Following his recent excellent talk on heathland management, Scotty Dodd has invited ENHS members to attend (for free! - although a small donation will be appreciated) a course entitled 'An Introduction to the Insect Orders' which he runs at Surrey Wildlife Trust HQ at Pirbright (where microscopes are available).
The course has been a great success so far and is based on a selection of specimens from his own collection, involving an old unlabelled, donated collection for education/reference which includes many exotic species from across the orders including Phasmids etc.
It lasts for three hours with a tea break in the middle. There is a short introduction to what insects are, using keys and other literature and basic microscopy, followed by a video microscope display of British insects from the larger orders to point out the salient features, with some tips on ecology, sub-orders and notable families. After tea, students are supplied with a microscope, keys to orders and a tray of preserved specimens. The aim is to familiarise students with using microscopes and keys and to recognise the main features that largely separate each group. The course will cater for all abilities.
This is an evening course, usually 7-10pm. The suggested date is Wednesday 23 July (30 July may be possible - please indicate if preferred). The course can cater for up to 12 people.
If you would like to take part, please contact Brian Spooner as soon as possible
(Tel: 020 8332 5381 (day); 020 8979 5346 (evenings/weekends); email: b.spooner@kew.org.uk).