Grasses and Sedges - Grasslands and Meadows 2022

A one-day course giving participants 

• the skills and confidence to identify a wide range of grasses
• a simple way to identify grass species
• an understanding of grasses as indicator species
• a crib sheet listing the key features of the 90 most common species

These training days will give participants the confidence to identify a wide range of grasses and sedges (using largely non-flowering features) commonly encountered in a range of habitats.

This day focuses on grasslands and calcareous habitats, looking at common species, as well as more specialised indicator species of meadows and unimproved grassland.

The course will cover roughly 30 species and will be run on the basis of people having no previous knowledge. In general, the morning will involve teaching the species and the afternoons will involve revising and being tested on them.

This course can be attended on its own, or booked as part of a two-day course (at a discounted rate), with the following day covering grasses, sedges and rushes of heathlands, acid grassland and bogs. Attending the two day course will give participants the chance to see most species likely to be encountered in lowland Britain. The two-day course can be found here.

Tutor: Dominic Price

Dominic Price is a highly regarded botanical tutor and has been running courses for all levels of ecologists since 2007. He is director of The Species Recovery Trust and specialises in the conservation of endangered species. He is the author of A Field Guide to Grasses, Sedges and Rushes and co-author of The Photographic Guide to Winter Trees and Shrubs. 

• Notebook/clipboard
• Water, lunch and snacks, firm boots (steep banks) and outdoor clothing
• Hand lens (there will be some to purchase on the day)
• £3 for parking at Old Sarum (contactless payment available)

The recommended text for the course is 'A Field Guide to Grasses, Sedges and Rushes' by Dominic Price. Available to purchase on the day, or in advance here. 

Old Sarum can be extremely exposed to the weather and there are no indoor facilities beyond the loos. Any problems on the day please call Dominic Price on (07968) 786390. 

Please inform us of any relevant medical requirements/conditions we should be aware of prior to the course. 

Lifts available from the station on request.

Old Sarum is signed off the A345, 2 miles north of Salisbury. Meet in the main car park (where there are loos). Address: Castle Road, Salisbury, Wiltshire - SP1 3SD. There is a £3 charge for parking (contactless payment available).

Google maps - click here

what3words: harsh.parading.flattered

Feedback from previous courses‘Excellent course. The teacher was very good indeed, and I thoroughly enjoyed the course’‘I learnt some brilliant identification tips to take away with me and it was good to learn about where you are likely to find species and which ones are indicators of good habitat/NVC communities’‘Really enjoyable course, felt like I learnt a lot which has really stuck since using it out in the field on my own. Not too many species that make it overwhelming.’‘Excellent course, thank you! I will definitely recommend this course to others.’‘Genuinely spot on, tutor was incredibly attentive to individual knowledge levels’

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Old Sarum Castle, Castle Road, Salisbury, United Kingdom