Welcome, neophyte taxonomists

An adult Vallonia costata (only 2mm across). You'll discover things you didn't know existed. CC Nefronus.

  Heaps of people over the years have said to me this was their favourite assignment. I think it's because it gives you the opportunity to develop a genuine 'natural history' type skill - not only the sort of thing that will impress if you go for an ecological job, but also something you can get personal satisfaction from, when you start to recognise (and indeed, start to really See) the plants and animals around you. Maybe an interest in this sort of thing might have been behind you choosing an environmental course in the first place.

I always tell people to Begin Now - but it's really useful to take some time first to think what you might like to collect. If you find this difficult, think about what you might not want to do, and whittle away the options from the other end. Some people might have an existing interest, or a natural preference for animals or plants. (Not all animal-collecting necessitates death, by the way - you could choose snails and other molluscs and just collect empty shells). Some groups necessitate travel (don't choose seaweed if you can't easily get to the sea...) and most do benefit from visiting a range of habitats. But if you can't get far out of Bristol, some options are still very do-able.

Some nice maritime lichen I saw on the Cornwall field trip this year

Specimens of some groups are harder to find than others; some are seasonal (it's already too late really for grasses and Asteraceae). Some are easy enough to collect and preserve, but need more time to identify (like mosses, lichens and spiders). Some need identifying quickly before important features fade (like mushrooms) whereas others can be pored over at leisure (snails). Some need preserving quickly before they cause smells your housemates will complain about (seaweed). Don't waste your efforts - make sure you know the correct preservation technique for your group before you go out collecting!

If you like squinting down a microscope (and I do), then that's essential for some groups but not others. I enjoy the nerdy puzzle-solving of identifying a beetle from a key riddled with long words. I also enjoy looking at the amazing and unexpected detail of lichens, beetles, spiders, mosses (indeed anything) under the microscope.

Many ground beetles are still active over winter. Carabus violaceous CC by Monika Betley.

 Some groups (like beetles) have many many species in this country - and it's literally a lifetime's work to become an expert - but you can start with just a few. Other groups have a limited number of British options and you can soon feel like you're getting to grips with them, though you might find you have to go out of your way to get the less common specimens that will get you a distinguished mark (trees and ferns maybe).

I hope you'll feel motivated to discover more about the species you find, and go out of your way to find more than just the 'minimum required': I hope you enjoy learning something new, and get a good mark too. The 'useful overview' on the left explains the basic elements of the assignment, and you can pick through the list of options under it. The 'cloud' on the right has all my waffling thoughts (among which are helpful hints I hope). But please feel free to contact me - send me an email or drop by to OJ16.

Collecting marine molluscs

Don't forget your notebook. Image by William Strode.

 You've doubtless experience of finding shells on a beach. But bear in mind, that to score top marks, the quality of your specimens is very important. They have to clearly show all the characteristic features for identification (their presence will not only impress the markers, but also stop you tearing your own hair out). Ideally your bivalves should display both parts of their shell - which may have different shaped teeth and other features. Realistically, you might not end up exhibiting the two halves of an individual animal, but that's ok. Gastropods should also not be too worn, and retain their original shape at their tip and aperture (empty shells can get damaged as they roll about among stones on a beach). Patterns of colour can help identification sometimes, so a shell in good condition is important for observing those too.

The Nuculidae family has elaborate hinge teeth. CC image by Shellnut

You can certainly find empty shells that will be in sufficiently good condition, so direct involvement with Death is not necessary for this group. However, if you find you want to take live specimens, and kill and clean them, then that's up to you (and some shell enthusiasts think this is the way to go). People have been boiling and eating shellfish for a very long time, so boiling's probably the method to go for. (I think I must officially recommend against the gastronomic part of the process - it's not always obvious whether 'effluents' are entering the water where filter-feeders live, and you'd need to keep them super-fresh even if not - or horrible gastric effects tend to result).

I've been looking at the website of the Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland, and I notice they have some detailed tips about where to seek out molluscs on rocky shores. You can look beyond the more obvious spots in rockpools and on boulders - you'll find other species lurking in crevices, in amongst seaweeds, under rocks, or specialised to live in areas with sediment or places where the receding water moves quickly. But do remember the Seashore Code (as set out by Buglife here) - and replace rocks and weeds if you move them to look underneath.

image by 27707

The 'Conchsoc' also has some good ideas about equipment you might like to take on your expedition. It's a bit of long list, though (as for many other groups) the most important things to take are waterproof label-able boxes or bags, and your notebook. As collecting environments go, you probably need to consider possible dangers more seriously, and take responsibility for your own safety (think about appropriate footwear and clothing, the times and directions of the tides, and which are safe / unsafe places to be collecting). I speak as someone who once broke their hand falling over on a rocky shore. I sat there pathetically in my rock pool until a kind soul hauled me out. Don't let this happen to you.

Hokusai's 'Shell gathering'

You can read my general remarks on collecting - and bear in mind the principles in the Joint Committee for the Conservation of British Invertebrates' code of conduct. Take empty shells where possible, don't take more specimens than you need, and do as little damage to the habitat as you can. Only a few mollusc species are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. They're rare and so you're unlikely to come across them - but it doesn't hurt to be aware of which they are.

Realistically, if you're on a beach where other people are wandering about, it's unlikely anyone's going to challenge you or haul you off to court for picking up a few seashells. But, I feel I ought to offer you some legally inexpert advice on where you can go and what you can do, and why seeking permission is not a bad thing, so I've written a page about that.

 Read on for information about identifying your specimens.