News

CPD courses 2009

We are running a residential grass identification course, and two other CPD courses, designed for professional ecologists Download flyer & Booking Form here & Booking Conditions here

Identifying Grass Indicator Species in Flower 3-5th June 2009 - Upper Teesdale, County Durham Download details here

Wildlife Law 26th & 27th March 2009 - Stanhope, nr Durham Download leafet here

Introduction to Aquatic Plants 25th & 26th August 2009 - Hexham, nr Newcastle Details here

“I got a lot out of this course – a good understanding of wild flower identification … Clare did a great job of catering for beginners like myself as well as more experienced colleagues.”

Laura Lowther, Northumberland Wildlife Trust

"As a trained teacher Clare had the skills to structure the course and communicate key information effectively."

Susan Walter, Birmingham University MSc student

"Thanks for a brilliant course. My kids are already starting to glaze over when they see me with a grass in hand!"

David Dodds, freelance ecologist

Training

If you are paying for professional CPD, demand professional tuition! We are qualified to offer training services: Clare is a trained teacher (PGCE) for adult education and is a Field Studies Council associate tutor; and John is a qualified geography teacher.

"You made what I always thought of as a 'dull' subject very interesting." Jo Rockingham, Ecologist, Entec UK Ltd

“Clare is an excellent tutor. We had clear objectives, which we achieved, and she persisted with our difficulties until we had all learnt / seen what we needed to. Few other FSC courses I have been on have been as good.” Amanda Morgan, Surrey University

We provide ecology training courses for a huge variety of clients, ranging from Natural England, IEEM, RSPB, the Wildlife Trusts, and the University of Newcastle to other ecological consultancies. Our courses include:

bryophyte identification workshops
‘Using a Flora’ courses
Phase 1 habitat survey, condition assessment monitoring and other surveying techniques
introduction to biodiversity for planners, covering Planning Policy Statement 9 (PPS9) and recent legislation

We also offer educational consultancy services for the environmental sector, including bespoke curricula design and accreditation research.

" Excellent! The tuition was well planned, resourced and delivered. The tutors were enthusiastic, knowledgeable and able to explain key concepts to all abilities."

Peter Owen, secondary school teacher, commenting on training day led by John and Clare O’Reilly

Our most popular courses

BSBI grass workshop led by Clare O'Reilly in 2005 Teaching skills for ecologists and wildlife workers

This one-day workshop shares the secrets of teacher-training and combines these with professional interpretation skills to enable you to deliver really powerful presentations and inspirational training days. This workshop will transform the way you run volunteer or staff training events. Email us for more details

Grasses Sedges & Rushes for Phase 1 survey

This 2-day course is the only professional training course in the UK specifically focussed on Phase 1 habitat indicator species. It was developed for IEEM and this year, again, has been massively over subscribed. Why not commission PTYXIS to run an in-house course, tailored to your staff requirements? Email us for more details

The Biodiversity Training Project

SBTP PTYXIS is providing training sessions for this 5 year Heritage Lottery funded project, which aims to engage local people in learning about biodiversity. We are introducing Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) habitats to new audiences via a mix of species identification and interpretation on guided walks.