Professional courses from Project Fred
With so many policy and legislative drivers now encouraging the enhancement and sympathetic management of wildlife sites, now more than ever, site managers, wardens and rangers need robust identification skills that will enable them to monitor indicator species and notice anything unusual or rare that may indicate changes in the effectiveness of their site management.
If you are involved with site management, planning, guided walks, surveying, counting or monitoring any animals or plants then identification will be crucial to your work. County Ecologists, wardens of wildlife reserves, countryside rangers, planning officers, consultant ecologists, ecological surveyors and volunteers involved with Friends of Groups will find that keeping up to date with identification skills is an integral aspect of your work. If you are a member of IEEM then you are required to undertake 20 hours training per year as CPD and attendance on our courses will count towards that.
What we offer
Project Fred offers a number of identification courses on dates that you choose yourself. The courses are designed to give you the skills you need in order to continue with identification subsequent to the course. This means that, as long as you practise, you will only need to attend a one day course to get you started with the identification of any group that we cover. Of course you can attend further days on the same subject or ask for a refresher course from us.
Our courses can be given as part of Continual Professional Development and as part of rewards days where those who attend will be gaining valuable knowledge in addition to having a relaxing and enjoyable break from their routine work. Of course, the courses are also offered simply as a way of increasing your knowledge.
Once you have decided upon your preferred course or courses, please contact us so that we can agree a date with you, for the course to run. Current courses include:
Professional Ecologists, ALGE members
Working professionally in ecology you will be required to keep up to date on your identification skills and knowledge of ecology. You may well have a good knowledge of some groups of wildlife, but adding to this will greatly enhance your understanding of ecology and wildlife, thus enhancing advice you give, comments you make on LDFs and planning applications and any survey work you carry out. Being a member of IEEM requires you to carry out 20 hours of training a year and days identification course will count towards a third of that.
Rangers and Site Wardens
Rangers and site wardens will find our courses invaluable in increasing identification skills. The courses will enable you to plan and carry out surveys and monitoring of many groups of wildlife giving you vital data to inform your management. It will also give you an impressive addition to the guided walks that you give to the public. Keeping up to date with your identification skills is also invaluable and refresher courses can be made available to you. With several members of staff and volunteers who could benefit, the courses should be a part of your annual training.
Planning Officers
Although you will usually consult the Ecologists for detailed information regarding planning applications, you need to have some wildlife knowledge yourself. Protected species are a material consideration in development control, as outlined in PPS9, therefore an understanding of their ecology will be a distinct advantage. Planning applications could be to the detriment of protected species, so having knowledge of their basic ecology and needs will enable you to make accurate judgements. Identification training as part of your CPD will be a useful and enjoyable day that will add to your professional knowledge.
Friends of Groups
Many of you will help to look after a wildlife site on a voluntary basis. Our courses will be incredibly useful to you in carrying out your work. After attending our courses you will be able to help with surveying, monitoring of scarce species or simply looking out for uncommon species on your site. Grants can be sought from local authorities and other sources to help pay for the cost of this valuable addition to your knowledge. As a Friends of Group or a local wildlife group you may wish to team up with other groups nearby to find enough people to have a course at the most economic price. If this is the case, please do contact us and we can put you in touch with similar groups local to you. All in all it will be a great day out and the knowledge you gain will help the wildlife on your site.
Consultants
You will already have an in depth knowledge of some groups of wildlife. However, increasing the breadth of your knowledge can only be an advantage and an important addition to your CV. Survey time can be reduced if you are able to survey for several species groups at once and know which rare, restricted and protected species to keep an eye out for in differing habitats. IEEM membership requires you to undertake 20 hours training per year and our courses will count towards that. Our courses are aimed at giving you the best introduction to a species group so that you can use the knowledge you have gained straight away - a valuable time saving in your competitive market!
Finally
There are many advantages to using Project Fred's identification courses. We are well prepared, focused, relaxed and flexible. The cost of the course includes all preparation work and handouts. Tuition is focused, but given in a relaxed atmosphere. The tuition is designed to provide you with more than just knowledge of individual species seen on the day, but the skills to enable you to identify species you've never seen before. Lastly, we will come to you and teach on site. Alternatively we will book a local village hall or other venue to use on the day.
Simon Curson BSc of Project Fred has a degree in Environmental Biology and has over 10 years experience in running wildlife courses for many organizations including Wildlife Trusts, Local Authorities, Forestry Commission, National Trust and several local Friends of Groups. Previously Simon worked as an ecologist for West Sussex County Council surveying sites and giving landowners site management advice, including RSPB, National Trust, Sussex Wildlife Trust and the larger estates such as Goodwood.
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