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Training

Free Big City Butterflies training events

Butterfly Conservation’s Big City Butterflies project, in conjunction with the Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, is delivering a series of events for community groups and residents to learn how to identify butterflies, and how to manage and create habitats to support them.

Virtual Butterfly Identification and Recording Workshop

Join Steve from the Big City Butterflies project to learn how to identify common species found in London and how to record them. Follow up guided walk at Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park available on 8 May.
Thursday 5 May 6:30pm – 7:30pm on Zoom
The event is free but numbers are limited so booking is essential.
For more information and to book your place visit Ticket Tailor

Butterfly Walk at Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

Following on from the online workshop join Steve to put your ID skills to the test.
Sunday 8 May 1pm – 3.30pm
Meeting point: The Soanes Centre, on the right as you enter via the main gates on Southern Grove E3 4PX
The event is free (though a £5 donation to the Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park would be welcomed) but numbers are limited so booking is essential.
For more information and to book your place visit Ticket Tailor

Butterfly Conservation Habitat Management Workshop

Join Steve from the Big City Butterflies project to learn how to manage and create habitats to support butterflies, moths and other pollinators.
Sunday 19 June 11:00am – 1:00pm
Venue: Soanes Centre, Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park
The event is free but numbers are limited so booking is essential.
For more information and to book your place visit Ticket Tailor

Field Studies Council invertebrate courses

The Field Studies Council, through its Heritage Lottery funded BioLinks project, is delivering training in invertebrate identification and recording across London, focussing on under-recorded and difficult groups. The project is running several courses at Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park. The courses are aimed at adults and participants must be over 18.

Learn To Love Earthworms on 30 March 2022 is a very gentle introduction to one of our planet’s most important animals, introducing aspects of their biology, ecology and behaviour. This course combines the use of classroom-led learning and outside learning to give individuals the skills and confidence to learn more about the lives and ecological roles of earthworms. The course is aimed at adults and participants must be over 18. It costs £10 and booking is essential. For more details and to book a place see the Field Studies Council website.

Learn to Love Bees on 21 May 2022 is a very gentle introduction to our planet’s most important pollinators, introducing aspects of their biology and ecology. There are around 270 species of bee in Britain, although many are under-recorded, under-appreciated and under-loved! Found in a range of habitats, bees have fascinating life histories and ecosystem roles. The course is aimed at adults and participants must be over 18. It costs £10 and booking is essential. For more details and to book a place see the Field Studies Council website.

Field Recorder Day on 26 August 2022 is an opportunity for people interested in different invertebrate taxa to visit Cemetery Park and survey the invertebrate fauna for one day. The make-up of the group is usually a combination of BioLinks volunteers, interested amateurs, locals, and some active recorders. Field Recorder Day is free but places are limited and booking is essential. For more details and to book a place see the Field Studies Council website.

Training by the Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park runs a programme of biodiversity training courses. Many courses are free, and the others are of low cost. Concession rates are available for Tower Hamlets Residents, over-60s and students. Booking is essential for all courses, even the free ones. Please visit the Friends’ website or e-mail the Friends to find out more.

FoTHCP is also able to organise bespoke training courses tailored to an individual organisation’s requirements. The bespoke courses can take place at the Cemetery Park, at your site, or a combination of the two. Please phone 0208 983 1277 or e-mail the Friends to discuss in further detail.

E-learning on invasive non-native species

The GB Non-native Species Secretariat (NNSS) has been developing an online training (e-learning) package in invasive non-native species, which is now freely available for use. The e-learning currently consists of five topics:

  • Introduction to invasive non-native species;
  • Introduction to identification and recording;
  • Identification of invasive freshwater plants;
  • Identification of invasive freshwater invertebrates;
  • Identification of invasive riparian plants.

A test is available for each topic. Once a participant has passed the test, they will be able to download a certificate. To access the e-learning, please follow this link. Participants will need to register to take the e-learning, instructions on how to do this can be found on the home page. More information and a link to the e-learning site can also be found through the training pages of the NNSS website.

Other training

TCV London has a programme of Short Courses for both beginners and professionals, covering a wide range of subjects, from Leadership and Risk Assessment to Practical Conservation Skills, Tree and Wildflower Identification, Surveying and Monitoring. For more details see the TCV website.

TCV also offers bespoke training courses to volunteer groups and organisations who require advice and guidance in the safe and effective running of practical conservation and horticultural projects.  For further details please contact: Clif Osborne, Training Development Officer on 020 7278 4294.

The Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management runs a series of conferences, workshops and masterclasses for professional ecologists. See the CIEEM website for full details.

The Field Studies Council runs a wide range of courses on all aspects of ecology and natural history. The website provides details of courses all over the country, aimed at individuals and families, schools and colleges, teachers and environmental professionals.