Ecology and Wildlife Conservation BSc (Hons)

Fieldwork

Fieldwork and site visits form an essential part of this course as fieldwork provides excellent opportunity for you to consolidate your learning through practical application. We make extensive use of our unrivalled local environment, which has the greatest levels of biodiversity in Britain and includes the UNESCO Dorset and East Devon World Heritage Coast and the New Forest. Students learn through direct experience in the field how to investigate, understand and conserve wildlife in habitats ranging from sand dunes and coastal cliffs to rivers, forests meadows and heathlands.

Students who wish to develop their field ecology skills further will be welcome to participate in one or more of several ongoing projects set up between staff teaching on this degree course and local wildlife organisations. Full training is given for free and students are able to gain skills while directly helping wildlife conservation. Projects include surveys of birds, deer, fish, butterflies, bees, and small mammals such as dormice, investigations of how best to restore heathlands and forests and understanding the effects of invasive species and global warming on shore communities.

There are also a wide range of opportunities for students to learn through fieldwork by joining staff-led research projects overseas. Current projects include studies of bears and big cats in the cloud forests of Ecuador; plants, pollinators and wildlife in Spainish mountains, fish in Kenyan lakes; forests and orchards in the Himalayas and birds in the Mediterranean.

All fieldwork that is part of a credit-rated unit, with the exception of research projects, is included in your course fees. Overseas fieldwork is not included in your fees, but we do provide travel bursaries each year to support you to gain such valuable experience.