Environmental Workshops
Environmental Masterclass
This workshop is aimed at developing your understanding of the natural world. We take at look at the mountain environment from its geological history to its vegetation and human influences upon the landscape. We will identify general characteristics of rock types, habitats and take a closer look at the wildlife which inhabit this environment. A series of engaging activities are used to help promote our understanding and these will offer ideas for you to use with your own clients. A notebook, pencil and camera would be useful to bring along.
Mountain & Alpine Flowers of Snowdonia
This course will help you to recognise and identify mountain and alpine flowers. Snowdonia is home to specialised plants more at home in the European Alps and Arctic environments. We will look at the adaptations and ecology of these plants and develop your skills and confidence in identifying plants in the field. Bring along a notebook, pencil and camera to help you remember the plants you discover once you’ve returned home.
Glaciation Masterclass
This workshop is an introduction to regional glaciation of North Wales. North Wales is a post-glacial environment with spectacular glacial features. We will identify and explain the formation of these features both large and small scale including features of erosion, transportation and deposition. The itinerary on the day will depend upon weather conditions and may include a lowland glacial environment. A notebook, pencil and camera would be useful to bring along.
Swiss Alpine Flowers
This one-day course will give you confidence to identify alpine flowers. It aims to demystify the jargon behind flower identification books and make them more accessible. The field site has been selected due to the wonderful limestone floral diversity. It is an easily accessible site with good altitudinal and habitat diversity. The course will also look at the broader environment to develop your understanding of alpine geology, tectonic activity and land use. If you are a trekking guide then it’s also designed to; 1- help you become a more informed leader, 2- to prepare you for an IML assessment & 3- provide continued professional development CPD points for BAIML members.
Trees in Winter
The Gwydir forest has a superb range of trees that have come from all over the world. This workshop looks at the characteristics and identification features of these and also includes the native species of Britain. This one-day course will give you confidence to identify and talk about trees in winter. It is designed to develop your understanding of the natural world, leading you to become a better informed leader. We will also look at wider environmental issues surrounding forestry, ecology and land use.
Mountain Flowers of the Lake District
This course will help you to recognise and identify flowers of mountain & moorland but also we hope to see some rarer arctic-alpine flowers too. The Lake District is an important plant area where specialised plants, more at home in the European Alps and Arctic tundra still exist. We will look at the ecology of the mountain environment and the major influences affecting vegetation such as geology, agriculture and water. The workshop will also help develop your skills and confidence in identifying plants in the field. We will be visiting botanically rich and diverse sites where exceptionally rare plant communities, of high conservation value, live. It is therefore imperative that we respect and value the nature of these very sensitive sites.
The Future of our Uplands
Learn about and discuss land use, conservation and wilding issues. Steve Evison, director of Nearly Wild, join us for this interactive workshop. Steve is an expert in strategic
conservation and engaging people in nature recovery & management. He has over 35 years of experience in the field of national and international strategic conservation and nature recovery. We will look at the present opportunities and challenges facing rebuilding natural processes in the UK and how to reconnect broken natural systems. For generations natural resources / nature has been used for agriculture, forestry, hydropower and other much needed services to support a growing population. We will also discuss the current trends behind reintroductions associated with wilding. With such a hot topic there will be time allotted for your questions to be answered. The perfect location to host this workshop is in Cwm Idwal National Nature Reserve. Cwm Idwal is an internationally renowned site and has a rich history for conservation and wilding initiatives.
