Late Season Grass Identification 2020

Late Season grass identification  - Old Sarum, Salisbury

• confidence in identifying key grasses of neutral and unimproved calcareous grassland for late season surveys


• a knowledge of using grass indicator species


• a chance to learn memorable features allowing easy grass identification

Nearly every species of grass, rush and sedge has at least one key feature which can be used to pinpoint them to genus and species level. This course aims to teach people to spot and memorise these characters for the majority of common species and some of the more specialised species found on unimproved grasslands. 

This course will focus on how to identify grasses in the early autumn when many have already gone over, and several have lost their inflorescences all together. We will look at both vegetative features and dehisced floral characteristic features. We will also look at areas that have already been cut and grazed and the challenges of identifying grasses in these habitats.

The course will cover roughly 25 species of grass, including most of the commonly encountered species, as well as those associated with species-rich grassland.

Tutor: Dominic Price

About the tutor:

Dominic Price is a highly regarded botanical tutor and has been running courses for all levels of ecologists since 2007. He is director of The Species Recovery Trust and specialises in the conservation of endangered species. He is the author of A Field Guide to Grasses, Sedges and Rushes and co-author of The Photographic Guide to Winter Trees and Shrubs. 

What to bring

• Notebook/clipboard


• Water, lunch and snacks


• Hand lens (there will be some to purchase on the day)


• £3 for parking at Old Sarum

The recommended text for the course is 'A Field Guide to Grasses, Sedges and Rushes' by Dominic Price, available to purchase on the day, or in advance here. 

Please visit our training resources page before the course to download a species list for the day, and take the Buzzfeed grasses quiz.

Extra Info

Old Sarum can be extremely exposed to the weather and there are no indoor facilities beyond the loos. Any problems on the day please call Dominic Price on (07968) 786390. There is a small kiosk selling hot drinks and ice creams which we shall visit mid-afternoon. Please note, parking costs £3 (cash).

Please inform us of any relevant medical requirements/conditions we should be aware of prior to the course. 

Lifts available from the station on request

Feedback from previous courses

‘I really enjoyed the course and found it much more useful than courses I have attended recently’

‘Just wanted to say thank you for such an enjoyable and interesting day.  Dominic is always such an excellent and relaxed tutor, who can even make learning grasses so enjoyable.’

‘Dominic is a brilliant teacher, it's the quirks one remembers well, not keys.’

'Relaxed atmosphere, so it didn't feel as though you were under pressure to get things right '