Training Workshops 2008

Workshops to Develop your
‘Natural Know-How’

Back by popular demand! - Following the great success of last years program of wildlife training workshops, many of our members have been asking whether these enjoyable and instructive events will run again this year. We are pleased to announce the dates for 2008 and there should certainly be something for everyone!

Would you like to get involved with wildlife and develop your natural history skills? Perhaps you would like to learn to identify the wildlife you see around you in the countryside. Would you like to get involved in wildlife surveys and need someone to show you how to do it?

Whatever your interest or previous experience, Cheshire Wildlife Trust has developed an exciting range of training workshops to meet your needs. The workshops cover a wide range of topics from wildlife photography through bumblebee identification, to water vole survey techniques. There will be something here to inspire you and help you to see the natural environment in a new way.

These workshops will suit whether you are a complete beginner, have more experience or hope to gain skills for a career in conservation. They are open to all members of the public as well as CWT members.

Butterfly ID
24 May, 10.30am to 4.00pm
Location: Swettenham Club and Swettenham Meadows
Trainer: Stu Burnet
Learn about the biology, ecology and habitats of the Cheshire species. Learn how to identify and monitor butterflies in the field. The workshop includes both indoor and outdoor sessions.

Wild flower ID - summer meadows
31 May, 10.30am to 4.00pm
Location: Anderton Memorial Hall and Anderton Nature Park
Trainer: Liz Blackman
This workshop will include both indoor and outdoor sessions. Learn to identify the summer flowers of Anderton Nature Park. This identification workshop will be conducted at a level suitable for a Phase I Habitat Survey. Please bring a hand lens and ID guide with you if possible.

Aquatic invertebrates
7 June, 10.30am to 4.00pm
Location: Bickley Hall Farm & Cholmondeley Estate
Trainer: Dr Mike Tynen (CWT Aquatic Invertebrates Officer)
This workshop is open to anyone interested in aquatic invertebrates. It provides a basic introduction to the identification of freshwater invertebrates and will include an indoor session and an outdoor session to observe the animals discussed in their natural habitat and to practise basic field identification skills.

Grasses and sedges workshop
21 June, 9.30am to 1.00pm
Location: New Ferry Butterfly Park
Trainer: Dr Hilary Ash
This workshop is essentially an outdoor session to learn to identify different species of grasses and sedges. Although this identification workshop is open to anyone interested in grassland species, it will be best suited to those with some botanical knowledge. Please bring a hand lens and ID guide with you if possible.

Water voles survey workshop
28 June, 10.30am to 4.00pm
Location: Norton Priory and Manor Park Farm
Trainer: Richard Gardener (CWT Water Vole Officer)
Learn about the biology, ecology and habitats of water voles. Develop the skills to identify the signs of water voles in their natural environment. With both indoor and outdoor sessions this workshop is aimed at beginners or anyone interested in the water vole.

Wildlife gardening workshop
5 July, 10.30am to 4.00pm
Location: Bickley Hall Farm
Trainer: Sue Tatman (CWT Wildlife Gardening Officer)
Learn how to create your own miniature nature reserve and attract wildlife into your garden. This workshop will include an indoor study session, a tour of the wildlife garden at Bickley Hall Farm and an opportunity to practice wildlife gardening skills.

An Introduction to Sites of Biological Importance
12 July, 10.30am to 4.00pm
Location: Bickley Hall Farm
Trainer: Colin Hayes
This session will be useful to anyone interested in the sites of biological importance in Cheshire but especially to those who may wish to volunteer for survey work. An indoor presentation and a visit to an SBI will provide an insight into the classification and management of these sites.

Dragonfly & damselfly ID
26 July, 10.30am to 4.00pm
Location: Delamere Community Centre & White Gate Way
Trainer: Stu Burnet
This workshop is open to anyone interested in entomology. It provides an introduction to the ecology, biology and behaviour of dragonfly and damselfly species and will include an indoor session and an outdoor session to observe the species in their natural habitat.

Bumblebee ID
9 August, 10.00am to 3.00pm
Location: Norton Priory
Trainers: Carl Clee & Tony Parker (Liverpool Museum)
This workshop is open to anyone interested in entomology. It will provide an introduction to the ecology and biology of bumblebee species. The day will include an indoor session with information on bumblebee conservation and the future for bumblebees and an outdoor session to practice basic field identification skills.

Introduction to the bats of Cheshire
23 August, 7.00pm to 10.30pm
Location: Bickley Hall Farm & Cholmondeley Estate
Trainer: TBC
Learn about the natural history of Cheshire's bats. With an indoor session followed by a walk after sunset, this introduction is aimed at beginners or anyone interested in British bats.

Introduction to small mammals
13 September, 8.00am – 1.00pm
Location: Bickley Hall Farm
Trainer: Sue Tatman
The day will start with an outdoor session of small mammal trapping that will teach the skills of safely handling live small mammals and providing a guide to identifying the different species. This will be followed by a classroom session introducing small mammal ecology and the rationale of small mammal monitoring programs. This workshop is open to anyone interested in knowing more about the small mammals of Cheshire.

Wildlife photography workshop
27 September, 10.30am to 1.00pm
Location: Bickley Hall Farm
Trainer: Tracy Langley
An indoor session, which will cover: equipment choices, photography basics, composition, use of light and field craft. Participants are encouraged to bring any photos they would like appraised and equipment they would like discussed. The afternoon will be spent putting the theory into practice, with expert advice on hand and the beautiful Cheshire countryside that surrounds Bickley Hall Farm.

Fungi foray
4 October, 10.30am to 4.00pm
Location: Risley Moss Nature Reserve
Trainer: Ken Burgess
This workshop is open to all levels of experience and will include an outdoor session and an indoor session. Learn to identify the larger species of fungi in the field. Please bring a hand lens and ID guide with you if possible.

Planning for wildlife & wildlife crime
18 October, 10.00am to 2.00pm
Location: Bickley Hall Farm
Trainers: Dr Hilary Ash & Chris Driver
The course aims to identify opportunities within the land use planning system for incorporating biodiversity benefits into new development proposals. Topics covered include wildlife legislation; the impact of development on protected species and wildlife sites and advice for making effective representations to planning applications on nature conservation grounds.