Field Entomology Courses in Suffolk

Practical Insect Identification • Field Survey Skills • Real Natural History Training

Something new is emerging at NOMAD Outdoor Learning.

For more than 21 years, NOMAD has worked at the edge where land, sea, weather, tide and wildlife meet. Now we are expanding that fieldcraft into one of the most important, overlooked and under-studied parts of the natural world:

Insects and invertebrates.

Our new Field Entomology programme is built for people who want more than casual “bug hunting”. This is practical, structured, skills-based training for beginners, amateur naturalists, outdoor professionals, citizen scientists and anyone serious about learning how to observe, collect, identify and record insects properly.

NOMAD Outdoor Learning has launched a complete bookable pathway of:

• Field entomology courses

• Insect identification workshops

• Practical survey and collection training

• Microscopy and specimen preparation sessions

• Digital learning resources

• The NOMAD Entomology Club

• Seasonal field events across terrestrial, freshwater and coastal habitats

This is your route from curiosity to competence.

Register your interest, join the mailing list, and be first to access our 2026 course dates and Entomology Club launch.

Why Entomology Matters Now

Insects are not optional. They pollinate crops, recycle nutrients, break down dead organic matter, support soil fertility, regulate pests, feed birds, bats, fish and amphibians, and hold together many of the natural systems we depend on.

But insect populations are under pressure.

A major 2017 study by Hallmann et al., published in PLOS ONE, reported a 76% seasonal decline in flying insect biomass over 27 years in protected areas in Germany. This matters because biomass is not just “number of species”. It is the living weight of insects in the landscape. When that living mass disappears, food webs weaken.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reports that pollinators affect 35% of global crop production and help produce 87 of the world’s leading food crops. IPBES estimates the annual global value of pollination services at $235 billion to $577 billion.

The UK Parliament’s 2024 report on insect decline and food security states that insects provide vital goods and services, including pollination, pest and weed regulation, decomposition, nutrient cycling, and food for wildlife.

Put simply: No insects. No stable ecosystems. No secure food system. No healthy countryside.

Nobody can give a neat date for “total insect collapse”, and serious science should not pretend otherwise. But the direction of travel is clear. If insect populations continue to collapse, we should expect weaker pollination, poorer soils, fewer birds and bats, less natural pest control, greater dependence on chemicals, and more pressure on food production.

That is not alarmism. That is ecological cause and effect.

The Problem: We Are Losing Insects Faster Than We Can Understand Them

Here is the uncomfortable truth. We do not have enough trained observers. We do not have enough taxonomic expertise. We do not have enough reliable long-term data.

The UK Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology has reported that there may be around 5.5 million insect species globally, with only about 1 million described. It also notes that the conservation status of less than 1% of described invertebrates is known.

That means we are losing organisms before many people can even recognise them.

At the same time, much applied insect science is commercially focused on managing insects as pests. Agrochemical companies employ entomological expertise to test crop protection products. Major agricultural brands sell insecticides to control target species. Some pest management work is necessary, especially where food security and public health are involved. But if our main relationship with insects is control, suppression and chemical intervention, we are missing the bigger picture.

The majority of insects are not enemies. They are workers in the living systems that keep soil fertile, crops productive, water cleaner, and wildlife alive.

That is why field entomology matters.

And that is why trained amateur naturalists, citizen scientists and biological recorders are not a hobbyist sideshow. They are part of the evidence-gathering workforce we urgently need.

This Is Where You Come In

You do not need a biology degree to begin. You do need discipline, curiosity, patience and respect for the organisms you study.

Our courses are designed to help you move from: “I found something, but I don’t know what it is”

to:

“I can observe it, collect it ethically where appropriate, examine it properly, identify it honestly, record it accurately, and understand why it matters.”

That is the journey.

TRY → LEARN → PROCESS → BUILD

You try field methods.
You learn correct technique.
You process specimens and records properly.
You build real natural history competence over time.

What Our Field Entomology Courses Teach

Our programme focuses on practical skills, correct terminology and field confidence.

You will learn how to:

• Observe insects and invertebrates properly in the field

• Use hand lenses, sweep nets, beating trays, pooters and white trays

• Understand when collection is appropriate and when observation is enough

• Collect ethically, legally and with minimal impact

• Record habitat, date, location, grid reference and environmental context

• Preserve specimens correctly where required

• Prepare and label material for later study

• Use a stereo microscope with confidence

• Understand basic insect anatomy and diagnostic features

• Work with identification keys

• Identify insects to Order and, where realistic, Family level

• Recognise when species-level identification is possible

• Recognise when specialist confirmation is needed

• Submit useful records and understand conservation relevance

We don't teach guesswork. We teach reliable and consistent method.

Course Content

1. Choosing and Using Entomology Equipment

You will learn what equipment is essential, what is optional, and what beginners often waste money on.

We will cover:

• 10x and 20x hand lenses

• Sweep nets

• Beating trays

• Pooters and aspirators

• White trays for aquatic sorting

• Forceps, soft brushes and micro-spatulas

• Collection tubes

• Ethanol preservation

• Storage boxes and unit trays

• Entry-level stereo microscopes

• Lighting and microscope setup

The aim is simple: buy the right kit, use it properly, and avoid unnecessary expense.

2. Ethical Field Collection and Survey Techniques

Responsible fieldwork is central to the NOMAD approach.

You will practise:

• Sweep netting in grassland and scrub

• Beating shrubs and low branches

• Leaf litter searching

• Turning stones responsibly

• Freshwater kick sampling

• Sorting aquatic macroinvertebrates

• Habitat stratification

• Microhabitat targeting

• Non-destructive observation

• Basic protected species awareness

• Recording field context properly

The goal is not to take more specimens.

The goal is to gather better information.

3. Specimen Handling, Preservation and Labelling

Accurate identification often depends on careful handling.

You will learn:

• Temporary field storage

• Ethanol preservation principles

• Dry preservation basics

• Relaxing specimens where appropriate

• Labelling standards

• Date, location, grid reference, habitat and collector data

• Traceability and data integrity

A badly labelled specimen is almost useless.

A well-labelled specimen can remain scientifically valuable for decades.

4. Introduction to Microscopy

Microscopy changes everything.

Many insects cannot be identified confidently by eye or photograph alone. Under a stereo microscope, you begin to see the structures that matter.

You will learn:

• How to set up a stereo microscope

• How to use reflected and transmitted light

• How to manipulate small specimens safely

• How to recognise diagnostic features

• How to use magnification properly

• How to work with keys

• How to avoid common beginner errors

Confidence under the microscope is a major step from curiosity to competence.

5. Pinning, Mounting and Reference Collections

For those who want to build a serious reference collection, we will introduce museum-standard principles at an appropriate beginner level.

Topics include:

• Direct pinning

• Card pointing

• Micro-pinning

• Lepidoptera setting boards

• Label placement

• Storage systems

• Pest prevention

• Collection ethics

This is not about collecting for the sake of collecting.

It is about building reference material that supports identification, learning and recording.

6. Identification Pathways

You will learn how to think like a field naturalist, not like someone scrolling through random online images.

We will teach you to:

• Identify major insect Orders confidently

• Recognise important Families

• Use dichotomous keys

• Understand basic insect anatomy

• Avoid false certainty

• Know when to stop at Family or Genus

• Know when expert verification is required

Good entomology requires intellectual honesty. A careful “Family-level identification” is better than a careless species name.

7. Biological Recording and Conservation Context

Your observations matter only if they are recorded properly.

We will introduce:

• Biological recording principles

• Grid references and mapping

• Habitat association

• Abundance and occurrence

• Recording schemes

• Local recording groups

• Citizen science platforms

• Conservation use of records

• Why under-recorded groups matter

The countryside does not need more vague interest.

It needs better data.

The Habitats We Cover

Our courses will use a range of Suffolk and coastal habitats, including:

• Grassland and meadow systems

• Woodland edges

• Hedgerows and scrub

• Wetland margins

• Streams and ponds

• Freshwater macroinvertebrate habitats

• Salt marsh and estuarine transition zones

• Coastal strandline habitats above the high-water mark

This reflects NOMAD’s heritage: practical outdoor learning in real environments.

Not classroom theory alone.

Who These Courses Are For

Our Field Entomology courses are designed for:

• Complete beginners with serious curiosity

• Amateur naturalists wanting structure

• Citizen scientists and biological recorders

• Outdoor instructors and educators

• Sea kayakers interested in coastal biodiversity

• Conservation volunteers

• Teachers and outdoor learning providers

• Wildlife photographers who want stronger ID skills

• Anyone tired of guessing from poor internet advice

No prior experience is required. But you must bring attention to detail, patience and respect for the living world.

The NOMAD Entomology Skills Pathway

Launching in summer 2026, the pathway includes:

• 1-day introductory field entomology workshops

• 2–3 day immersive field and lab courses

• Microscopy and identification sessions

• Freshwater invertebrate workshops

• Coastal invertebrate and strandline events

• Beetle, fly, aquatic insect and other taxonomic workshops

• Digital field guides and downloadable resources

• Equipment buying guides

• Identification flowcharts

• Recorded teaching modules

• The NOMAD Entomology Club

The club provides ongoing learning, seasonal field sessions, shared study, practical challenges, and a route for beginners to keep developing after their first course. This matters because one course can start the process.

A learning community maintains your momentum and provides ongoing support. 

Why Learn With NOMAD Outdoor Learning?

NOMAD has spent more than two decades teaching practical outdoor skills in real conditions. We understand fieldcraft. We understand weather, terrain, risk, preparation, observation and disciplined learning.

Now we are applying that same practical teaching approach to entomology. This is not academic gatekeeping. It is not vague nature appreciation.

It is structured, practical, ethical natural history training for people who want to become useful observers of the living world.

The Outcome

By joining our Field Entomology programme, you will begin building the skills to:

• Find insects and invertebrates in the right places

• Use proper field survey equipment

• Collect ethically where appropriate

• Handle and preserve specimens correctly

• Use a stereo microscope

• Understand identification keys

• Record useful biological data

• Recognise your limits

• Contribute better observations to conservation knowledge

• Grow into a more confident naturalist

You will stop guessing.

You will start working methodically.

Join the Launch List

Our first Field Entomology courses begin in summer 2026.

Spaces will be limited because the training is practical, hands-on and field-based.

Register your interest now to receive:

• First access to 2026 course dates

• Early notice of new entomology workshops

• Updates on the NOMAD Entomology Club

• Equipment guidance

• Digital learning resources

• Seasonal field event announcements

If you care about insects, biodiversity, conservation and proper natural history, this is your starting point.

Register your interest today. Join the NOMAD Outdoor Learning mailing list. Be first in line for the 2026 Field Entomology course launch.

Botanical Skills for Entomologists

Understanding the Insect–Plant Connection

Many insects depend on specific plants for food, shelter, breeding sites, and protection. 

Recording the plant associated with an insect is often just as important as identifying the insect itself.

As part of our field courses, we introduce a simple and practical approach to botanical recording that supports accurate insect identification, ecological understanding, and specimen curation.

This is not a botany course. Instead, it provides the essential plant-recording skills every field entomologist should possess.

1. Identifying the Plant

When an insect is found, the first step is to identify the plant it is associated with.

Using modern smartphone identification apps, students learn how to:

• Record the plant on which an insect is found

• Verify plant identifications in the field

• Recognise the importance of host plant associations

• Build a more complete ecological record

Understanding the relationship between insects and plants often provides valuable clues about an insect's identity, behaviour, and habitat requirements.

2. Taking a Plant Sample Responsibly

Where appropriate and permitted, students learn how to collect a small plant sample safely and responsibly.

This includes:

• Selecting suitable material for later examination

• Avoiding unnecessary damage to plants and habitats

• Understanding legal and ethical considerations

• Following good field practice at all times

Minimal-impact sampling is a key principle of professional biological recording.

3. Transporting Samples for Later Study

Plant material can deteriorate quickly if handled incorrectly.

Students learn simple methods for:

• Protecting samples during transport

• Preventing damage or contamination

• Keeping specimens organised

• Preparing material for later bench-based examination

Good handling ensures that valuable information is not lost before the sample reaches the laboratory or workspace.

4. Recording and Curating Field Data

A specimen without data has very limited scientific value.

Students learn how to create clear field records that link plant samples directly to insect specimens, including:

• Date and location

• Habitat information

• Plant identification

• Collector details

• Associated insect records

These notes create a permanent connection between the insect, the plant, and the habitat in which they were found.

A More Complete Understanding of Nature

By recording both insects and the plants they depend upon, students develop a deeper understanding of ecology and species interactions.

Rather than simply identifying insects, you will learn how to document the relationships that shape their lives and the habitats they occupy.

This integrated approach is a fundamental part of modern field entomology and ecological recording.

High-quality, hands-on Entomology Training that combines structured field collection, laboratory microscopy, specimen preparation and conservation context is surprisingly rare in the UK. NOMAD Outdoor Learning fills this gap — delivering rigorous, practical natural history training for people who want to do things properly, ethically and confidently.

If you are serious about developing real competence — not just interest — now is the time to act. Register for our ‘Event Update’ emails and be first to hear of Discounts and Offers, and when new digital resources go live.

Places will be limited. Standards are high. The opportunity to build genuine field skills like this does not come often.

Join us. Stay informed. Be ready.

The next chapter of your natural history journey starts here.