Beginner Fieldwork Equipment

Equipment to consider

When starting out with getting experience in the field and learning how to identify the wildlife around you, it can seem daunting! Fieldwork can require a huge amount of specialist equipment depending on the taxonomic group and the research you are conducting, however when you’re just starting out you don’t need nearly as much. We’ve put together a guide to some equipment the Opwall team would recommend for different purposes to give you a head start into developing your love for the environment!

Outdoor clothing – First it’s important to make sure you have the appropriate clothing for the weather and the environment you are exploring. You’ll never learn to love boggy grasslands if you head out in sandals! Our top tip would be to first make sure you have good footwear. Wellies are great for keeping your feet dry so if it’s raining or if you will be adventuring around water then wellies are the way to go. Otherwise consider hiking boots. These are great for when you are wandering longer distances, and they have ankle support which is ideal when the ground is uneven.

It is important to also consider the rest of your clothing. If it is hot it is easy to go for shorts and t-shirt, however it can be better to wear long sleeves and trousers to keep yourself protected from the sun (and insects!). If it is sunny you’ll want to wear a hat too, as it’s easy to get distracted when looking for wildlife and the sun can catch you out. On the other end of the scale, one piece of outdoor clothing that I use most often is my raincoat. A good jacket can make or break a day of fieldwork and it’s important to reproof it if it’s starting to leak. Likewise, Bernie recommends waterproof trousers too for those extra rainy days!

Photo by Fran Anderson

Pen and notepad – Rodrigo recommends taking a small notepad and a pen or pencil with you when out looking for wildlife. This way you can keep a record of things you see or hear while you are out and you can then learn to identify them next time! Often ID guides are heavy so you may want to take notes and a quick drawing so you can identify things when you get home.

Binoculars – these are a daunting bit of kit to look at getting but can really help with spotting wildlife without having to sneak right up next to things! You don’t need a fancy pair with super magnification, but definitely have a look online to get the right ones for you. When looking at binoculars they will generally be described as something like 8 x 32 or 10 x 42. The first number is the magnification. This is essentially how much they are zoomed in. 10 will magnify the image more than 8, however they may be more difficult to hold steady. The second number in the description signifies the objective lens, which tells you how bright the image is. Generally this also links to how heavy the binoculars are too. It is important to try binoculars out first, which you can often do in the visitor centres of nature reserves. Then you can also get a feel for the prices and different brands, and you can have a look online later. Second-hand binoculars can be a really good option, just bear in mind that often new ones come with a warranty. For young people living in the UK there is an excellent Equipment Donation scheme run by the BTO (British Trust of Ornithology) where you can be given binoculars for free, which is incredible for enabling wider access to the field.

Photo by Callum Evans

Hand lens – one of the most accessible areas of ecology to start with is plants, as they can’t run away! There is an incredible diversity of plant species, and it’s only once you start looking in detail at them that you notice. It’s a good idea to find a plant ID guide, and maybe an app or two (more info below) but also a hand lens. If you’ve not heard of these before, hand lenses are small magnifying glasses that usually fold out and you can keep them easily in your pocket or round your neck. These allow you to see tiny details on the plants to help you identify them, such as hairs or veins in leaves. You have to hold the lens close to your eye as well as the object you are looking at, and it helps you focus clearly on the tiny details that separate the plant from other species.

Sweep net – insects are another field that is easily accessible, however vastly understudied. Any interest or experience you develop with identifying insects will be invaluable to you in this field. Helen is Opwall’s resident entomologist and has suggested that you look at getting a sweep net, along with a pooter and some sample pots. Sweep nets enable you to catch insects and are a relatively inexpensive bit of kit. Pooters or sample pots can be used for catching insects out of your net or off of plants too, and mean you can look at individuals in much more detail. ID guides and apps can help you to identify species, though often they can be incredibly difficult to determine. If you are looking for a group of insects to start with then generally moths can be an easy one, as you can make your own moth trap using a big light and a white sheet and ID guides are generally more comprehensive.

Photo by Andy Milne

Headtorch – Pippa suggests getting yourself a good headtorch so you can continue surveying even after the sun sets! Headtorches are essential for anyone wanting to go out looking for bats (consider a bat detector too so you can learn to identify them by their different calls), and in many tropical countries, night is a great time to look for reptiles and amphibians. Headtorches can come in various strengths and for different prices, and can also have rechargeable batteries, so consider all this before buying. One important aspect to check before you buy would be for a red-light setting. These still allow you to see, but aren’t as bright as a normal white light so tend to scare fewer things away! Another benefit of this setting is that night-flying insects won’t fly into your face as often!

Camera – a camera is by no means an essential bit of equipment, however for some people it is a great way to gain access to wildlife. Science communication is really important and photography is an excellent method of conveying information about wildlife and threats facing our ecosystems. Another great way into photography without buying a camera is to consider macro lenses. You can attach these to your phone’s camera and can help you to zoom in and focus on much smaller objects.

Camera trap – this is also not necessarily a starter bit of equipment, however setting a camera trap in your garden can be a great way to see more elusive animals. At our field sites we often use camera traps to monitor rarer mammals and large bird species that would run away if we came near.

Dive mask – if you are interested in getting into marine biology then you may be aware already that a lot of the equipment involved can be expensive. Lots of divers may rent equipment instead of buying it, however it can be a great idea to consider getting your own mask and fins to make sure they fit you well. Here you can read Emma’s guide on how to choose your own diving and snorkelling gear. If you are set on diving then you may also want to think about getting a dive computer, which provides real-time information about your dive and helps you to track your dives too. This is not entry-level equipment, however if you have fallen in love with the underwater world it could be worth considering.

Photo by Peter Herbst

Resources

As well as equipment there are also some great resources you can use to develop your experience and skills in the field.

Apps – apps can be an incredibly valuable tool for identifying wildlife. For birds, Merlin Bird ID is great as it gives you real-time suggestions on what bird is making a call or singing. BirdNET is another great app for bird calls which also gives you a confidence score. For insects and plants there are an ever-growing number of apps you can use. Some may use an algorithm to suggest a species ID to you, while others rely on people. iNaturalist uses a “crowd-sourcing” approach, which is where users of the app can identify species for you. In contrast, iRecord sends off your image and data to taxonomic experts to identify the species. While more reliable this is also much slower, so you have to weigh up if you are looking for a learning tool or if you are wanting to collect data on an area.

Maps – there are plenty of websites online that show you maps of nature reserves and SSIs across the country. Glenn recommends looking at some of these if you are wanting to visit a new area to observe wildlife. It can be great to visit a range of habitat types to broaden your ID knowledge.

Only by appreciating and understanding the world around us can we hope to protect it. Hopefully the team’s suggestions will help you to get started in learning about wildlife, and let us know if you think of any other great ideas!

Title photo by Kathleen Webster