Did you know that freshwater consists of only 3% of the water on planet Earth and only 1% of that water is readily available for use for agriculture, drinking, industry, transport and energy, the rest is in glaciers, ground water and the atmosphere. This tiny amount of water is in rivers, lakes, streams, ponds and wetlands and contains 10 times the biodiversity of land and ocean.

This course compromises of 4 freshwater courses:

Freshwater Ecosystems

River Restoration

And two of the following courses:

Water Vole Ecology and Surveying

Otter Ecology and Surveying

Beaver Ecology and Surveying

Great Crested Newt Ecology and Surveying

See a course overview for each course below, you can also view each as a stand-alone course on our website.

Save £50 with this bundle.

Freshwater Ecosystems.

Course Outline:

• Understand the diversity and importance of freshwater habitats
• Describe the various geomorphological, hydrological, biological and chemical characteristics of these habitats;
• Display an understanding of freshwater primary productivity and food webs
• Recognise some of the key organisms in freshwater habitats, their adaptations for survival and their inter relationships;
• Understand the environmental threats facing freshwaters and the consequences that these have on the global environment;
• Describe freshwater resource management strategies

River Restoration.

Course Outline:

• Natural River Processes
• Rivers and Biodiversity
• Rivers and Man
• Why Restore Rivers?
• Key River Restoration Methods
• Planning River Restoration Projects
• Case Studies Global and Europe
• Case Studies UK
• The Future of our Rivers

Water Vole Ecology and Surveying

Course Outline:

• Water vole biology and ecology
• Identifying water voles and their field signs
• Legal status of water voles
• Water vole conservation

Otter Ecology and Surveying

Course Outline:

• Otter biology and ecology
• Identifying otters and their field signs
• Legal status of otters
• Otter conservation

Beaver Ecology and Surveying

Course Outline:

Part 1 – Beaver Ecology and Survey Techniques – in this video we will cover beaver ecology, history, introductions, beavers in Europe and field signs with your tutor Sue Searle BSc, PGDip, MCIEEM, Principal Ecologist. Playing Time: 1hr 25 mins.

Part 2 – Beaver Field Signs – this is where your tutor goes out searching for beaver signs along the River Otter in Devon and at the Cornwall Beaver Project. Playing time 12 mins.

Great Crested Newt Ecology and Surveying

Course Outline:

• Ecology and habitat requirements
• Newt identification
• Legislation and licences
• Survey techniques
  
• Habitat Suitability Index

Part 1 – covers Ecology, identification, legislation, threats, habitat management and diseases. Run time 1hr 34 mins.

Part 2 – covers surveying for GCN including bottle trapping, netting, egg searching, torching, eDNA sampling and Habitat Suitability Index assessments. Run time 35 mins.

At the end of each Course will be a quiz and if you get 70% or more you will receive a Certificate.