Introduction to wildlife surveys, Henfield (26/03/25)

Tutor: Laurie Jackson

Do you have an outdoor space that you would like to manage better for wildlife but don’t know where to start? Then this course if for you.

We are now in a critical decade for change to bring wildlife back to Sussex. From gardens and urban allotments to churchyards and Local Nature Reserves, we need everyone to take action in restoring land for nature and wildlife surveys are a great place to start. They help you to discover what's already in your local area and how best to protect and encourage it.

This course offers an introduction to why we record wildlife and how to plan a survey and monitoring programme for a site. It is aimed at community groups, land-owners and other interested individuals. We will cover the information available to help you assess a site, and where to find it, as well as some of the standard survey techniques available for habitats and species. At the end of the course, it is hoped participants will have a better understanding of how to design a survey and monitoring programme for conservation.

There will be a classroom component along with a field session to apply some of the survey techniques discussed. No previous knowledge is required. The course is suitable for those with a general interest.

Location: Woods Mill, Henfield, West Sussex, BN5 9SD https://sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/visit/woods-mill

What to bring: Appropriate outdoor clothing and footwear, adequate sun protection and wet weather gear, packed lunch and drink.

Other information: Tea and coffee will be available. Toilets are available in the classroom and car park. Limited free car parking is available and lift sharing is encouraged.

Accessibility: Participants should be able to walk several kilometres and terrain may be uneven in places.

Laurie is an experienced ecologist, wildlife guide, writer and natural history trainer based in southern England. She has recently produced a fantastic Guide to Wildlife Surveying which is available to download from our website here.

Please read our terms and conditions before booking

We have a limited number of concessionary tickets available to enable more people to attend our courses and help to create a Sussex where wildlife can thrive.