Everyone interested is very welcome to participate in this Aquatic Plant Project field day which will be led by Aquatic expert, Nick Stewart and Eamonn Delaney, County Recorder for East Mayo. 

Aim

The emphasis of this field meeting will be on learning how to identify aquatic plant species. We will explore Lough Urlaur. We will also record aquatic species.

Meeting Place

Park by Urlaur Abbey on the shore of Urlaur Lough.

National grid reference: M5086 8936. Or Latitude 53.851601, Longitude -8.7474735

Meeting Time

We'll start at 10.00. So please arrive promptly to avoid everyone having to wait for you. We'll aim to finish about 16.00 but the exact time will depend on weather and enthusiasm! 

What to bring

• Wellies are recommended, and waders if you already have them. If you have suitable footwear you will be able to be more involved with the collection of samples, and may be able to use a bathyscope (a bucket with a transparent bottom). However, if you do not have wellies or waders you will still be able to participate and examine specimens. 
• A grapnel, if you have one already; instructions on how to make a grapnel can be found here.
• Waterproofs and appropriate clothing for the day, possibly including sun or insect protection. 
• Packed lunch and drinks. 
• Plant identification materials - there will be some handouts available. Nick Stewart has produced three keys which are available in the Resources section on the Aquatic Plant Project page: Aquatic Plant Key to Leaf Form Groups, Key to Common Stoneworts and keys to aquatic genera including Potamogeton, Myriophyllum.
  
• x10 magnification handlens
• Notebook & pen

Biosecurity

It is very important that botanists working in freshwater environments do not spread invasive species or pathogens including crayfish plague. Please make sure your boots and any equipment are completely clean and dry before the field day. If we visit more than one site we will have disinfectant available; this is another reason why wellies are recommended as they are easier to clean than other shoes! Crayfish plague has been recorded in the catchment; for more information see this link. 

BSBI membership

If you are getting serious about plant identification then you would definitely enjoy and benefit from being a BSBI member. View the BSBI membership page to find out more.

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