Welcome, taxonomic neophytes of 2016/17

Probably a metaphor for your developing taxonomic skills. CC image by Craig Pemberton.

I'd like to think this website proved quite useful to many people preparing their taxonomic collection last year. It's a quick source of advice about all sort of things pertinent to collecting, preserving and identifying your specimens. The environmental technicians are a bit fraught at the moment because we are short-staffed. But this is my favourite unit to help with, so please do still feel you can ask for help (send me an email or drop by). After all, I will soon be in receipt of a freshly-minted MSc in Biological Recording - the very qualification that would make me the ideal candidate to help you.

My main advice is to start early. Then you've got plenty of time to find specimens and learn how to identify them. You've got months and months to do this assignment (with not much else to hand in for a while) - so make the most of it and you'll get a really good mark. You might even get hooked on something you didn't even realise you had an interest in. My favourite type of id-ing involves squinting down a microscope. It can be very good stress-relief to think so closely about something different (plus you get a little endorphin buzz when you solve the puzzle). I was pleased when chatting with one of this year's third-years to hear she wants to base her research project on spiders, having been inspired by such work for her collection. Perhaps this will be you.

Currently OJ17 is a bit untidy, as we have field trips going in and out. But soon it will be clearer. And then you can come and study there whenever you like - I even have hope of running little introductory identification sessions (though everything seems a bit busy for the next few weeks).

Have a read of the overview post and different groups on the left and see what grabs you.

I have some thoughts about the successes and not-so-successes of last year's collections here.