Untitled - Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

Contents 1. Course Overview

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2. Assessment

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2.1 Notebook

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2.2 Practical Tests

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3. Course Fees

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4. Application Procedure and ILAs

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5. Equipment Required

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6. Option 1: Day Course at Edinburgh

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7. Option 2: 7-day Residential Course at Kindrogan

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8. Unit Descriptors

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CPFB-1 Plant Identification

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CPFB-2 Preparation for Field Work

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CPFB-3 Information Recording

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CPFB-4 Field Collection, Pressing and Mounting

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CPFB-5 Habitat Surveying

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CPFB-6 Applied Field Work 1

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9. Application Form

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1. Course Overview The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) has delivered high quality practical field botany training for over a century. At present, we provide training in our Garden for students from universities, colleges and government bodies. Internationally, our training programmes are key parts of development projects in botany, taxonomy, conservation and ecology. This botanical training has, to date, been delivered by many of RBGE’s expert staff in a variety of different ways. The RBGE Certificate in Practical Field Botany draws our expertise together and provides a standardised framework for RBGE’s practical botany training. An internationally recognised certificate is awarded to the candidates on successful completion of the programme. The programme provides students with a core set of practical botany skills and knowledge across all the key areas necessary to carry out field collection, identification, preservation and curation of botanical specimens. It achieves this through a clear and concise course framework, teaching materials, assessment and verification guidelines. The course is designed to be delivered and assessed using a predominantly practical approach. Assessment is focused around, a series of practical identification tests, basic specimen collections made towards during the programme and a notebook kept by the students during the course. Individuals can apply to study in a variety of ways, and the course can also be offered for staff within an organisation. In 2016, there are two options for individuals to study: Option 1: Friday – Monday, 17 – 20 June 2016 and 24 - 27 June 2016 (8 days), based at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and field sites in the Lothians. Option 2: 7-day Residential course from 2 - 9 July 2016 at Kindrogan Field Studies Centre and field sites in Perthshire. (Subject to availability) Course Tutor Dr Heather McHaffie MBE, is a Research Associate at RBGE and has a wide interest in identifying and growing Scottish plants. She teaches a range of courses and workshops on ferns and flowering plants for RBGE students, at Kindrogan Field Centre and other sites all over Scotland. Although now retired she is still involved in the Garden’s restoration and monitoring projects for threatened species.

2. Assessment This is a predominantly practical course and this is mirrored within the assessment methods. You will be assessed in two ways: 2.1 Course Notebook & Botanical Specimens You will be issued with course worksheets throughout the programme. You must use these to record the key knowledge points covered and the practical activities demonstrated and carried out during the units. You will also be given a course notebook. This will be your record book, detailing all necessary information on the plants that you have found and identified, in an appropriate format. The notebook should not be presented in an edited, computerbased format as it is a working notebook that you can refer to in the future and its presentation should not become a significant additional assignment. You will also press, prepare and accurately label 3 plant specimens during the course. 2.2 Practical Tests Skills to be assessed are outlined for each unit. These will be tested individually throughout the course where appropriate and during the applied field work days. Successful candidates will be awarded the ‘RBGE Certificate in Practical Field Botany’, which is graded as follows: • Referral: