Michael Hogg BSc (Hons) MSc – Ecologist. Michael is an experienced overall ecologist, with interests in botany and invertebrates.
As a botanist, his particular interest is in Pteridophytes (ferns), and since beginning work for Caledonian Conservation he has carried out National Vegetation Classification (NVC) surveys in sites across Scotland, including upland locations in the Cairngorms and Central Highlands, and lowland sites in Caithness, Dunbartonshire, Dumfriesshire and Perthshire. He has undertaken bryophyte surveys on a wind farm in Caithness, and provided recommendations for habitat improvement for a site in the Tay valley. Michael has been involved in multiple Phase 1 level surveys across Scotland, and is familiar with the UK Habitat Classification. He is a volunteer for the National Plant Monitoring scheme, and in the Scottish Urban Flora project, and is familiar with recording practices on protected sites (SSSI, NNR, AoNB, and LNR), and with Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS). He was previously the lead biodiversity volunteer for the Woodland Trust’s Cefn Isla reserve in South Wales and nominated for the Bluebell Award for ‘Best Guardian of Woods and Trees’ in 2015. Formerly a member of the Monmouthshire Botany Group, Michael now volunteers with botanical recording groups in Lanarkshire and Stirlingshire.
Within invertebrates, Michael has over 35 years of experience as an arachnologist and terrestrial invertebrate specialist, including a period on the council of the British Arachnological Society, acting as the primary invertebrate consultant for Gwent Wildlife Trust (GWT) for over 20 years, and being consulted by the National Museum of Wales (NMW) and the University of Wales hospital. He is experienced with all standard invertebrate sampling and collecting techniques, and has considerable expertise in the identification of arachnids. He is Area Organiser for multiple Scottish vice-counties within the Spider Recording Scheme run by the British Arachnological Society, which he has been a member of since 1988. He is a verifier for arachnid records on the iRecord platform, and a recorder for the Harvestman (Opiliones) and Pseudoscorpion recording schemes. Michael has contributed significantly to the recording of spiders within Wales, including recording the protected Fen Raft Spider Dolomedes plantarius, and many other species new to Wales.
Michael is a confident public speaker and keen environmental educator, previously working mainly through the Wildlife Trusts, for whom he has been a volunteer for over 25 years and served as a Trustee and member of the Trust Ecological Group. He has organised open days and events both privately and for the general public. Michael has delivered training courses in spider identification for GWT and NMW. This makes him an experienced all-round field naturalist, able to identify a wide range of terrestrial invertebrates, including Arachnids, Millipedes, Centipedes, Slugs and Snails, Woodlice, and many insect groups (particularly Hemiptera, bees, and Hoverflies.
He also has around 200 hours of experience as an assistant bat recorder for Wyedean Ecology Ltd and BE Ecological Ltd, and has delivered guided walks and talks on bats for CADW, the Welsh Government Historic Environment service.
Michael is a member of The British Bryological Society, the Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland, The British Pteridological Society, the British Arachnological Society, and the Scottish Wildlife Trust. He holds a current Outdoor First Aid certificate (+F) and has completed BORDA training in off-road driving. He also holds a current CSCS card.
