Course: Pollinators: Ecology, Identification and Surveying - HAU

This 2.5 day intermediate course will introduce you to pollinating invertebrates, including: bees, wasps, hoverflies, and beetles.

The UK is home to a diverse array of pollinators that play a vital role in maintaining ecosystem health and supporting agricultural productivity. The decline of pollinator populations poses a significant threat to biodiversity and food security globally.

This course will include:

• Exploring the evolutionary biology of plants and pollinators, as well as their ecological and economic value.
• Key invertebrate pollinators, with a focus on Syrphidae (hoverflies), Coleoptera (beetles), and Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, and ants).
• An introduction to the key diagnostic features and comparative terminology used to identify different pollinator species, and how to survey and record them.

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

• Critically analyse the ecological significance of pollinators within UK and global contexts, evaluating their contributions to biodiversity, ecosystem health, and agricultural productivity.
• Demonstrate proficiency in identifying major groups of pollinating invertebrates, focusing on distinctive examples within Syrphidae, Coleoptera, and Hymenoptera.
• Design and implement effective pollinator survey and conservation strategies.

Residential and non-residential booking options are available.

This course is eligible for a student discount. If you are a current student, please use the discount code BioStudent20 at checkout for 20% off.

Please refer to the Field Studies Council website for further information and to book.