Botanical Skills for Ecologists at Wilder Doddington

Join expert botanist John Handley for a one-day course designed to help ecologists build confidence in recognising the ‘top ten plant families’, the groups that make up around 80% of the species most commonly encountered in the field.

Through structured, hands-on examination of specimens in the classroom, you will learn how to distinguish key family characteristics before taking these skills into the Wilder Doddington landscape. Outdoors, you will practise using botanical keys and apply your knowledge in real survey conditions.
These identification skills are fundamental to botanical work, including surveys for UKHab and the National Vegetation Classification (NVC). By starting with simple observation and gradually introducing technical terminology in context, the course builds both understanding and confidence.