FOR STUDENTS ONLY
Date: 18th July 2024
Venue: The Edge Centre, Riveredge, Wigan, WN3 5AB
Requirements: Your own form of transportation to and from the classroom venue (The Edge Centre) and nearby field site (to be announced on the day), walking boots or wellies, writing equipment and weather writer, packed lunch and drink, hand lens, plus any identification guides you deem appropriate will be required on the day. Purchase of this product will be followed by additional information and reminders on requirements closer to the day.
Description: FISC is a means of assessing an individual's ability to identify vascular plant taxa and is quickly becoming the industry standard for those working in the environment sector. It is divided into three discrete portions, including lab test one, lab test two and a field test.
During lab test one, you will be provided with ten specimens which you will need to identify without the use of identification guides; these ten specimens include common and widespread species. Once complete, you will be asked to move on to lab test two which presents you with 20 specimens that may be identified with use of identification guides. These include a range of common and widespread plants, in addition to more difficult taxa including rare species, grasses, sedges and rushes, hybrids and more. You will be granted two hours for completion of both lab tests.
Following the completion of lab tests, you will be given the location of our nearby field site. Upon arrival, you will be required to record as many vascular plants as possible within an allotted two hours alongside a gold standard surveyor. Marking for this portion will be based upon the proportion of species recorded which the gold standard surveyor also records.
BSBI owns and co-ordinates FISC. More details on FISCs are available on the BSBI FISC webpage, including the FISC Booklet which answers in detail many of the questions you may have on FISCs.