Publications
The new Field Studies Council publication creating a buzz this autumn is the Guide to Bees of Britain. The 8 page chart, produced in conjunction with the invertebrate conservation charity Buglife, shows 28 species of bee, most of which can commonly be seen flying in domestic gardens.

A silhouette next to each image show the typical life-size for each species and information on flight periods, distribution and useful pointers to help distinguish between similar-looking species is provided to aid identification. If you are interested in learning more about bees FSC Preston Montford has a Beginners Guide to Bumblebees (16-18 May 2008) a course that will introduce you to the more commonly encountered bumblebees in gardens and the countryside and help you confidently identify the six most common species.

National Tree Week
National Tree week runs from 21 November to 2 December and our FSC Publications Tree Name Trail can help you put a name to trees in the area. The 12-page chart contains a key to the leaves, twigs, fruits and seeds of the commonest broadleaved and coniferous trees in Britain and Ireland.

As autumn turns to winter and the leaves fall from the trees the guide to the identification of deciduous broad-leaved trees and shrub in winter is a useful tool to enable most beginners to identify many of the deciduous trees and shrubs that they encounter in winter. It includes over 70 species, which are common or familiar within Britain's major woodland habitats. If you would like to learn more about Trees the FSC have 18 courses running in 2008 ranging from Identifying Trees in Leaf to Woodland Management and Conservation for all levels of interest -though they are not all at Blencathra !

Tim Foster - Head of Blencathra Centre.

For more information you can email Tim Foster