Course: Field Identification Skills Certificate
Surrey Wildlife Trust
Overview
An assessment to determine your botanical skill level on a scale from 1-6.
What is it?
Delivered in partnership with BSBI, FISC comprises a test that determines your botanical skill level on a scale from 1 (beginner) to 5 (professional) with 6 being awarded in exceptional cases. They are recognised within the ecological and botanical industry as the standard tool for assessing botanical survey skills.
Why is it important?
- Provides you with a clear benchmark from which to progress from.
- Evidencing your competency for plant identification is increasingly important for biodiversity net gain and quality assurance.
What can I expect on the day?
There are three separate elements to a FISC, testing your identifications of vascular plants (so no bryophytes or algae):
Test 1: Lab test
- You will be provided with 10 fresh specimens that you will need to identify without using any books or keys.
Test 2: Lab test:
- You will be provided with 20 fresh specimens that may be identified using any books or keys, but no reference collections or on-line resources may be used
Test 3:
- You will have approximately 2 hours in the field recording vascular plant species. Your species list will be compared with that of the Gold Standard Surveyor, a FISC Level 5 botanist, who will be surveying alongside you.
What is the outcome?
- Your provisional FISC score (which is calculated from 4 separate scores generated via the three tests) will be sent to you within 8 weeks of your FISC. All provisional scores will be ratified or moderated by the BSBI FISC QA panel at the end of the year and your electronic FISC certificate, showing your final FISC level, will be sent out by BSBI in December.
Important information
- Please arrive for a 10am start
- Parking is available at the bottom of the hill. If you require parking at the top of the hill, please contact me prior to the event on [email protected] so we can confirm this is possible. Disabled access is available at the test centre however you must be able to move around the field site independently.
- Transport from the test centre to the field test site is not included; car sharing will be encouraged if limited parking is available.
- You must bring your own lunch, however tea and coffee will be provided. Bring your own drinks for the field test. Please note, Nower Wood is a nut free centre.
- Generally the morning will be spent doing the lab tests, and the afternoon will be the field test, however this is weather dependent.
You must bring
- A hand lens
- ID guides (e.g. Stace: New Flora of the British Isles, and a picture guide such as Collins Wildflower Guide)
- Suitable clothing and footwear for outdoors, including walking boots and waterproofs
- Weather writer/Clipboard, pens.
- Writing implements
- Phones will not be allowed during the tests; we recommend you bring a watch.
Please note; an Eventbrite booking fee applies to each ticket.
About Surrey Wildlife Trust
Surrey Wildlife Trust is a wildlife charity and is one of 46 Wildlife Trusts working across the UK.
With the invaluable support of volunteers and members we care for over 6,500ha of land for wildlife in Surrey. We also work with other organisations and landowners to protect and connect wildlife sites across the county and inspire local communities and young people to care for wildlife where they live.
Surrey Wildlife Trust is a wildlife charity and is one of 46 Wildlife Trusts working across the UK. With the invaluable support of volunteers and members we care for over 6,500ha of land for wildlife in Surrey. We also work with other organisations and landowners to protect and connect wildlife sites across the county and inspire local communities and young people to care for wildlife where they live.
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