Tour Itinerary and Reports
Plant ID with Chris Gibson - Wivenhoe Essex (Day Trip)
Tour Code: GBR333A day in coastal Essex designed as an introduction to the identification of wild plants using the new and innovative Wildguide.
£60 (land only)
Highlights
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Summary
Naturetrek leader Chris Gibson has recently published an innovative new field guide to the 700 most widespread wild plants of Britain and Ireland. This day tour is aimed as a practical introduction to using the book and how it works, using locally available flowers, according to the season. This book is described as a ’springboard to better botany’ and this day will be a step along that springboard for novices and improvers alike, dealing not just with ‘flowery’ plants but also the sometimes more tricky grasses and trees.
Finding plants to identify will involve short walks in the local woods, meadows and coastal habitats, when Chris will also share his extensive local knowledge, not just of botany but also birds, insects and all other aspects of local wildlife and conservation.
During the day we will have two or three seated sessions (probably outside) talking through the structure of the book and working through the new keys. In the event of inclement weather we will be able to retreat under cover, but this may include a local café or pub, so you may need some spending money! You will also need to buy and bring a copy of the book (available from good bookshops, direct from the publishers and Amazon etc). A hand-lens, often sold as a ‘jeweller’s loupe’, would also be an advantage. Be prepared to carry your lunch as the walks will take us some way from the car parking area.
- Take your first step on the springboard to better botany
- Enjoy a whistlestop tour of historic and natural-historic Wivenhoe
- Find flowers in coastal, woodland and wetland habitats – and identify them!
- Special wildlife highlights could include Firebug, Cave Spider, Cetti’s Warbler, Cuckoo, Jersey Cudweed and Four-leaved Allseed
Dates & Prices
2025
Array ( [167] => stdClass Object ( [id] => 167 [parent_id] => 165 [level] => 2 [path] => tour-focus/botanical-holidays [title] => Botany [alias] => botanical-holidays [description] =>Botanical Tours – See Wild Flowers with our Expert Botanical Guides
There are few more pleasing sights in the natural world than a meadow filled with wildflowers. Seeing plants in their native habitat is always exciting and our flower tours offer you an incredible choice, from dazzling tropical blooms and the thrill of finding elusive orchids or delicate alpines, to seeing island endemics or British flora. Our tours range from week-long holidays focusing on the ‘Alpine flowers of the Swiss Alps’, the ‘Italian Dolomites’ and the ‘Alpine Flowers of Slovenia’s Julian Alps’, to orchid-hunting on Italy’s Gargano Peninsula and searching for the Autumn Plants of Greece’s Peloponnese. We also visit more remote areas of the world in search of plant-life, from the Tien Shan Mountains of Kazakhstan where we look for wild tulips, to the rainforests and spiny deserts of Madagascar where over 80% of the flora is endemic.
Many of us want to know more about the plants we see around us. Whether inspired by an appreciation of the aesthetic appeal of flowers, or a more focused desire to identify individual species, everyone with an interest in botany will derive pleasure from joining one of Naturetrek’s flower tours.
Why choose Naturetrek’s botanical holidays?
- All our botanical holidays are led by expert botanist guides
- All levels of interest and expertise are catered for, from hobby gardeners and complete beginners to keen botanists who wish to explore a new area with the help of a knowledgeable leader
- We keep the overall focus on flora, though expert guidance is also given on other wildlife
What can I expect on a typical Naturetrek botanical holiday?
- Travel with a group of like-minded people
- Stay at a comfortable hotel or lodge, close to an area of outstanding botanical interest
- Enjoy a series of leisurely day excursions with ample time to appreciate the local flora
In addition to our dedicated flower tours, we also offer holidays with a wider theme to encompass birds, butterflies and other aspects of natural history as well as the flora. Our spring tours to 'Crete' and ‘The Island of Cyprus’ are both timed to allow us to enjoy the botanical highlights as well as the spring bird migration, whilst ‘Croatia and Slovenia – Spring in Istria’ also allows time to enjoy a little of the local culture. ‘Romania – the Wildlife of Transylvania’ combines an appreciation of the flora of the Carpathian Mountains with birding, butterflying and a trip to look for Brown Bears from a purpose built hide, and our holidays in both the ‘French Pyrenees’ and the ‘Spanish Pyrenees’ combine birds, butterflies and botany throughout the week.
Our specialist recommends...
David Tattersfield - Tour Leader
Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?
For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.
EnquireWhy Naturetrek?
At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
- The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
- Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
- Outstanding value and exceptional customer service
Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!