New courses on Blowfly ID and ecology

Pinned Lucilia richardsi female - by Steven Falk

Calliphora vomitoria female - by Steven FalkTomorrow's Biodiversity is delighted to announce a collaboration with Steven Falk on a new course introducing Blowfly (Calliphoridae) identification and ecology. In September 2016 Steven will be running two one-day workshops: one at FSC's new Bishop's Wood Centre in Worcestershire on Friday September 9th; and one at FSC Juniper Hall in Surrey on Saturday September 10th. To book a place on follow the links below:

This is a course suited to amateur naturalists who would like to increase their recording portfolio, forensic entomologists requiring training on identifying adults, and vets involved with sheep-strike analysis. Steven will introduce you to all of Britain's blowflies and show you how to identify them either using external morphology or dissection of the genitalia Steven Falk in action - photographer unknown(surprisingly easy). If the weather is good, we will also attempt to collect living blowflies and learn which species can be identified reliably in the field. 

Steven Falk is one of this country's foremost entomologists. His philosophy is to keep things visual, engaging and (where possible) accessible to all, no matter how technical or scientific. Recently he wrote the first ever proper guide to British bees (Field Guide to the Bees of Great Britain & Ireland, Bloomsbury 2015) to widespread acclaim. His photography is featured in many popular natural history books and nature conservation publications. In 2012 he was awarded the prestigious Royal Entomological Society/Marsh Award for Insect Conservation.

At £70 for the day, with one of the country's leading experts, the course presents an unvrivalled entry point into one of our most neglected yet fascinating invertebrate groups.

The course features a new draft of one of Steven's latest ventures - a key to British Blowflies and Woodlouse Flies (front cover illustrated below) - which he hopes will help to popularise these neglected but fascinating and beautiful insects. 

Steve Falk's draft key