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African Biodiversity and Conservation Field Course

Module description

Many students look back on the Africa Field Course as the best learning experience of their lives. The module usually runs in Kenya and is long established, having run for over a decade with the same Kenyan company. Over 14 days you will see an amazing wealth of biodiversity from mountains and forests, to lakes and savannahs, meet a range of conservationists and develop a deep understanding of the complicated nature of conservation in the developing world. All the while you will be developing your transferrable skills, spending a great deal of time with your lecturing staff and your peers, all under African skies.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to present the philosophy, sociology, ecology and practice of large-scale conservation. A practical understanding of these issues will be developed through visits to some of Africa’s most important protected areas, as well as by an introduction to some of the day-to-day problems faced by conservation biologists in developing nations. You will be able to study the behaviour of animals in a natural ecological setting with a focus on large mammals, birds and insects, while guided by inputs from local practitioners. The practical work will be conducted in part during a safari through contrasting African ecosystems and participants will be able to acquire techniques for monitoring populations and communities.

Through attending the field course, you will further develop the following academic and professional skills:

• problem solving (linking theory to observations, developing your own ideas with confidence, showing entrepreneurial awareness, being able to respond to novel and unfamiliar problems)
• managing structure (identifying key demands of the task, setting clearly defined goals, responding flexibly to changing priorities)
• time management (managing time effectively individually and within a group)
• collaboration (respecting the views and values of others, taking initiative and leading others, supporting others in their work, maintaining group cohesiveness and purpose)
• audience awareness (presenting ideas effectively in multiple formats, persuading others of the importance and relevance of your views, responding positively and effectively to questions).

The module content is updated every year to explore topical research areas, some of which are being carried out in the department, and some of which are of global relevance. You will learn about the tools required to study such problems, and explore how such science can solve issues of importance to society.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Explain the problems of conservation in an African country
• 2. Compare the attributes and diversity of animal and plant life in Europe and Africa
• 3. Begin to apply basic descriptive, comparative and monitoring techniques in novel ecological settings

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Describe systematically and critically current problems and/or new insights in conservation and biodiversity, much of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of the field of study
• 5. Describe in detail some techniques applicable to research in conservation and biodiversity

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 6. Deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, make sound judgements in the absence of complete data, and communicate your conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences
• 7. Tackle and solve problems independently and act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional or equivalent level

Syllabus plan

A safari-style field course will take place in an African nation (e.g. South Africa or Kenya). The two-week course will move around in the mini-buses and operate from tented camp-sites and cabins within National Parks.

Pre-field course lectures and seminars will prepare you for the practical element of the module. This knowledge is reinforced through preparation of an assessed poster on a given conservation topic upon return from the field. In the field, relevant skills are developed through tutoring in taxonomy, ecology, biogeography, conservation and evolution, which are applied in group observation and data collection. Small group seminars will review and synthesise observations in each of a range of African habitats and implications of these will be explored in structured discussion of the ecological, sociological, political and economic issues relating to conservation in Africa.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 50%) you will be required to redo the original assessment. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 50%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Ulfstrand S (2000) Savannah Lives
• Kingdon (2006) Field Guide to African Mammals
• Leakey (2002) Wildlife Wars…Also published as Ivory Wars

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE page: http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=393

Key words search

Conservation, Africa, ecology, animal behaviour, taxonomy, biogeography, conservation, evolution, observation, data analysis, field work