View our upcoming events for February 2012
Sat 4th Feb 2012 10:00-14:00 Willow Weaving Course 4th Feb 2012 Come along and learn the art of willow weaving starting off by building your very own obelisk. Make your garden stand out. £60 for a 4 day course. Booking is essential and places are strictly limited. For more information, or to book a place, please email chaffordv@essex.org.uk or call 01375 484 016. Location Chafford Gorges Visitor Centre Sat 25th Feb 2012 10:00-14:00 Willow Weaving Course 25th Feb 2012 Come along and learn the art of willow weaving starting off by building your very own obelisk. Make your garden stand out this summer. Booking is essential and places are strictly limited. £60 for 4 day course. For more information or to book a place, please email chaffordv@essex.org.uk or call 01375 484 016. Location Chafford Gorges Visitor Centre Fri 2nd Mar 2012 10:00-12:00 Jewellery Making Course Join us for this friendly four week course, and learn how to make your own jewellery from beads, wire and more. Every Friday morning from 2nd March to 23rd March. Donation £30 per person (Some materials supplied but please bring your own beads, etc if you wish). LocationLangdon Visitor Centre
Mon 5th Mar 2012 10:00-13:00 Riversearch Otter Survey Course 1 Two stand-alone half day training sessions have been arranged for 2012. These sessions are aimed at people who wish to learn how to identify Otter (and Mink) field signs, droppings (spraints), footprints and feeding remains. Ecology of Otters in lowland areas will be covered and habitat features that Otters use will be discussed. The course will include an outdoor session walking approximately 1 mile on rough grassland and footpaths. Maximum 15 people with no dogs. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Course suitable for beginners and people wishing to take part in the annual county survey for Essex. Leader: Darren Tansley: Venue: Mill Lane Car Park, Dedham, River Stour Requested Donation: £15 Please telephone Abbotts Hall Farm on 01621 862960 or email: admin@essexwt.org.uk for more information or to book your place. Sat 10th Mar 2012 10:00-13:00 Riversearch Otter Survey Course 2 Two stand-alone half day training sessions have been arranged for 2012. These sessions are aimed at people who wish to learn how to identify Otter (and Mink) field signs, droppings (spraints), footprints and feeding remains. Ecology of Otters in lowland areas will be covered and habitat features that Otters use will be discussed. The course will include an outdoor session walking approximately 1 mile on rough grassland and footpaths. Maximum 15 people with no dogs. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Course suitable for beginners and people wishing to take part in the annual county survey for Essex. Leader: Darren Tansley: Venue: Mill Lane Car Park, Dedham, River Stour Requested Donation: £15 Please telephone Abbotts Hall Farm on 01621 862960 or email: admin@essexwt.org.uk for more information or to book your place. Sat 17th Mar 2012 10:00-14:00 Willow Weaving Course 17th March 2012 Come along and learn the art of willow weaving starting off by building your very own obelisk. Make your garden stand out this summer. £60 for a 4 day course. Booking is essential and places are strictly limited. For more information, or to book a place, please email chaffordv@essex.org.uk or call 01375 484 016. Location Chafford Gorges Visitor Centre Sat 24th Mar 2012 10:00-16:00 Photography Workshop Level 1 Know the basics Confused by aperture, shutter speed and ISO? Don't know your Program Mode from your White Balance? This one-day workshop with Daniel Bridge guides you through the basics of photography, allowing you to take full control of your camera. £40.00 per person. Adult Course Booking required Location Fingringhoe Wick Visitor Centre
Sun 25th Mar 2012 10:00-16:00 Hen Keeping For Beginners This course is for anyone who is thinking about or who has just got some hens. The course will cover essential needs, common conditions, treatments and frequently asked questions. There will be the opportunity to practice live hen holding and hen health checks. Tea, coffee and homemade cake provided...Free range eggs of course! Please bring a packed lunch. £30.00 per person. Booking is required. Location Fingringhoe Wick Visitor Centre
Fri 27th Apr 2012 16:00-21:30 Bat Ecology and Bat Analysis An opportunity to learn about the fascinating world of bats! The course will focus on the ecology of UK bats and is suitable for complete beginners or those who wish to know more about bats. Different survey techniques employed to studying bats are considered with case studies as examples. Analysing bat calls through the use of bat detectors and computer software will also be covered. In the evening there will be an opportunity to carry out a bat survey using bat detectors around the Hanningfield nature reserve. Leader: Adam Rochester: Venue: Hanningfield Reservoir Visitor Centre Requested Donation: £30 Location Hanningfield Reservoir Visitor Centre Please telephone Abbotts Hall Farm on 01621 862960 or email: admin@essexwt.org.uk for more information or to book your place. Sat 28th Apr 2012 10:00-16:00 Bedfords Photography Workshop Level 1 Know The Basics This one-day workshop with Daniel Bridge guides you through the basics of photography, allowing you to take full control of your camera. Booking essential and a donation of £40 per person is required. Location: Bedfords Park Visitor Centre Tue 1st May 2012 10:00-16:00 Freshwater Invertebrate Identification and Ecology This course examines the amazing diversity of invertebrate life in temporary and permanent ponds. The training will provide a sound practical basis in the identification of typical freshwater macro-invertebrates. The use of a key to aid identification will be introduced and a range of collecting and surveying techniques will be used. Invertebrates will be identified to at least family level and to species level where appropriate. Leader: Andy May: Venue: Abbotts Hall Farm Requested Donation: £30 Location Abbotts Hall Farm Please telephone Abbotts Hall Farm on 01621 862960 or email: admin@essexwt.org.uk for more information or to book your place. Wed 2nd May 2012 10:00-16:00 Hedgerow Surveying Find out more about hedgerows within the UK and within Essex. This course will cover the standard Defra hedgerow surveying methods and in the field surveying. The Essex Biodiversity project in conjunction with EWT will be focusing on the Danbury Ridge Living Landscape for hedgerow surveys this year. Leader: Rebecca Banks Venue: Little Baddow Memorial Hall Requested Donation: Free Please telephone Abbotts Hall Farm on 01621 862960 or email: admin@essexwt.org.uk for more information or to book your place. Fri 4th May 2012 10:00-16:00 Wildlife and Farming This course will highlight the issues associated with arable farming and wildlife conservation on the Essex Coast. You will gain an understanding of the measures available to landowners to protect wildlife by looking at practical examples at Abbotts Hall Farm. Leader: Dave Smart: Venue: Abbotts Hall Farm Requested Donation: £30 Location Abbotts Hall Farm Please telephone Abbotts Hall Farm on 01621 862960 or email: admin@essexwt.org.uk for more information or to book your place. Fri 11th May 2012 10:00-16:00 Dormouse Survey Course This course will cover dormouse ecology and survey techniques. A few years ago there was only a scattering of dormouse records in the county. Many of these were old records and there was no clear picture of dormouse distribution. Our aim is to establish a complete picture of dormice distribution so that efforts can be focused to safeguard them and provide appropriate management. After a brief indoor session we will have a site visit to look at dormouse habitat and management issues. Leader: Rebecca Banks Venue: Norsey Wood Requested Donation: Free course. Please telephone Abbotts Hall Farm on 01621 862960 or email: admin@essexwt.org.uk for more information or to book your place. Sat 12th May 2012 9:30-15:00 Using Environmental Arts and Crafts with young people This course is suitable for anyone wanting to learn and experience what arts and crafts activities the natural environment has to offer. Participants will have a practical day of making and doing to try out different arts and crafts suitable to lead with children and young people using the natural world as inspiration. Leader: Jem Ayres: Venue: Chafford Gorges Visitor Centre, Drake Road, Chafford Hundred, Grays, Essex, RM16 6RG Requested Donation: £30 Location Chafford Gorges Visitor Centre Please telephone Abbotts Hall Farm on 01621 862960 or email: admin@essexwt.org.uk for more information or to book your place. Sat 19th May 2012 10:00-16:00 Photography Workshop Level 2 Beyond the Basics Discover hw focal length, white balance, aperture and more can transform your photography. Looking at composition and subject matter this one-day workshop with Daniel Bridge guides you to the best reults from your camera. Location Fingringhoe Wick Visitor Centre
Mon 21st May 2012 10:00-13:00 Riversearch Water Voles 1 Two stand-alone half day training sessions have been arranged for 2012. The course will serve as an introduction to the identification and ecology of water voles including an overview of current legislation, habitat management and health and safety issues. Students will also be trained to distinguish between water vole, field vole and brown rat morphology and field signs. Course suitable for beginners and people wishing to take part in the annual county survey for Essex. Leader: Darren Tansley: Venue: Abbotts Hall Farm Requested Donation: £15 Location Abbotts Hall Farm Please telephone Abbotts Hall Farm on 01621 862960 or email: admin@essexwt.org.uk for more information or to book your place. Tue 22nd May 2012 11:00-15:00 Heathland Management Characteristics, history and development over the centuries of lowland heath habitat, in particular of Essex heaths, will be described. The related wildlife will be summarised. Attention will be paid to succession, positive and negative influences and the resulting need for continual management. A range of management techniques will be covered and reference drawn to schemes and sources of funding. A visit to Tiptree Heath will take place in the afternoon. Leader Joan Pinch Venue: Abbotts Hall Farm and Tiptree Heath. Requested Donation: £15 Location Abbotts Hall Farm and Tiptree Heath Please telephone Abbotts Hall Farm on 01621 862960 or email: admin@essexwt.org.uk for more information or to book your place. Sat 26th May 2012 10:00-13:00 Riversearch Water Voles 2 Two stand-alone half day training sessions have been arranged for 2012. The course will serve as an introduction to the identification and ecology of water voles including an overview of current legislation, habitat management and health and safety issues. Students will also be trained to distinguish between water vole, field vole and brown rat morphology and field signs. Course suitable for beginners and people wishing to take part in the annual county survey for Essex. Leader: Darren Tansley: Venue: Abbotts Hall Farm Location Abbotts Hall Farm Please telephone Abbotts Hall Farm on 01621 862960 or email: admin@essexwt.org.uk for more information or to book your place. Requested Donation: £15 Thu 31st May 2012 10:00-16:30 Wild Flower Identification 1 Two stand-alone training sessions learning how to identify wild flowers with the aid of books and keys. The day will include time for a field visit to look at varying habitats. The day is suitable for complete beginners who wish to know more about the wild flowers around them, and for those who want to improve their skills. It is recommended that a hand lens of c10x magnification be brought and, if possible, a copy of Francis Rose's Wild Flower Key. Leader: Stephen Clarkson Venue: Abbotts Hall Farm Requested Donation: £30.00 Location Abbotts Hall Farm Please telephone Abbotts Hall Farm on 01621 862960 or email: admin@essexwt.org.uk for more information or to book your place. Tue 12th Jun 2012 10:00-16:00 Grasslands Management Surveying and Monitoring Practical Course There is an urgent need to monitor the wildlife value of grasslands and effectiveness of management. Grasslands are a priority habitat due to their fragility within succession. If they are not managed properly they will change their characteristics and floristic diversity very quickly. It has been recognised that certain species indicate floristic diversity whilst others indicate a positive or negative effect of management and these species could be used to monitor sites. This course will look at the basic identification of grasses, a practical solution to surveying and monitoring grasslands to ensure limited resources are being used effectively. Leader: Andy May: Venue: Abbotts Hall Farm Requested Donation: £30 Location Abbotts Hall Farm Please telephone Abbotts Hall Farm on 01621 862960 or email: admin@essexwt.org.uk for more information or to book your place. Thu 14th Jun 2012 10:00-16:30 Wild Flower Identification 2 Two stand-alone training sessions learning how to identify wild flowers with the aid of books and keys. The day will include time for a field visit to look at varying habitats. The day is suitable for complete beginners who wish to know more about the wild flowers around them, and for those who want to improve their skills. It is recommended that a hand lens of c10x magnification be brought and, if possible, a copy of Francis Rose's Wild Flower Key. Leader: Stephen Clarkson Venue: Abbotts Hall Farm Requested Donation £30.00 Location Abbotts Hall Farm Please telephone Abbotts Hall Farm on 01621 862960 or email: admin@essexwt.org.uk for more information or to book your place. Sat 16th Jun 2012 10:00-13:00 Outdoor Fun and Exploration Engaging Children in the Outdoors This morning course is suitable for parents and carers, teachers and teaching assistants, play workers, child minders or anyone who believes that children should be given the time and space to be engaged and connected with the natural environment. This morning will be an opportunity to explore how we can support our children in exploring and discovering outside with activities which will challenge and excite them. Packed with ideas for you to enjoy with your children, this morning will be a chance to relax, play and learn in the woods at Abbotts Hall Farm. Leader: Jo Ling Venue: Abbotts Hall Farm Requested Donation: £15 Location Abbotts Hall Farm Please telephone Abbotts Hall Farm on 01621 862960 or email: admin@essexwt.org.uk for more information or to book your place. Tue 19th Jun 2012 10:00-16:00 Grass and Rush Ecology This course will introduce participants to the structure, identification and ecology of grasses and rushes. In addition, participants will be introduced to the management of grasslands to promote diversity. This course will involve a strong hands on approach and will focus on identification skills and ecology of species from a variety of habitats including woodlands, heathlands and ponds In addition species commonly associated with types of grassland and other habitat will be discussed. Grasses will be identified to species level. Leader: Andrew May Venue: Abbotts Hall Farm Requested Donation: £30 Location Abbotts Hall Farm Please telephone Abbotts Hall Farm on 01621 862960 or email: admin@essexwt.org.uk for more information or to book your place. |