03 Jul Supporting Professional Development: Grassland Survey Training
In June 2024 BSG Ecology and Arup collaborated to provide twelve of our ecologists with training in grassland survey. The training was delivered over two days at Aberbargoed Grasslands, Caerphilly County Borough, by specialist botanical surveyor Sharon Pilkington. Aberbargoed is a Special Area of Conservation and Site of Special Scientific Interest. Interest features of the designations include high quality examples of fen meadow, neutral grassland, marshy grassland, mire, rush pasture, acid grassland, flush and heath habitats, and a population of marsh fritillary butterfly.
The first day involved identifying species that defined the different habitats present, and practical tips for mapping complex habitat mosaics. All participants also became familiar with devil’s-bit scabious, the larval food plant of marsh fritillary. During day two of the training a more detailed look at the condition of the habitats present was undertaken. Consideration was given to lower as well as higher plant communities and diversity, whether the different grasslands present met priority habitat criteria (and corresponded to habitats of principal importance for the conservation of biodiversity in Wales), and how each might be attributed to an NVC category.
The training also had a social function, providing teams an opportunity to get together with colleagues and spend some time in high quality habitats learning from an experienced technical botanist. The group also met up in the evening for a communal meal at a local pub.
Thanks to Caerphilly County Borough Council, particularly Erica Dixon and Mark Allen for granting permission to use the site for training and providing access for parking respectively.
Feedback included the following:
“The training delivered by Sharon Pilkington was very informative and catered to ecologists at all levels of botanical proficiency. I came away from the training with an increased understanding of the key indicator species that define the habitat types present at Aberbargoed, which can now be applied to any grassland surveys I carry out in the future. Aberbargoed Grasslands was an excellent location for the training; seeing meadow thistle in flower was one of the highlights.” Rhys Lewis, Ecologist, BSG Ecology
“Sharon is an excellent trainer, being enthusiastic and extremely knowledgeable. She makes you feel comfortable in asking questions. It was beneficial to see the key identification features and the variability across species whilst practicing in the field. I was introduced to identification of bryophytes, which was challenging, but it was useful to understand the importance of recording the presence of sphagnum to determine habitat type and inform the need for NVC surveys. Sharon was very helpful in tailoring the course to the attendee’s application of botany. I thoroughly enjoyed the course, thank you.” Emma Hardwick, Apprentice Ecologist, Arup.
