Course Overview
This course is part of a series to help you recognise and understand grassland plant communities of acid, neutral and calcareous soils.
The course will cover:
This course covers acid grassland and is delivered in 2 parts – 1, a recording to watch in advance that will introduce acid grasslands and; 2, an in-person training session looking at acid grasslands in the field. These will cover:
- An introduction to acid grasslandss
- Geology and soils
- Broad geographic distribution
- Habitat descriptions and definitions
- Identification of key indicator species for acid grasslands
- Acid grassland plant communities and what they can tell us about the land
About the Tutor
Sam is an ecologist and field botanist, with nine years’ of professional consultancy experience. Sam leads Plantlife’s Biodiversity Consultancy. He is accredited to FISC Level 5 in vascular plant identification and is passionate about sharing botanical knowledge.
Learning outcomes:
- Understand what defines acid grasslands
- Be able to identify key indicator species for acid grasslands, including grasses, sedges and rushes
- Be able to recognise lowland acid grassland communities
- Understand the conditions and landscape context of acid grasslands
This course is suitable for:
- People who survey, assess and manage grasslands.
- Participants should have some basic botanical identification skills.
Delivery options
Location
The in-person session will be delivered at Lambert’s Castle, Dorset, EX13 5UW; What3Words: ///northward.rock.archive
Parking instructions will be supplied with the booking. Parking is free
Dates and Timings
The in-person session will be delivered on 27th May 2026, 10:00-15:30.
The introductory recording will be sent out to candidates two weeks prior.