.00am - 5.00pm RBGE
CPFB-6 Applied Field Work 1* Sat 18 June 2011 10.00am - 5.00pm TBC*
CPFB-7 Applied Field Work 2* Sun 19 June 2011 10.00am - 5.00pm TBC*
CPFB-8 Applied Field Work 3* Mon 20 June 2011 10.00am - 5.00pm TBC*
6.3 Course Location
The first five units are based in one of the teaching rooms in the RBGE Science Buildings at 20A Inverleith Row, using the Ecological Garden and local wild areas for field work. *The locations for the applied fieldwork sessions will be confirmed nearer the time but are likely to be a selection of woodland, arable and moorland habitats in the Lothians.
6.4 Course Fees and Application Procedure
The course costs £450, payable in full on acceptance of a place. Please submit the application form at the back of this handbook along with a deposit cheque for £50. If
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your organisation is to pay the fees, please mark this on the form. Deposits will be returned to unsuccessful applicants.
6.5 Physical Fitness
Field work requires a certain amount of physical activity, particularly on the full days where we will be walking to different sites. Please contact us if you have any concerns about this so that we can make special arrangements if necessary or let you know if we feel the course will not be suitable for you.
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7. Option 2: 7-Day Residential at Kindrogan Field Studies Centre
7.1 Course Structure
The course takes place over 7 days at Kindrogan Field Studies Centre in Perthshire. The first 2 days introduce plant identification and different aspects of field botany. Daytime activities will include both classroom sessions to introduce the theory and practical outdoor work in habitats around the field centre. There will also be evening sessions to add additional skills in collecting data and herbarium specimens when necessary, and to practice plant identification. Three days will be spent in the field in a variety of habitats, putting into practice the techniques learned. Assessment will be based on the field notebook collected at the end of the course, the specimens pressed during the week, and short identification tests completed over the last three days.
7.2 Course Dates and Timetable
The course runs from Saturday 16 – Saturday 23 July 2011. Details of the timetable are subject to change. Sat 16 July Arrival and introductions
Sun 17 July Plant identification – plant families and use of key Evening – pressing specimens and Plant ID
Mon 18 July Information recording and collecting Evening – preparation for field work
Tues 19 July Survey methods and analysing survey data Evening – species ID consolidated
Wed 20 July Habitat Survey (location 1) Evening – species ID consolidated
Thurs 21 July Habitat Survey (location 2) Evening – mounting and storing specimens
Fri 22 July Habitat Survey (location 3) Evening – round up and review of course
Sat 23 July Breakfast and depart
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7.3 Course Location
Kindrogan Field Studies Centre is set in wooded grounds on the banks of the River Ardle in the picturesque Scottish Highlands. Easily reached from most parts of Scotland using the station at Pitlochry, the area has a rich range of wildlife habitats. The centre provides comfortable bedrooms based on two people sharing although single rooms are available with the payment of a small supplement. Breakfast and dinner will be provided at the centre and a packed lunch each day. Other facilities include:
• ICT facilities • An excellent natural history library • A drying room for field clothes and equipment • An equipment store with waterproofs and boots for hire • A student common room • Green Tourism Business Awards (Gold standard) & Eco-Centre status • A bar
More information can be found at: http://www.field-studies-council.org/kindrogan/index.aspx.
Kindrogan Field Studies Centre Enochdhu Blairgowrie Perthshire PH10 7PG
Tel: 01250 870150 Fax: 01250 881433 Email: enquiries.kd @field-studies-council.org
7.4 Course Fees and Application Procedure
The course costs £530, payable in full on acceptance of a place. This includes all your course fees as well as accommodation at the field centre from the evening meal on Saturday 16 July until breakfast on Saturday 23 July. Please submit the application form at the back of this handbook along with a deposit cheque for £70. If your organisation is to pay the fees, please mark this on the form. Deposits will be returned to unsuccessful applicants. Detailed equipment lists will be sent on booking.
7.5 Physical Fitness
Field work requires a certain amount of physical activity, particularly on the full days where we will be walking to different sites. Please contact us if you have any concerns about this so that we can make special arrangements if necessary or let you know if we feel the course will not be suitable for you.
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8. Unit Descriptors Descriptors for all the above units are on the following pages. Each descriptor states the:
• Learning objectives
• Key knowledge and practical activities to be covered during the unit
• Assessment guidelines
• Any particular equipment required
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Unit Number: CPFB-1
Unit Title: Plant Identification
Learning Objectives:
• Understand the principles of plant identification in the field and the importance of vegetative and reproductive characters in plant identification
• Recognition of important vegetative and reproductive plant parts
• Identify a range of plants from different groups/families, by both reproductive and vegetative characteristics
• Use and production of dichotomous and other types of keys
Key Knowledge:
• Importance of identifying and classifying plants correctly
• Broad classification structure of the plant kingdom (inc. binomial system)
• Availability and use of different types of plant keys from floras and monographs
• Key structural parts of a plant used, such as floral and vegetative characters
Key Practical Activities:
• Exercise creating a key from non-plant materials
• Examination of plants in the classroom. This could include basic flower dissection and identification of floral and vegetative parts
• Use of glossaries and floral keys to identify plant samples provided in class
• Walk-round to look at plants and identify ‘field characters’ that can be used
Assessment:
• Identification test: students should identify a minimum of 3 plants from different families, which they must key out using the supplied floral key. The assessor should decide the depth and accuracy of the identification required depending on the judged difficulty of the exercise.
• Evidence in the candidate’s course workbook and notebook
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Unit Number: CPFB-2
Unit Title: Preparation for Field Work
Learning Objectives:
• Understand the purpose and intended outcomes of fieldwork
• Gain an understanding of the processes and stages to be carried out in the preparation for a field trip
• Carry out all activities necessary in the preparation for a field collection trip.
Key Knowledge:
• Legislation & Regulations: Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Red Data Book (IUCN) designations; Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) Schedule 8 species, European protected species
• Collection permits, licenses and quarantine regulations
• Logistics and equipment requirements and planning
• Health & Safety implications inc. vaccinations, Lyme disease, Weil’s disease
• Basic project finances – funding sources within UK
Key Practical Activities:
• Carry out the preparation for the field work to be undertaken during the rest of the course (inc. listing and collating equipment and other resources)
• Creation of a personal ‘Field Collection Book’ (for use later in the course)
• Learn to identify some of the UK's Schedule 8 protected species (UK only)
Assessment:
• Creation and layout of collection book for use during the ‘Applied Field Work’ units.
• Notes made in course workbook: Identifying and listing all resources and considerations for field work.
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Unit Number: CPFB-3
Unit Title: Information Recording
Learning Objectives:
• Gain an understanding of the information that must be recorded during botanical field work
• Carry out the recording of information in various formats
Key Knowledge:
• Information to be recorded, following RBGE minimum standards
• Ways of recording: collection notebook
• Computer data-basing systems demonstrated
• Photographic recording: surrounding area; whole plant; plant details – correlation with collection records and associated specimens
• GPS use
• Recording specialist data: IUCN Red Data List criteria, National Vegetation Classification schemes etc.
Key Practical Activities:
• Recording of sample information for a range of plants.
• Operation of GPS systems for location data
• Field photography of plants
Assessment:
• Completion of notebook during the ‘Applied Field Work’ units (including correct GPS coordinates recorded).
• Labelling of the herbarium specimens submitted at the end of the course.
NB: please bring a digital camera if you have one for this unit.
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Unit Number: CPFB-4
Unit Title: Field Collection, Pressing and Mounting
Learning Objectives:
• Gain an understanding of the different ways plants are collected and preserved in the field
• Carry out the collection, drying and preserving of a range of plants
Key Knowledge:
• Selection of plant material for collection for herbarium specimens
• Numbering collections and collecting duplicates
• Use of presses and laying out plants within the press
• Drying techniques and approaches
• Special collections and associated materials:
Bulky material, spirit collections, silica gel dried material for DNA analysis
• Freezing and specimen hygiene
• Laying out, mounting techniques: gluing and stitching
Key Practical Activities:
• Carry out the collection and pressing of plants in the field
• Set up and use a drying frame or other drying facility
• Carry out the collection of material for DNA analysis
Assessment:
• Carry out the collection and pressing of plant specimens
• Know how to collect material for DNA analysis
• Three herbarium specimens submitted towards the end of the course
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Unit Number: CPFB-5
Unit Title: Habitat Surveying
Learning Objectives:
• Gain an understanding of the range of different methods that can be used for habitat surveying, within botanical field work
• Carry out a range of habitat surveying techniques
Key Knowledge:
• Methods used for habitat surveying: Transects; quadrats, mapping, measurement of canopy heights
• Reasons for using each surveying method, including an introduction to the National Vegetation Classification Scheme and other frameworks.
• Types of habitat: natural, semi-natural and man made
• Data recording, analysis and relevance to overall botanical field work
Key Practical Activities:
• Carry out transects, quadrats, mapping, and measurement of canopy heights and DBH
• Carry out basic soil analysis: texture and pH testing
• Data recording and analysis
Assessment:
• Within the practical test at the end of the module; carry out the survey of a small area of floral habitat using at least two of the methods covered in the unit (including height assessment)
• Recording of the data within the course notebook
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Unit Number: CPFB-6
Unit Title: Applied Field Work 1
Learning Objectives:
• Carry out a field visit (Habitat A).
• Gain an understanding of how all aspects of the course combine in a field situation.
Key Knowledge:
• All aspects covered within Units 1-5 covered in the field
Key Practical Activities:
• Visit a field site: identification, information recording, site and habitat analysis
• Use of keys to identify 5 plants
Assessment:
• On-going assessment of the student’s skills in all areas of the field work.
Note:
In particularly species-rich areas, tutors may opt to focus on one particular plant family or other taxonomic group if this fits in with wider training requirements.
Choice of specific plant groups or habitat types may be determined by:
• Availability of good identification keys
• Availability of good floras (or at least checklists) for the area
• Tutors’ knowledge of the plants or habitats
This unit may be presented as a part of a field survey or transect study.
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Unit Number: CPFB-7
Unit Title: Applied Field Work 2
Learning Objectives:
• Carry out a field visit (Habitat B – significantly different to habitat A).
• Gain an understanding of how all aspects of the course combine in a field situation.
Key Knowledge:
• All aspects covered within Units 1-5 covered in the field
Key Practical Activities:
• Visit a field site: identification, information recording, site and habitat analysis
Assessment:
• On-going assessment of the student’s skills in all areas of the field work
• Use of keys to identify five plants
In particularly species-rich areas, tutors may opt to focus on one particular plant family or other taxonomic group if this fits in with wider training requirements.
Choice of specific plant groups or habitat types may be determined by:
• Availability of good identification keys
• Availability of good floras (or at least checklists) for the area
• Tutors’ knowledge of the plants or habitats
This unit may be presented as a part of a field survey or transect study.
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Unit Number: CPFB-8
Unit Title: Applied Field Work 3
Learning Objectives:
• Carry out a field visit (Habitat C – significantly different to habitats A & B).
• Gain an understanding of how all aspects of the course combine in a field situation.
Key Knowledge:
• All aspects covered within Units 1-5 covered in the field
Key Practical Activities:
• Visit a field site: identification, information recording, site and habitat analysis
Assessment:
• On-going assessment of the student’s skills in all areas of the field work
• Use of keys to identify five plants
In particularly species-rich areas, tutors may opt to focus on one particular plant family or other taxonomic group if this fits in with wider training requirements.
Choice of specific plant groups or habitat types may be determined by:
• Availability of good identification keys
• Availability of good floras (or at least checklists) for the area
• Tutors’ knowledge of the plants or habitats
This unit may be presented as a part of a field survey or transect study.
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Application for RBGE Certificate in Practical Field Botany (CERT PFB)
Please complete the application and return with your Education Administrator (CertPFB) deposit to: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh 20a Inverleith Row Edinburgh EH3 5LR 1. Personal Details Title Mr / Mrs / Ms / Miss / Dr / Other ___________ Name Contact Numbers Address Daytime _____________________________________ Evening
_____________________________________ Mobile ______ _____________________________________ Email Address Qualifications (in brief)
Professional Background
Office Use Only
Date application received
Reference Number Cert PFB/
Offered Place Yes / No Date:
Place accepted Yes / No Date
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Reasons for applying for this course?
Where did you hear about this course?
2. Application Details (please tick the boxes that apply) Course applied for: Option 1 – RBGE □ Option 2 – Kindrogan □ Payment amount:
Deposit Full amount Full amount with £200 ILA* Option 1 – RBGE £50 £450 £250 Option 2 – Kindrogan £70 £530 £330 * ILA number _________________________ / awaiting ILA number I am paying for this course myself. I enclose a cheque for £________ OR Please send an invoice to this address for the following amount: £________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ Post code: _______________
