General Questions.
Do I need any prior knowledge or experience?
No, the course is designed to be accessible to anyone, even without a prior background or knowledge in science. We aim to provide the foundations for each subject, allowing participants to understand the more in-depth knowledge and concepts. Even if you already have some knowledge, we hope that other topics will be new and interesting.
How much does the course cost and what does that cover?
The cost for our next course is under review and will be confirmed prior to accepting bookings. As a guide, the 2021 course cost £320 for the three-year membership. The fee covers attendance to all stage one learning sessions, course handbooks/materials, support from our team and, for those who choose to, progression through stages two and three to obtain their nature guide certificate. If you wish to apply for one of the British Naturalists' Association (BNA) grades, you will also have to register as a member of the BNA. Their membership fees can be found on their website https://bna-naturalists.org/membership/. As of 2023, for Ordinary Members, the yearly membership costs £20.
Our belief is that environmental education should be accessible to all so we endeavour to keep the price as low as possible. The Biodiversity and Environmental Education Society is a registered charity and is not run for profit. All of the money paid to enrol on the course is used to fund the course and run the charity.
Is there a trial period?
No. BEES is a non-profit so all fees are used from the start to cover the costs of running the course programme.
Do I need to be in Norfolk/Suffolk for all of the course?
No. In Stage 1, (Learn) you will need to be able to get to Norfolk or Suffolk (depending on which group you join) only for the practical sessions. This stage is approximately 18 months long. The associated theory sessions are online so you do not need to be local for those. For Stage 2 (Experience), we organise two practical leadership skills sessions in Norfolk or Suffolk (depending on which group you join). We also encourage volunteering at wildlife centres or nature reserves to gain experience. Volunteering is optional and can be done wherever and however works best for you. Finally, for Stage 3 (Lead), if your proposed guided walk location is not in Norfolk/Suffolk, then please discuss it with us so we can check the practicalities (mainly in terms of accessibility for the assessors).
Will the BEES qualification help me get an environmental/conservation job?
The primary aim of the course is to develop the knowledge and awareness of participants, so that they in turn can educate others to better understand and protect our natural environment. The course itself therefore is non-vocational, but we believe the BEES certification will have merit on your CV if you pursue a career in the environmental/conservation sector. Plus, with the BEES certification you can apply for a BNA membership grade, and a successful registration will entitle the member to use the appropriate post nominative initials.
How else can I get involved?
We're always happy to hear from people who’d like to get more involved with BEES.
Please visit our volunteer page for our current volunteer vacancies, or contact us directly at contact@beeanatureguide.org.uk.
When will the next course programme start?
As of July 2023, we are still running our course programme with our first cohort of participants in Norfolk and Suffolk. Our team is still very small and we need more help to secure the future of the charity before we can successfully support a second cohort of participants. To do so, we are looking for local volunteers to assist with the sessions and help us run the next course programme. As soon as we are ready, we will let all our followers and subscribers know when we will be in a position to take bookings and run the next course. We know how important it is to plan things and save dates in the calendar, and we are doing the best we can to ensure the course programme can run again soon.
Sessions Questions.
How long are the sessions and how often are they?
We aim to run a session approximately every 2 weeks. Most topics have 2 sessions - a 3-4 hour practical session (often as a guided walk) and a 2-3 hour theory session. The practical session is usually on a Saturday and the theory sessions tend to be on Sunday evenings or Monday evenings and held online using our online learning platform.
Stage 1, (Learn) is approximately 18 months long, combining outdoor practical sessions and associated theory sessions, which are held online so you do not need to be local for those.
For Stage 2 (Experience), we organise two days of practical leadership skills sessions in Norfolk or Suffolk (depending on which group you join). Online quizzes are also available for you to complete and test your knowledge.
For Stage 3 (Lead), we expect the work to take approximately 20 days over a year depending on your time and motivation. This covers planning, preparing your written guide, and leading your guided walk.
What if I can't attend a session?
If you have to miss a session, please let us know in writing (by email) as soon as possible, so that we know not to expect you and the teacher can plan for the number of students. Missing a couple of sessions should be fine, but you will need to make sure you catch up on the missing content at a later date.
If you are unable to attend a practical session, you can attend the session in the following course. If you wish to do this, you must notify us in writing (by email), so we can manage the group size in that course.
If you are unable to attend a theory session, you can watch the recording afterwards. However we do encourage everyone to attend the live session if possible, so they can ask questions and discuss the topic with the teacher and other participants.
Do I need to cover all the topics?
Yes! We believe all of the content is inter-related, so all topics must be attended and examined in order to get certified.
I already have a First Aid Certificate, do I still need to attend the BEES first aid session?
If you want to lead guided walks under BEES and under our public liability insurance after the end of the BEE a Nature Guide course programme, we will have to make sure you have a valid First Aid certificate that is adapted for the outdoors. So, even if you have recently had a First Aid training (Emergency at work for instance), we would highly recommend attending our First Aid training adapted for the outdoors. It is a three-hour course provided by a regulated first aid provider, and the first aid certificate will be valid for three years. In a similar way as for the other courses, you can attend the next session next time we run it, if you can’t make it the first year.
If you are not planning on leading walks under BEES and don’t want to attend our BEES First Aid course because you can show that you have recently had a First Aid training, then that shouldn’t prevent you from completing the BEE a Nature Guide course programme. But you will need to show your certificate or obtain a First Aid training adapted for the outdoors as soon as you’re planning on leading walks under BEES and under our public liability insurance.
What do I need for the practical sessions?
We aim to provide all of the equipment you need, such as magnifying glasses and binoculars, so you should not need to buy any new equipment (though you're also welcome to bring your own if you prefer).
However, you will be spending several hours outdoors in nature, so please make sure you have:
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sensible clothing and footwear for spending several hours outdoor in nature, including wet and cold weather gear, sun cream etc.
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drinks and food
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any personal medications or emergency requirements such as an epipen or insulin (these must be brought along at all times)
Do I need a car to get to the practical sessions?
We encourage the use of public transport and/or bicycles. However, a number of our sites may be remote and not have convenient public transport access. We help facilitate car-sharing between participants and ourselves and so students have been able to attend the course without car ownership.
Where do the practical sessions take place?
We run the course programme in both Norfolk and Suffolk. Both of our groups have sessions which take place in a variety of venues. Often, these venues are chosen specifically to meet the needs of the specific topics covered or the expert teaching them. For example, our Ornithology practical session took place at Cley Marshes for the Norfolk group because of its lovely facilities and well-known bird habitats. For similar reasons, the Suffolk Ornithology practical was held at Lackford Lakes. Our participants are always notified of the venues as soon as they are confirmed so that everyone has plenty of time to plan their transportation.
Examples of sites visited in Norfolk: Strumpshaw Fen RSPB, Cley Marshes NWT, Blickling Hall NT, Foxley Wood NWT, Mousehold Heath, or Broadland Country Park.
Examples of sites visited in Suffolk: Lackford Lakes SWT, Knettishall Heath SWT, Bradfield Woods SWT, Thelnetham LOHP.
How do the online sessions work?
The online sessions are live meetings, to allow discussion between the teacher and participants. The sessions are also recorded and the recordings are available on our learning platform afterwards.
Will the theory sessions stay online?
Due to Covid, we ran the theory sessions online, which had both advantages and disadvantages. For the moment we will continue with online sessions but are reconsidering this regularly based on feedback from participants and teachers. We will give everyone plenty of notice if we change to doing the theory sessions in person.
Exams Questions.
What's the format of the theory tests?
Once you have completed all of the formal training sessions, we provide online multiple-choice quizzes covering all of the subjects. The quizzes are available for several months and each quiz can be attempted multiple times. The test have two purposes:
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Firstly, all quizzes must be passed before you can lead your Dream Route Walk as part of your assessment. You do not need to get a perfect score on each quiz.
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More importantly, the quizzes let you check how much you have learned, and give you some inspiration for knowledge you can use on your guided walk.
What's the format of the practical assessment?
The main assessment is your Dream Route Guide and Dream Route Walk, which can be done individually or as a pair with another student. A Dream Route is a walking-distance route you love and enjoy for its beauty, for its marvellous landscapes, for the wildlife it attracts, simply because it is near where you live, or because it was part of your childhood and rich in stories you would like to tell. It has something that makes you feel happy and you would like to share it.
The practical assessment consists of:
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Creating a short Dream Route Plan, which outlines the route, its highlights and a simple assessment of accessibility and risks for anyone doing the walk
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Producing a Dream Route Guide, pulling together relevant information from the course to give a more detailed description of your route’s features
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Leading a Dream Route Walk along your chosen route, demonstrating how you can share your enthusiasm and knowledge with others. This final Walk can be with members of the general public or just with friends and family, plus the assessors.
There will be plenty of time to prepare your own walk, and to practice guiding in a friendly environment with other students. Overall, we expect the work to take approximately 20 days over a year depending on your time and motivation. This covers planning, preparing the guide, and leading the walk.
The purpose of your Dream Route Guide and Walk is multiple:
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First to show that you have acquired the necessary knowledge and skills to lead a well prepared guided walk to members of the public making sure they will enjoy the walk and learn something new about the chosen area
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It will also help you in your nature guide journey by compiling and putting down your research and documentation in your Dream Route Guide, a written document of your own to use and re-use for leading your future walks
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It will also help future nature guides learn about other parts of their county and/or country and prepare their own (future) guided walks. A copy of your Guide will be accessible to BEES members, helping build a library of British guided nature walks
The final assessment will be made by BEES partnering with the British Naturalists' Association (BNA) .