Back in May, the RSK Biocensus Cornwall team had the privilege of taking part in two fantastic days of in-house botany training, delivered by FISC Level 6 Botanist Pete Flood, Principal Ecological Consultant at RSK Biocensus.
Kim Jelbert, Nicola Dyer, Caroline Davey, Lucy Wright, Naomi Scala, Holly Thomas, and Tom Dyer all took part in the training, gaining valuable hands-on experience and insights throughout the two days.
The training focused on many aspects of botany, including UK Habitat Classification across a range of grassland types, Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) condition assessment, and practical species identification in the field.
Set against the incredible backdrop of the Lizard Peninsula, renowned for its unique and diverse flora, the sessions provided an excellent opportunity to encounter and identify species that are not often seen elsewhere. One of the highlights from the two days included identifying a wide range of grasses, sedges and rushes, including the endangered and legally protected Pigmy Rush (Juncus pygmaeus).
The team were also lucky to see wildlife alongside our botanical surveys, with chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) spotted along the cliff tops, as well as several grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) seen along the coast.
This was a great experience for the Cornwall team, who recently joined RSK Biocensus. You can find out more about the whole team here!
A huge thank you to Pete for sharing his expertise and making the training both engaging and informative for all in attendance. The team are looking forward to putting these skills into practice on future projects!