Identifying pavement plants: botany for beginners

Schedule

Thu, 04 Jun, 2026 at 06:30 pm to Thu, 18 Jun, 2026 at 08:30 pm

UTC+01:00

Location

South London Botanical Institute | Croydon, EN

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The overall aim of this course is to support and empower you in a fun and collaborative way to learn how to identify urban wild flowers.
About this Event

Identifying pavement plants: botany for beginners Lead by: Amanda Tuke Thursdays, 6.30-8.30pm: June 4th, 11th and 18th


This course is suitable for beginners and developing botanists. Over three sessions you’ll focus on learning to identify urban wild plants which we can find growing in London. Each session includes outdoor work – looking at plants growing in the neighbourhood of the South London Botanical Institute. By the end of the course, you’ll:

  • Be able to use a hand lens to look at the details of plants
  • Know the essential terminology used to describe plants
  • Be able to explain how key aspects of the urban environment affect wild plants
  • Understand the basics of how plants are categorised
  • Know how to use a field guide and simple identification tools
  • Be able to name some common urban plants
  • Have started your own plant reference collection
  • Know how you could progress your botanical learning journey after the course

Sessions run on Thursdays 6.30-8.30pm on the 4th, 11th & 18th June.

Course requirements: no previous plant knowledge necessary. Participants will need to bring an A5-size hardback notebook (Oxford Black and Red ones work well). All other materials are provided.


About the course leader

Dr Amanda Tuke is a plant ecologist by training and a self-taught botanist, who teaches botany for beginners on behalf of the Field Studies Council and Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland as well as SLBI. Her particular interests are our fantastic urban wild plants and developing creative ways of helping people in the early stages of learning develop their plant identification skills and understanding of urban ecology. She is the author of ‘Wild Pavements – Exploring Britain’s Cities with an Urban Naturalist’.

Access The building is not wheelchair accessible, if you have any access needs, please contact [email protected]

Payment if you would like to pay in two installments please contact Megan [email protected] to discuss.

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Where is it happening?

South London Botanical Institute, 323 Norwood Road, Croydon, United Kingdom

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Tickets

GBP 65.00

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