Introduction to Vascular Plant Identification Workshop

Introduction to Vascular Plant Identification Workshop

This one-day workshop consists of a practical and theoretical introduction to vascular plant identification. Focus is on learning morphology and terminology, and using taxonomic keys and field guides to learn species of a few main plant families in Alberta. This course is designed for people with little or no plant identification experience, and for those who want to refresh their taxonomy and terminology.

Date:           May 31, 2015, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Location: Cochrane Ranche House

CCP:            This course qualifies ASPB members to earn 7.5 Professional Development Hours.

   For inquiries about the Workshop, contact Kristen Foreman

Registration includes lunch, refreshments, and manuals. Please note: there will be meat and vegetarian options only - the venue is not able to accommodate special dietary requests).

A hand lens is recommended to fully experience this workshop. Hand lenses can be purchased for $15 each through the online store while registering for the workshop or can be borrowed for the day at no charge.

Presenters’ Biographies

All of our presenters are Vegetation Ecologists and Environmental Consultants based out of Calgary, Alberta.

Laurie Hamilton has worked on environmental and land management projects in Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territories and Saskatchewan. She obtained specialist scientific experience in vegetation and wetland ecology and geographic information systems (GIS), as well as experience in other disciplines such as terrain, soils, surface hydrology, wildlife habitat, species (and ecological communities) at risk, riparian habitats, aquatic environments and reclamation. In addition to scientific investigations, she has worked on numerous workshops and stakeholder consultation projects. Through her twenty years of practice she has had a keen urge to give back to the land management and scientific communities and has participated on numerous volunteer activities, one of which was conceptualizing and implementing this Introduction to Vascular Plant Identification workshop in 2004. She has continued to improve this workshop along with other knowledgeable practitioners over the years, as it has been offered every year since its inception in 2004.

Kristen Beechey has worked on a diversity of projects throughout western Canada with the bulk of her experience situated in the Grasslands, Boreal Forest and Montane Natural Regions of Alberta. This is her fourth time presenting the Introduction to Vascular Plant Identification workshop.

Neil Webster spent several years leading labs as a teacher’s assistant for introductory biology and plant taxonomy courses at the University of Guelph. He has gained ample field experience in plant identification during fieldwork in Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan, both from his undergraduate and Master’s thesis and as an Environmental Consultant based out of Calgary, Alberta. This is his second time presenting the Introduction to Vascular Plant Identification workshop.

Amy Griffiths  identified vascular plants for a variety of projects throughout western Canada since 2003, with the majority of her experience in the Grasslands, Boreal Forest and Montane Natural Regions of Alberta. This is her eighth time presenting the Introduction to Vascular Plant Identification workshop.

The ASPB is not responsible for the content of this presentation; the information and views expressed by the presenter(s) are their own.