List of forthcoming training courses  and presentations.

Lots more excellent training courses are available from the Field Studies Council, and for more formal training in biological recording see Manchester Metropolitan University.

Light-trapped insects – going beyond the moths

BENHS HQ, Dinton Pastures Country Park, Reading The Pelham-Clinton Building, Dinton Pastures Country Park, Davis Street, Hurst, Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom

Light traps are most widely used for attracting moths, but a wide range of other insects come to light as well, including craneflies, caddisflies, beetles (especially dung, ground, water and burying beetles), water bugs, lacewings and wasps. By learning to recognise at least a few of these other insects moth-trappers can make significant contributions to

Free

iRecord and Pantheon – insect recording and habitat analysis

World Museum Liverpool William Brown Street, Liverpool, United Kingdom

This workshop focuses on iRecord and Pantheon, two online resources that can help you record and interpret your observations of insects and other invertebrates. To fully participate in this workshop you will need a computer that is connected to the internet. Please bring your own laptop if you can. A free workshop as part of

Free

Dipterists Forum Workshop

FSC Preston Montford Preston Montford Field Centre, Montford Bridge, Shrewsbury, United Kingdom

This is the annual workshop meeting for Dipterists Forum at Preston Montford FSC, Shropshire. This year soldierflies and allies are one of the groups being covered. "This advanced workshop tackles two Diptera groups, Anthomyiidae (flower flies) and some of the larger Brachycera (soldierflies and allies). The larger Brachycera include many charismatic species popular with recorders

£210 – £290

Soldierflies and allies – identification workshop

World Museum Liverpool William Brown Street, Liverpool, United Kingdom

Soldierflies and allies (including robberflies, bee-flies, horseflies and others) include some of our largest and most colourful insects. Some are easy to find whereas others require dedicated searching, but these flies are within reach of anyone with an interest in insects. On this day course you’ll get the chance to learn about the natural history

Free

An introduction to flies

Sussex Wildlife Trust: Woods Mill Classroom, Woods Mill, Henfield, West Sussex, United Kingdom

UPDATED: This workshop was due to take place on Sat 3 March, but had to be postponed due to the snowy conditions. We hope to run it on Sat 24 March instead - if you had previously booked you should hear direct from Sussex Wildlife Trust. Hoverflies, houseflies, fruit flies, soldierflies, bee-flies, craneflies, and more:

£32 – £45

Spring Moths for Beginners

FSC Epping Forest , United Kingdom

This one day course provides an introduction to moths; their identification, natural history and conservation. There is a good range of species to be found in spring, allowing you to get familiar with the main groups and learn about how to find and identify them before the busy summer season takes off. Note the 2pm

£43

Surveying Terrestrial Invertebrates for Biological Recording

FSC Preston Montford Preston Montford Field Centre, Montford Bridge, Shrewsbury, United Kingdom

This course is designed for anyone interested in the amazing diversity of invertebrate life found in terrestrial habitats. It is suitable for both countryside professionals and amateur naturalists. Field excursions will introduce a variety of collecting and surveying techniques appropriate to a range of habitats. These will be complemented by workshop sessions back at the

£270 – £390

Bees, Hoverflies and Flowers: Pollinators and Pollination

FSC Bishops Wood Crossway Green, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire, United Kingdom

Bees, hoverflies and other pollinating insects play an enormously important role in natural habitats and agricultural systems alike. Some pollinators are known to be declining, and their conservation is a cause for concern. This course introduces the insects that play a role in pollination, helping you to recognise them, understand how they interact with flowering

£40

Developing your Skills in Entomology

FSC Juniper Hall , United Kingdom

FSC course participants studying flower meadow insects Insects are fascinating creatures: many are attractive, and have amazing life histories and behaviour. They also play important roles in ecosystems, for example in pollinating plants and providing food for birds, making the decline of many insect species a cause for concern. Using a mix of field work,

£180 – £240

Bees, Hoverflies and Flowers: Pollinators and Pollination

FSC Amersham , United Kingdom

Bees, hoverflies and other pollinating insects play an enormously important role in natural habitats and agricultural systems alike. Some pollinators are known to be declining and their conservation is a cause for concern. This course introduces the insects that play a role in pollination, helping you to recognise them, understand how they interact with flowering

£37

Learn to love flies

BENHS HQ, Dinton Pastures Country Park, Reading The Pelham-Clinton Building, Dinton Pastures Country Park, Davis Street, Hurst, Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom

If you’re interested in flies but never felt ready for a beginner’s ID workshop, then this day is for you! It’s a day for people who are (or could be!) fascinated by flies but don’t know where to start with them. It’s a very gentle introduction to the world of flies and the art telling

£5

Bees, Hoverflies and Flowers: Pollinators and Pollination

FSC Bushy Park The Stockyard, Bushy Park, London, United Kingdom

Bees, hoverflies and other pollinating insects play an enormously important role in natural habitats and agricultural systems alike. Some pollinators are known to be declining, and their conservation is a cause for concern. This course introduces the insects that play a role in pollination, helping you to recognise them, understand how they interact with flowering

£45

Get To Know Butterflies and Moths

FSC Bishops Wood Crossway Green, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire, United Kingdom

Butterflies and moths are beautiful and fascinating creatures, and good indicators of the health of the environment. This course provides an introduction to butterfly and moth natural history, identification and conservation, using a mix of indoor activities and presentations, plus field work in the varied habitats at Bishops Wood. The course will help you understand

£40

Field identification of flies

BENHS HQ, Dinton Pastures Country Park, Reading The Pelham-Clinton Building, Dinton Pastures Country Park, Davis Street, Hurst, Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom

This course will look at different types of fly and how to identify a select few distinctive species in the field. On this course you will be: introduced to fly ecology shown how to identify distinctive species and groups shown how to use a pooter and hand lens to look closely at living specimens practice

£5

Introduction to Butterflies in the Chilterns

FSC Amersham , United Kingdom

A wide variety of butterfly species can be found in the attractive grasslands and woodlands of the Chilterns. We will help you recognise the different species, learn how they depend on their habitats, and find out how you can help conserve them. Using a mix of indoor activities, presentations and fieldwork in the varied habitats

£37

Identifying Difficult Invertebrates

FSC Preston Montford Preston Montford Field Centre, Montford Bridge, Shrewsbury, United Kingdom

This invertebrate identification course is designed to help students develop higher level skills in the identification of invertebrate species. Sampling techniques will be discussed but the main emphasis will be on the collection, preparation, identification and curation of invertebrate specimens. Participants will be expected to select a suitable taxonomic group in which they will start

Entomology – Techniques to Find and Identify Insects

FSC Slapton Ley , United Kingdom

Rose Chafer on the Devon coast Insects are fascinating creatures: many are attractive, and have fascinating life histories and behaviour. They also play important roles in ecosystems, for example in pollinating plants and providing food for birds, making the decline of many insect species a cause for concern. Slapton is an ideal location for seeing

£260 – £390

Site Assessment Using Invertebrates

FSC Preston Montford Preston Montford Field Centre, Montford Bridge, Shrewsbury, United Kingdom

A course designed to help students develop higher level skills in the interpretation of invertebrate survey data. The role of standardised sampling protocols will be explored through fieldwork and through team work a set of accurate species determinations will be obtained. for analysis and interpretation. Analysis by a variety of different techniques (including species richness,

Discovering Diptera: Flies Under the Microscope

FSC Epping Forest , United Kingdom

Hoverflies, horseflies, houseflies, fruit flies, soldierflies, bee-flies, craneflies, greenbottles, mosquitoes and more: flies are all around us, but are often overlooked or even actively discouraged. In fact the true flies, or Diptera, are one of the most species-rich orders of insect in the UK, with over 7,000 species to choose from. This day course will

£45