At the end of June, the Brindle & Green Ecology team undertook an internal botany training afternoon, which usually ends with a trip to a local species rich meadow, however the extreme heat on the day resulted in a trip to a local pub!
The session was one of our regular internal CPD sessions provided throughout the year and is a refresher for the senior staff and an introduction for graduates to flowering plant families.
We focused on the top 10 flowering plant families and botanical terms to help learn key identifiable features to speed up identification and keying out to species level within the field. There was a selection of samples provided to allow a practical element where everyone helped each other to use the wildflower keys and a hand lens to identify specimens. These sessions are great for all levels as it encourages discussion and questions from the team in a relaxed environment.
This session provided invaluable insights into key ecological methodologies, species-specific survey techniques, and best practices to ensure compliance with legislation and industry standards. This equips our new seasonals for the season ahead.
We had the privilege of hosting Steve Brown from Dragonfly Habitat Bank in our office. Our Consultant Ecologist, Lloyd Wyatt shares his experience from the CPD session.