TRAINING GUIDE cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk

Transcription

1 TRAINING GUIDE 2016 cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk

2 HOW TO BOOK Visit the website cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/whats-on XXXXXXX Choose your event, register and pay online. Alternatively call Please note that many of the courses will contain an indoor and outdoor part to the training, if you have any concerns about the amount of walking involved please contact the Volunteering and Training Manager on AFTER BOOKING You will receive confirmation of booking by either or post. Priority of places on free courses will be given to volunteers and members. Finalised programme and location details will be sent one week prior. Refunds are only available if cancellations are received at least one month before the course. FEES For course fees see the event description. If you are a regular volunteer with Cheshire Wildlife Trust you may be able to access all courses for free. Please speak to your main contact at CWT or your request to volunteering@cheshirewt.org.uk or call BESPOKE COURSES Do you represent a school, college, university or local community group? You might be interested to know that we can also run bespoke wildlife training courses, like the ones in this guide, for you or your group, at a time and venue that suits you. If you would be interested in this service please call or info@cheshirewt.org.uk

3 PRACTICAL SKILLS JESS CHARLTON GET OUT, GET FIT AND HAVE FUN! BEEKEEPING Saturday, 25 June, 9.30am 4pm Learn about honey bees amazing social organisation as well as what is involved in keeping bees. The course will be a mixture of theory and practical. WOODLAND MANAGEMENT: Controlling Invasive Species Thursday, 21 July, 10am 3pm Intake Wood, Bebington CH63 0NL A look at some of our more common invasive species, including identification, natural spread and different control techniques. FENCING: ERECTING STOCK FENCING Wednesday, 28 September, 10am 3.30pm Develop practical skills in fence building. Learn during a practical task day on our farm to create an area of stock fencing. SCYTHING FOR BEGINNERS Saturday, 23 July, 10am 4pm New Ferry Butterfly Park, Bebington CH62 5BJ Learn how to manage grasslands using scything techniques. WILLOW WEAVING Wednesday, 7 September, 10am 3pm Using traditional basket making techniques and fine English willow, learn to make a woven nesting box for your garden. HEDGE LAYING Monday, 7 November, 10am 3pm Gowy Meadows, Ellesmere Port, CH2 4JH Come and have a go at hedge laying with our expert and learn how to produce a piece of wildlife friendly hedgerow. ORCHARD PRUNING Wednesday, 23 November, 10am 1pm Bickley Hall Farm, Malpas, SY14 8EF A hands-on half day workshop where you can learn the theory of how and why we prune fruit trees and have a go at some practical pruning of young fruit trees too.

4 ECOLOGY SKILLS ECOLOGY SKILLS LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY! ADVANCED BARN OWL ECOLOGY AND SURVEY TRAINING Tuesday, 31 May, 10am 4pm A more advanced look into barn owl ecology along with recording and surveying methods. Learning the legislation and mitigation behind the barn owl. WATER VOLE ECOLOGY AND SURVEYING: Theory Sunday, 15 May, 10am 1pm Frodsham Community Centre, WA6 7QN Come along and learn about water voles, where to find them, how to recognise their tracks and signs and how to distinguish them from other voles and mammals found living along the river bank. BEGINNER S BARN OWL ECOLOGY AND SURVEY TRAINING Saturday, 11 June, 10am 4pm An introduction into barn owl legislation, ecology and surveying techniques, learning what to record and how to record it. WATER VOLE ECOLOGY AND SURVEYING: Practical Sunday, 22 May, 10am 1pm Sites along the River Weaver Join us on the riverbank and help survey habitat for water voles. You ll also learn about water voles and where they like to live. ELLIOTT NEEP MUD SNAIL ECOLOGY AND IDENTIFICATION Saturday, 10 September, 10am 3.30pm Gowy Meadows, Ellesmere Port, CH2 4JH Join the Freshwater Habitats Trust to help us survey and monitor the rare mud snail at Gowy Meadows Nature Reserve. This course will provide training in identification and survey methods of this fascinating and elegant pond snail with the beautiful scientific name Omphoscola glabra. INTRODUCTION TO OTTER ECOLOGY Tuesday, 4 October, 10am 3pm Gowy Meadows, Ellesmere Port, CH2 4JH An introductory course on otter ecology and surveying methods and techniques. BIOLOGICAL RECORDING WORKSHOP Sunday 19th June, 9.30am 2pm Castle Community Centre, Northwich, CW8 1DT At this workshop you will learn how to upload survey and recording data onto the RODIS online recording system used by RECORD.

5 ECOLOGY SKILLS BIRDS & MAMMALS ID SKILLS AND MORE... SMALL MAMMAL SAFARI: Trapping, Tracks and Signs Sunday, 24 September, 9am 3pm This workshop will highlight the mammal tracks and signs that you might come across when out in the countryside. Signs can include droppings, hair, fur, feeding signs and homes. The day will also feature some small mammal trapping. BEGINNER S BIRD IDENTIFICATION Saturday, 7 May, 9am 2pm Gowy Meadows, Ellesmere Port, CH2 4JH This course takes you through the simple bird identification skills. Learn about the look, flight patterns, behaviour habits and birdsong of some of the summer migrants arriving in Cheshire. AMY LEWIS BEGINNER S GUIDE TO BIRDSONG Sunday, 19 June, 11am 2pm Marbury Reedbed, Northwich CW9 6AT A short guide to identifying the different bird songs that can be commonly found in Cheshire. PAUL BUNYARD BEGINNER S BIRD IDENTIFICATION Monday, 1 August, 11am 2pm This course takes you through the simple bird identification skills. If you have limited knowledge on the birds in your garden, this course will teach you about the look, flight patterns, behaviour habits and birdsong of some of the common garden birds. TOM MARSHALL

6 PLANTS & TREES PAUL HOBSON ID SKILLS AND MORE... INTRODUCTION TO NATIONAL PLANT MONITORING SCHEME Wednesday, 4 May, 9.45am 3.30pm If you want to get your head around the habitats, master mapping or become savvy at setting up survey plots then the NPMS Introductory Workshops are for you. The workshops will involve both an indoor and outdoor session and there will be plenty of opportunity to share experiences with your fellow volunteers. This is a free workshop for NPMS volunteers sign up and book at GRASSES, SEDGES AND RUSHES Saturday, 18 June, 10am 3pm New Ferry Butterfly Park, Bebington CH62 5BJ Come along to this course to build your knowledge on identification skills of common grasses, sedges and rushes. AQUATIC PLANTS Saturday, 2 July, 10am 3.30pm Join the Freshwater Habitats Trust for a beginner s guide to the identification of aquatic plants commonly found in and around freshwater ponds. COASTAL WILDFLOWERS Sunday, 17 July, 10.30am 3pm Red Rocks Nature Reserve, Hoylake CH47 1HN Learn about the coastal grasses, sedges and rushes at Red Rocks Nature Reserve. A hand lens will be available but you can bring your own. WILDFLOWERS AND MEADOW PLANTS Saturday, 23 July, 11am 2pm Swettenham Meadows, Congleton CW12 2LF Learn to identify common wildflowers at Swettenham Meadows Nature Reserve. A perfect course to learn some basic skills. SPHAGNUM IDENTIFICATION Thursday, 13 October, 10am 1pm Delamere Forest, Northwich Come to Delamere s hidden mosses and discover how to tell the difference between the sphagnum species found here. TREES IN WINTER Thursday, 8 December, 11am 2pm Quinta and Swettenham Meadows, Congleton CW12 2LF This course is an introduction to the skills and terms required for winter identification using such features as bark, buds and plant habitat.

7 DRAGONFLIES, BUTTERFLIES, MOTHS & BEES NEVER STOP LEARNING... INTRODUCTION TO BUTTERFLIES AND BUTTERFLY SURVEYS Saturday 9, July, 10am 12.30pm and 1pm 3pm Swettenham Meadows, Congleton CW12 2LF Working with Butterfly Conservation, this course is split into two parts. The morning session will introduce you to the typical grassland butterflies in Cheshire and show you how to identify them. Stay for the afternoon session if you want to learn how to use your identification skills to carry out butterfly surveys. or 20 for half a day DRAGONFLIES 1: Mosslands Thursday, 12 May, 10am 2pm Hatchmere Nature Reserve, Frodsham WA6 6NY Aimed at beginners, this is the first of three dragonfly identification workshops. Learn how to identify a range of species that occupy different flight periods throughout the season on mosslands. Following a morning classroom session the afternoon will be spent identifying dragonflies in the field. DRAGONFLIES 2: Moving Water Saturday, 9 July, 10am 2pm Hockenhull Platts, Waverton CH3 8LE The second of three dragonfly identification courses explores the range of species that occupy different flight periods throughout the season on moving water. Following a classroom session in the morning the afternoon will be spent identifying dragonflies in the field. BEGINNER S GUIDE TO BUTTERFLY AND REPTILE SURVEYS IN DELAMERE May (date to be confirmed weather dependant) Delamere Forest, Northwich Learn the techniques of surveying butterflies and reptiles at the mosslands in Delamere. BEGINNER S GUIDE TO BUTTERFLIES Saturday, 16 July, 10am 2pm New Ferry Butterfly Park, Bebington CH62 5BJ This course is for those who want to learn which species of butterfly can be found in Cheshire and Wirral s wildflower meadows and discover how to tell the most common species apart. STEVE ROUTLEDGE IAN WILSON YORKSHIRE WILDLIFE TRUST

8 SURVEYING DELAMERE S DRAGONFLIES Saturday, 16 July, 10am 2pm Delamere Forest, Northwich This course is for volunteers who are or want to get involved in our Delamere Dragon s project. It will include the theory and practice involved in surveying for the project. PLANTS AND TREES OTHER TRAINING THERE S EVEN MORE... BEGINNER S GUIDE TO BEES Saturday, 6 August, 10am 3pm Learn all about bees and how to tell the differences between the most common ones. Will include an outdoor session on the farm. DRAGONFLIES 3: Ponds Thursday, 18 August, 10am 2pm Handforth Dean, near Wilmslow This final identification course for beginners will look at the different dragonflies you can see throughout the season in and around ponds. Following a classroom session in the morning the afternoon will be spent identifying dragonflies in the field. BEGINNER S GUIDE TO MOTHS Sunday, 21 August, 10am 4pm Learn to identify the most common moths you will see in Cheshire. Learn about the difference and similarities and where and when they can be seen. FILMING WILDLIFE WITH A TRAIL CAMERA Wednesday, 14 September, 2pm 5pm Thursday, 15 September, 9.30am 12.30pm Learn how and where to set up the trail cameras and come back the next day to see what has been captured. Cameras will be provided or bring your own. PRESS COVERAGE AND WRITING ARTICLES Monday, 10 October, 7pm 9pm Lion Salt Works, Northwich, CW9 6ES This crash course in writing will help you to create small snappy articles for press releases, our magazine publications and for our website. FIRST AID Tuesday, 25 October, 9.30am 4.30pm Hoole Community Centre, Chester CH2 3AU Emergency First Aid course to learn the basics of first aid outdoors and on work parties. Free courses are offered as part of the Natural Futures project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

9 Join us today... If you love Cheshire and wildlife too, why not support Cheshire Wildlife Trust? We re the only non-government funded environmental charity dedicated to the conservation of both wildlife and wild places across Cheshire. Part of a network of 47 local Wildlife Trusts covering the UK, we re supported by over 13,000 members and hundreds of volunteers - why not become one of them? Join from just 3 a month Your support enables us to: Create havens for wildlife by managing more than 40 local nature reserves and wild places - wherever you live in Cheshire you re never more than 8 miles away from one of our reserves. Work with other groups and people to protect species and habitats throughout Cheshire Speak up for wildlife under threat in Cheshire Inspire, educate and engage people of all ages to discover and take action for their local wildlife. To join, visit or call Registered Charity No: A Company Limited by Guarantee in England No: