BSBI Training Grants help botanists in 2016: Part Two

Common Bent Agrostis capillaris
Image courtesy of Floral Images
http://www.floralimages.co.uk/page.
php?taxon=agrostis_capillaris,1

Following on from this recent post by Debs about how a BSBI Training Grant helped her attend an ID course, we now have another post from one of this year's Training Grant recipients. 

Over to Colin to tell us more: 

"As a marine biologist the terrestrial world was never a focus of my academic background. However, since the arrival of my first daughter and the realisation that walks would have to slow down to approximately 1 mph (if lucky) I began to take in my surroundings more, especially those things that didn’t move despite the noise! 

"I began to study trees and then moved on to flowers once I had bought ‘Rose’. I had previously avoided grasses but decided to take the plunge on a grass, rush and sedge course with the Field Studies Council. 

"The course was absolutely fit for purpose as it encouraged the students to use the literature and not be daunted by the difficulties of grass ID. 

Annual meadow-grass Poa annua
Image courtesy of Floral Images
http://www.floralimages.co.uk/page.
php?taxon=poa_annua,1

"The lecturer was incredibly enthusiastic, able to impart his knowledge but also very aware of the need for students to walk away with confidence that they could at least separate out key groups and families. 

"Best of all I was surrounded by people who also liked to look at plants without pulling leaves off and uprooting things willy nilly!"

Many thanks to Colin for telling us about the course he was able to attend. 

Watch out for more blogposts coming up by this year's Training Grant recipients and don't forget that you can find out more about training courses, grants and all things related to learning more about botany here.