Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC)

Delivered in partnership with the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI), it involves a test that assesses your botanical proficiency on a scale from 1 (beginner) to 5 (professional), with a level 6 awarded in exceptional cases. With no pass or fail, the FISC is open to everyone, regardless of skill level.

The FISC is conducted over a day and consists of two lab sessions and a field survey. The lab sessions comprise identifying 30 fresh specimens from across Britain and Ireland and the field survey involves spending a couple of hours building a species list on an interesting local site. Your identifications are then compared to a list generated by a Gold Standard Surveyor to determine your skill level.

The lab sessions will be held in the morning at Risley Moss Local Nature Reserve Visitor Centre and the field session will be in the afternoon, with a break in the middle for lunch and to allow travel to the field site, which will be within an hour’s drive. Due to limited parking at the field site, car sharing will be encouraged and group transport may be provided.

You can usually expect to receive an email with your provisional result within 8 weeks of taking the FISC. BSBI undertakes quality assurance checks on all FISC provisional results at the end of the season (October-November) and certificates with final results are sent out in December. Provisional results may be moderated and revised during the QA process to ensure all results meet consistent standards.

What to bring

• A hand lens;
• ID books – Stace: New Flora of the British Isles plus a good picture guide such as Rose: The Wild Flower Key is an appropriate combination. Poland: The Vegetative Key to the British Flora can also be a useful resource for plants not in flower;
• Appropriate outdoor gear including boots/wellies;
• A clipboard/ weather writer;
• A packed lunch and a drink;
• A watch to keep track of your time; phones and other electronic devices will not be permitted during the tests.

Important information

• Please arrive for a 10am start.
• Parking is available in the Risley Moss Local Nature Reserve Visitor Centre car park, with additional parking at Birchwood Forest Park, approximately 200m away.
• Tea and coffee (and biscuits) will be provided, however please bring your own lunch and drinks for the field session.
• For more information about what to expect on the day, please see the BSBI FISC Information Booklet here. This contains the answers to most FISC–related questions, however feel free to contact Lynsey lcrellin@environmentbank.com if you have a specific question about the arrangements for the day. Further information will also be sent out via email nearer the date.