QGIS & Mergin Maps for Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)
A 1 day course to develop existing skills or a 2 day course for beginners in all things BNG mapping and using Mergin Maps for data collection
One day or two?
If you’re starting from scratch, I highly recommend the two day course. If you already have experience with QGIS and geospatial data but need to hone your skills, the one day course is ideal. Both courses are run, as always, by me with a ton of exercises, workbooks, and resources for you to take home.
From field to office (without the paperwork)
Mergin Maps is an excellent app for collecting data for your ecological field surveys and allows you to take your BNG template on-site and bring it back into the office. No need for paper or notes that can be blown away or damaged by the elements. No concerns about losing data.
This course will help you get to grips with all things Mergin Maps to make your data collection a hell of a lot easier.
What you’ll learn along the way
Getting Started
Intro to the software, user interface, and how to configure and customise it to your needs
Creating & Editing Vector Data
Learn to create, load, edit, and export vector datasets as well as learning how to join spatial and non-spatial data
Raster Data
Load, style, and complete basic processing of raster data
Styling your data
Mergin Maps Plugin
Install the Mergin plugin and upload your workspace to the cloud. This allows you to add habitats on your tablet and send it back to your desktop so you can easily go from the field to your office.
Learn how to apply colour and labels to your data using simple styles and more complex data driven methods
Sourcing data
Where to find accurate and reliable data from legitimate sources
Queries & research
How to perform queries on your data using selections, calculations, filtering, and expressions
Storing data
Best practices for storing and sharing data for just you or your wider organisation
Georeferencing
Use several tools to georeference images and PDFs for background mapping or digitising data
Biodiversity Net Gain
Use advanced digitising features to split, edit, and create different habitat features within the BNG template
Habitat Mapping
Create report-ready map outputs as images or PDFs including layered PDFs and complex styling
Further learning resources
A terminology cheat sheet, data sources list, and further resources to help you embed your skills
What you need before we begin
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One or two full days of instructor-led training (depending on which option you choose)
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Full instructions for installing and setting up QGIS
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Up to 3 hours of email/zoom support post-course to help you embed the learning
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Sample data to keep for future reference
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Tailored BNG template
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150 + page, full colour, step-by-step instructional booklet and exercises PDF
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Template for A4 map
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Certificate of attendance
* email/online support on course content & modules only
New in-person course for 2027
New in-person course delivered in time for the start of the new surveying season!
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2 full days of in-person tuition on capturing your habitats and survey notes in the field with QGIS & Mergin Maps
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Lunch and refreshments provided
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Classroom session and extensive outdoor practical session in the grounds
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Fully illustrated step-by-step work booklet for you to keep
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Minimum of 4 required, maximum of 12
