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The Open University

Neighbourhood nature

The Open University via OpenLearn

Overview

There is a fascinating world of nature all around us which we can see if we know how to look for it. Wherever you live, be it in a city or the countryside, you will find areas that support a range of wildlife. This free course, Neighbourhood nature, will provide you with basic scientific and observational skills so that you can go into your local neighbourhood to discover the animals and plants in open spaces. You will learn how to observe, identify and record the wildlife around you, building up a picture of a small part of your local environment.

Syllabus

  • Introduction
  • Learning outcomes
  • 1 Woodland
  • 1 Woodland
  • 1.1 Woodland structure
  • 1.2 Woodland species
  • 1.3 Woodland history
  • 1.4 Ancient woodland
  • 1.5 Woodland management
  • 1.6 Summary
  • 2 Ancient trees
  • 2 Ancient trees
  • 2.1 Characteristics of ancient trees
  • 2.2 The importance of ancient trees for specialist insects and fungi
  • 2.3 Summary
  • Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements

Reviews

4.2 rating at OpenLearn based on 48 ratings

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