EXTRA INFORMATION FOR COURSE MEMBERS
As mentioned in the course handout you will have been sent a good 10X or 20X hand lens is useful for field work and a pencil and notebook will aid your memory. Wellies are essential for work in streams and some people in the past have even brought waders. Gloves will be available but some prefer to bring their own and alcohol based hand gel is useful before tackling the packed lunch!
Although many people will pack them as a matter of course, if you have
them you will find a pair of binoculars very useful when examining the
surface film prior to any pond or river survey.
During the course you will visit a variety of sites, catching and identifying
to species level a number of freshwater invertebrates. Several past students have found a digital camera
to be a useful way to record both sites and animals caught. You will also be shown some equipment that can be cheaply made at home and a photo is a useful way to remember what this looks like.
Some students find it useful to take back specimens they have already identified to compare with invertebrates that may be caught back in their own
locality. Some containers will be available for this purpose but you may find it useful to bring your own.
You will be given copies of course notes to keep but there are other documents which you can take away that are electronic in format and operation. These generally require Microsoft Word or Excel in order to use them. If you have the facilities to make use of these you are welcome to bring a blank, writable CD or a USB memory device to copy them onto. However you will have the opportunity to be create a user name and password for the download section of this website from which you can obtain all documentation and future updates as well.
This documentation will include an interactive site index calculator, up to date UK species lists for all major freshwater groups as well as my course notes.
