Sesleria caerulea - Blue Moor-grass

Improve your grass identification skills to carry out good botanical surveys

and to enjoy the countryside!

GRASSES and SEDGES Courses    2013        
led by Dr Judith Allinson

New! See Judith's blog for novel identification tips for grasses- a new grass added each month

Would you like to ..

  • Learn how to identify grasses and/or sedges?
  • Start to learn how to identify mosses and liverworts??
  • Learn how to use wild flower keys?
  • Meet new people?
  • Become a good plant surveyor?
  • Visit some wonderful habitats and scenery?
  • Get some fresh air and exercise?
  • Be able to flick to a page in "Hubbard",
    "Stace", "Cope & Gray", or "Poland" and say "Ahah!"

Then come on a day, weekend or weeklong course on
Grasses, Sedges and Rushes, or one on
Wild Flowers or on Mosses.

Day courses near Settle - or by arrangement where you choose.

Day courses are run by arrangement for interested organisations including IEEM (Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management) . Individual tuition can also be arranged.

I also run days for our local natural history society, Craven Conservation Group - - see www.craven-conservation-group.org.uk - Non members welcome

Judith writes:-

I have carried out National Vegetation classification (NVC) work on grasslands for English Nature and Natural England. I have taught at Malham Tarn Field Centre for several years, and run courses at many centres.. I also carry out contract botanical survey work.

I co-authored the Aidgap publication: British Grasses: a punched-card key to grasses in the vegetative state Pankhurst R.J and Allinson J.M. 1985. (This has also been produced as an interactive computer key) . My article:- "Grasses of North Craven" in the 2009 Journal of North Craven Heritage Trust tells about the grasses of our area.


Would you like to arrange a course for yourself or your students?
Email with your enquiry


Sesleria caerulea
Blue Moor-grass (Sesleria caerulea) on hills above Settle


Upcoming Courses and events run for the public by Judith Allinson in 2013

Colour code:

1. White:-

Fairly intensive, structured course with handouts etc

2. Cream:-

Some structure to the course and some handouts, but less intensive than courses on a white background

3. Green:-

More of a general walk talk.

But you will still learn a lot!

  

2 Feb

email for info

 Mosses for Beginners - at Giggleswick churchyard

Joint leaders: Judith Allinson (and possibly) Mike Canaway:- organised by Craven Conservation Group Please book

See pictures of the mosses we will look at

 10am to 12.45pm

23 Feb

email for info

 Mosses for Beginners - at Ingleton churchyard

Joint leaders: Judith Allinson (and possibly) Mike Canaway:- organised by Craven Conservation Group Please book

See pictures of the mosses we will look at

 10am to 12.45pm
24 April Plants of Haymeadows Illustrated Talk to Settle Gardening Club - Townhead Court 1.30-3.30pm
3-6 May 2013 Grass Identification in Springtime
(i.e mostly using vegetative characters)

Juniper Hall Field Centre, Surrey.

Beginners are accepted, but it is useful if you know what some of the commoner species look like in flower already

 Fri evening- Mon afternoon..
8 or 9 or 15 or 16 Spring Wildflowers at Keasden North Craven Heritage Group (and Craven Conservation Group) Walk
10:30 at LW; bring a packed lunch.
19 May or 16 June
 Introduction to Meadow grasses

Plantlife Event Open to All - Meadow Grasses - Identification Course 19 May 11am-4pm A beginners' guide to the identification of meadow grasses Please book Tel 01722 342734 Email: enquiries@plantlife.org.uk Meeting point: at Lower Winskill Farm, grid ref: SD826664. Free, but donation to Planlife (e.g.five pound) welcome - please book early as this day course usually fills.
22-23 May Basic Introduction to Grasses TWO-DAY Course Two-Day Course at Settle for IEEM 10am to 5pm each day.
24-27 May Flowers at Malham Tarn Introduction and practice in using keys. Explore the beautiful scenery around Malham and find some of the early flowering special limestone plants - bird's-eye primrose, globeflower and much more. Friday Evening to Monday afternoon.
31 May - 2 June 2013 Sedges Malham Tarn Field Centre, N Yorks. This course is early in the year for sedges - the sedges will all be in flower, but still on quite short stalks!!. The "Sedges season" is mainly June, July and early August.- Come on this course and you will gain skills to help you through the next two and a half months. Malham Tarn is a superb area for sedges - One third of the British Cyperaceae grow within 4 miles of the Field Centre
Wed 19 June 2013 Basic Introduction to Grasses Day-course Day Course at Lower Winskill for IEEM 10am to 5pm
Thur 20 June   CCG and NCHT walk at Keasden 6pm. Wild flowers at Keasden.
5-12 July 2013 Grasses Kindrogan Field Centre, Perthshire
2-9 August 2013 Grasses, Sedges and Rushes Malham Tarn Field Centre, N Yorks
Date to be fixed Introduction to Algae and Lichens in Malhamdale

Organised on behalf of Plantlife. Meet at Malham National Park Centre (SD900627) at 10.30am Finish 3.30pm.

Bring packed lunch, strong footwear and waterproofs. Meet Malham NPC (SD900627)
Grade Easy - 3 miles - Cost Free, but donation welcome to Plantlife and for cost of colour
handout. Age All ages- Booking essential -01722 342734- contact Judith www.plantlife.org.uk 01729 822138

This is an introduction to two groups of plants along a beautiful walk with limestone woodland, grassland,stream and stunning cliff scenery. Did you know the black streaks on Malham Cove nearby are not soot (left by Tom of the Waterbabies) or lichens, but are a special type of very ancient organism called blue-green algae/bacteria

     

May 2008 at Derrygonnelly:
     
email

Copyright J Allinson 2000-2013    Last updated on 17 Jan 2013

A big "Hello" to all the very many people I have met!