In-person Course FAQs

FAQs relating to in-person Biodiversity courses.

What if my course gets cancelled by the Field Studies Council and I have already booked my transport and accommodation?

We recommend that course attendees purchase the appropriate travel insurance to cover travel and accommodation losses in the event of unavoidable cancellations. We are not liable for indirect costs incurred to enable your attendance on a course. Very occasionally courses are cancelled by us at the last minute, for example, if there is a problem with the venue or the tutor that cannot be solved. We will notify you as soon as possible if this happens and initiate a course fee refund immediately. Refunds can take up to 14 days to reach your bank account. We do viability assessments four to five weeks before the course start date, at which point we may make the decision to cancel if there are not enough bookings.

Can I bring a child on the course with me?

Attendees cannot bring children on our Biodiversity courses. Our courses are quite intensive and require a high level of concentration due to the use of scientific names and complex ID resources, and often include group work. Our courses are advertised as being for adults, and as a result, our tutors are not required to complete a DBS check, so for this reason we cannot allow under-18s to attend.

Can I bring a carer/support worker on the course with me?

We do offer a discount on our in-person Biodiversity courses for carers and support workers who may need to accompany course attendees. This discount varies depending on the course. • Where a minibus is required (and a course therefore has a fixed number of spaces), carers receive a 50% discount on the course cost. • If the course does not require a minibus, carers and support workers are able to attend free of charge. • Please note, this discount is only applicable to the course fee and does not apply to accommodation or meals, which are normally booked separately. When you are ready to book a course, we ask that you email us at [e-mail] to discuss. Once the fee/discount has been agreed, we will make a manual booking for you and send an invoice for payment by bank transfer.

Can I bring a dog on the course with me?

Attendees cannot bring dogs on our Biodiversity courses. Our courses are quite intensive and require a high level of concentration due to the use of scientific names and complex ID resources, and often include group work. Our venues often have their own policies regarding dogs on site that we must adhere to. If an assistance or a guide dog is required by a course attendee, please email [e-mail] so that we can make arrangements.

Can I contact other course attendees to share travel arrangements?

As the team responsible for co-ordinating courses, sadly we cannot offer to facilitate shared travel arrangements as we cannot guarantee that it would be successful and we don't want people relying on this service to be able to get to courses. We also do not want to risk putting people in potentially unsafe or uncomfortable situations. Furthermore, we are unable to share the personal information of our customers, so we cannot give out contact details for other course attendees. If you require any advice regarding public transport arrangements, please do not hesitate to get in touch at [e-mail].

Can I have the tutor’s contact details before the course?

Unfortunately, we are unable to share the personal information of our tutors without their permission. If you have a question regarding your course either logistical or content-based, the biodiversity team can help and liaise with the tutor [e-mail].

Can Biodiversity courses be used for Natural England protected species licence applications?

The Gov.uk website indicates that two written references are needed for most protected species licences. Whilst our great crested newt, dormouse and bat courses could possibly be used as supporting evidence or in the place of a reference, we cannot guarantee this. We recommend that you contact Natural England directly for confirmation and further information on references by emailing [e-mail]. You can find the government guidelines here - References and experience needed to support your protected species application or registration - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Please note, not all of our in-person courses currently include completion certificates as standard.

How much physical exertion is involved on an in-person Biodiversity course?

Our in-person courses tend to have an even split between a classroom session and a practical field session. By their very nature, our courses nearly always require some degree of walking to find the target species or habitat, on what is often uneven terrain. Where possible, we will endeavour to adapt our courses to the needs of attendees. If you think you might require specific arrangements to accommodate your needs in order to safely attend a course, please email us before booking on [e-mail]. Please also email or phone at the time of booking to inform us of any medical conditions that the tutor or venue may need to be aware of.

What do I need to bring?

Please refer to the website listing for all course requirements, these are listed in the ‘Before You Attend’ tab. Please note there may be mandatory equipment or publications required to attend your course. In general, we would suggest bringing the following on any in-person biodiversity course that you attend: • Notebook and pencil • Lunch and refreshments • Sensible shoes and waterproof clothing • Any relevant field equipment that you have, e.g. hand lens, binoculars, relevant field guides

Do I get a certificate of completion?

Please note, not all of our in-person courses currently include completion certificates as standard. If you require a certificate for career progression or as proof of attendance for funding, please email [e-mail] before booking to find out if your course includes one.