Botany & Bryology in Scotland & Northern England Clare Rickerby

Field work experience

2018
2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010-2008

Sand dune vegetation survey at Morrich More FCS, a baseline survey of plant species and their coverage where conifers had been felled 10 years ago to inform future management plans for improving the dunes. Sub-contracted by Caledonian Conservation.
Adders Tongue fern survey Holyrood Park Edinburgh. Establishing the extent of the fern. Sub-contracted by Caledonian Conservation.
NVC Survey of Border Mires in Northumberland, looking at the wetland habitats; blanket bog, fen and rush pasture. Including pH and conductivity readings and quadrats. Sub-contracted by John O’Reilly.
Bryophyte survey for proposed hydro-electric scheme extension for Gilkes Energy.
Red Squirrel drey survey St. Andrews, Sub-contracted by Caledonian Conservation.
Continued to be a tutor on the distance learning "identiplant" course supported by the BSBI and Field Studies council. The course helps people gain confidence in identifying plants in the field.

2017

A continuation of the Buxbaumia viridis survey in sites further south to the survey carried out in 2016. I was sub-contracted by Caledonian Conservation.
Involved in the writing of a snow-bed bryophyte handbook, co-ordinated by RBGE.
I continued to be a tutor on the distance learning "identiplant" course supported by the BSBI and Field Studies council. The course helps people gain confidence in identifying plants in the field.

2016

A survey of the moss Buxbaumia viridis (Green shield moss) for SNH. The aim of the survey was to gain a better understanding of the distribution of this Annex II listed species. The survey focused on the areas west of its known population in the glens to the west of Loch Ness. Excitingly a number of new sites were found!
I continued to be a tutor on the distance learning "identiplant" course supported by the BSBI and Field Studies council. The course helps people gain confidence in identifying plants in the field.

2015

Bryophyte surveys for proposed hydro-electric schemes for Blairbeg Consulting, Dunnock Environmental, HydroPlan and Gordon Rothero.
Site condition monitoring of the alkaline fen and acid scree habitats in Glencoe for the National Trust for Scotland. New survey points were selected and full species abundance list were recorded for each of the assessed quadrats.
Site condition monitoring and Herbivore impact assessment in the Cairngorms surveying a range of habitats. Subcontracted by PlantEcol.
I returned to the Yorkshire Dales for the fourth year to help Dr Andreas Heinmeyer with the vegetation surveys part of his peatland management project.
I continued to further my bryophyte skills by participating in an SNH funded training program on snowbed bryophyte species again this year, visiting sites in the Cairngorms and attending workshops at the Royal Botanic Garden's Edinburgh.
I continued to be a tutor on the distance learning "identiplant" course supported by the BSBI and Field Studies council. The course helps people gain confidence in identifying plants in the field.
NVC survey and bryophyte identification at a site in the eastern Scottish Highlands, sub-contracting for Miriam Baines, Senior Ecologist at BSG Ecology.

2014

Further bryophyte surveys for proposed hydro-electric schemes working for Blairbeg Consulting and Gordon Rothero.
I carried out the Carex microglochin site condition monitoring for the National Trust for Scotland at Ben Lawers. This involved detailed counts of the plants and an assessment of the frequency of the species. I also helped the staff with the Sagina nivalis survey and species-rich Nardus grassland site condition monitoring.
Blanket bog habitat condition monitoring for the RSPB at Forsinard on the Blar nam Faolieag area of the reserve. This survey focused on trying to establish the success of deer management across this area.
I returned to Iceland with Prof. Dugmore and Dr. Streeter to carry out vegetation surveys for their research project. I carried out the surveys with Dr Nick Cutler of Cambridge University.
NVC survey and bryophyte identification at a site in the eastern Scottish Highlands, sub-contracting for Miriam Baines, Senior Ecologist at BSG Ecology.
Returned to the Yorkshire Dales for the third year to help Dr Andreas Heinmeyer with the vegetation surveys part of his peatland management project.
I am a tutor on the distance learning "identiplant" course supported by the BSBI and Field Studies council. The course helps people gain confidence in identifying plants in the field.
I furthered my bryophyte skills by participating in an SNH funded training program on snowbed bryophyte species, this year visiting sites in the Cairngorms and attending workshops at the Royal Botanic Garden's Edinburgh.
Identified bryophyte samples collected by Heritage Environment Ltd from several field sites around Scotland.

2013

I have continued to gain experience carrying out Bryophyte surveys for a large number of proposed run of the river hydro-electric schemes in western Scotland working with Gordon Rothero and for Envirocentre.
Bryophyte survey of St Kilda, recording species across the island to work out the areas of specific bryological interest. This was for the National Trust for Scotland, I worked with Nick Hodgetts and Ron Porley.
NVC and Phase 1 mapping at a number of windfarm and forestry sites in Ayrshire, the Scottish borders and Perth and Kinross. I was subcontracted by Findlay Ecology Services to carry out this work.
Aquatics survey of the Gala Water in The Borders looking for aquatic Ranunculus also with Findlay Ecology - a great job to be doing on the hottest week of the year!
Vegetation surveying in South Iceland for Professor Andy Dugmore (Edinburgh University) and Dr Richard Streeter (St Andrews University). This is a part of the National Science Foundation (USA) funded project "Tephra layers and early warning signals for critical transitions" looking to see if vegetation type has an effect on the depth of tephra on the ground after a volcanic eruption.
I returned to the Yorkshire Dales to help with the sphagnum ID for Dr Andreas Heinemeyer of York University.
Continued working on the heath and blanket bog regeneration project at the Clyde Windfarm for Alistair Headley.

2012

Bryophyte surveys for proposed run of the river hydro schemes in western and central Scotland. These involved carrying out a general bryophyte survey up the burns and along the potential pipeline routes looking out in particular for the important indicator species. The field work is followed by report writing. This work was carried out with Gordon Rothero. I have also carried out a bryophyte survey for the Forestry commission in similar habitat.
Herbivore impact assessment and Habitat site condition monitoring on Caenlochan NNR, visiting previously monitored grid referenced points to carryout the surveys as per the JNCC guidance. I was sub-contracted by Alistair Headley of PlantEcol to carry out this fieldwork which is ultimately for Scottish Natural Heritage.
NVC and Phase 1 mapping surveys at the Clyde Wind farm to provide base line data for future monitoring of the progress of heathland and blanket bog restoration. This is the largest onshore wind farm in the UK, I was sub-contracted by Alistair Headley to carry out this work.
Help with bryophyte in particular Sphagnum identification for Andreas Heinemeyer of York University. This is for a Defra funded project looking at Blanket bog management at three sites in the Yorkshire Dales.
Reedbed mapping and recording plant community changes along transects at RSPB Insh marshes reserve. Bryophyte survey of aspen stands. Producing reports for these surveys.
Data analysis of blanket bog regeneration surveys of the Talaheel area of the RSPB Forsinard reserve.

2011

RSPB

Whilst working for the RSPB I was able to spend time honing my bryophyte identification skills whilst getting experience of surveying in a range of habitats and compiling reports:

Bryophyte monitoring in Atlantic oakwood at Glenborrodale.
Aspen bryophyte survey at Invertromie, Insh marshes.
NVC surveys of blanket bog, fen habitats heathland and woodland at Ballinlaggan and the Crannach reserves.
General vegetation (vascular plants and bryophytes) surveys at Corrimony, Inversnaid and Meikle Loch reserves.
Vegetation recording as part of the blanket bog regeneration project at the Forsinard reserve.
Sphagnum monitoring at Vane Farm, Loch Leven reserve.
Sanionia orthothecioides (St. Kilda Hookmoss) survey at Fowlsheugh.

Other

Vegetation survey at the planning stage for a commercial site near Carnforth - the company was interested in the conservation potential of an area of reed bed on their site that was not going to be developed.

2008-2010 - Ben Lawers NNR

I spent three seasons at Ben Lawers, the first volunteering carrying out a range of tasks including snow pearlwort monitoring, tree nursery work, bird surveys for the BTO Atlas and grazing pressure surveys. The second and third seasons I was employed as the seasonal ecologist which involved carrying out and reporting Site Condition Monitoring of habitats, detailed surveys of vascular plant species and watervole and red squirrel surveys. The habitats that I surveyed were Alpine Calcareous grassland, Alkaline Fen, Blanket Bog, montane Willow scrub and Dry heath. The plant species that I surveyed were Carex microglochin, Veronica fruticans, Kobresia simpliciuscula and Sagina nivalis. I also helped on bryophyte surveys looking for Timmia austriaca, Bryoerythrophyllum caledonicum and Hypnum revolutum.