This weekend is going to be all about grasses, or graminoids, a divergence from my mainly animal interests, but my curiosity was piqued a few months ago at the Field Studies Council’s centre at Flatford Mill in Essex.
In glorious Constable Country, I was on a Phase 1 Habitat Surveys course learning how to map the landscape in terms of areas of biological significance such as describing out hedges, ponds and meadows.

Tutor Jonny Stone was bursting with enthusiasm as he showed us what various plant species can tell us about the environment we are in. He was taught by living legend botanist David Bellamy.

Uprooting a stalk of Yorkshire Fog grass, Jonny described it as “wearing its stripy pyjamas” as he pointed out the reddish/pink veins running down its stalk.

I never realised grasses were such colourful characters, and from then on I was hooked as he introduced me to Cocksfoot, resembling, well, a cock’s foot and rye grass “with ears, dipped in red paint and then varnish”.

So I was eager to learn more, but so were many others and the course was full.

Luckily, a place became available so after a light introduction on Friday night will we literally be in the field on Saturday and Sunday.

As grasses are so important for wildlife and in world economics in food, drink and grazing for livestock, I think it is going to be fascinating to find out more about them and what I can learn from them.

And with any luck my classmates will be a dedicated but affable bunch, as usual, and I might even make some more friends.