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Penryn 3rd Year Field Course

Module description

Our 3^rd year field course destinations are renowned for their diverse and distinctive biotas, highly progressive conservation and environmental policies, the intensity of human-wildlife interactions, unique evolutionary history, and for our ability to perform fundamental and applied research. These include destinations that showcase unique and poignant case studies in terrestrial and marine ecology. Central to the field course will be your deep engagement in the biodiversity, ecology, behaviour, evolution and conservation of native and invaded ecosystems. You will gain first-hand experience of the methods used to study the flora and fauna in often challenging environments through a series of practical sessions, discussions and seminars from a variety of personnel including faculty, professional researchers, local experts, stakeholders and prominent experts from in-country conservation NGOs. You will then have the opportunity to implement all you have learned and conduct your own group research projects on an aspect of ecology, evolution, human science or animal behaviour allowing you to acquire some of the essential field skills and experience needed to help you pursue a career in field biology.

Since this is a field-based unit in difficult environments it may present a challenge for students with impaired physical abilities or medical conditions. Such students wishing to choose this module should seek advice from the module co-ordinator. Anyone choosing this module will need a reasonable level of fitness in order to be able to undertake the expedition. A detailed accessibility statement is available for each location for further information.

To address the climate emergency and potential environmental impact of this module we work with partner organisations to offset and mitigate our carbon budget, meanwhile working with local stakeholders to maximise the environmental benefits of our trip. We work hard to foster the conservation capacity of local communities, but we are also mindful of the risk of colonialism. We aim to provide vegetarian/vegan food, use low emission buses and boats for transport wherever possible for internal travel, and encourage students to consider how they will manage their carbon impact over-and-above carbon offsetting. Students will also be encouraged to avoid single use plastics and other avoidable impacts on the local environment and engage in sustainable practices throughout.

When participating in overseas field courses, you will be required to cover any visa costs and, if necessary, purchase prophylactic medication and relevant immunisations. You will also need to provide your own specialist personal equipment appropriate to the field course destination, e.g. walking boots, rucksack, mosquito net, sleeping bag, binoculars. Details of specialist equipment, vaccinations and visas that you must supply at your own expense are provided at the bespoke destination ELE page.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to develop your scientific knowledge and understanding within five main areas - ecology, behaviour, evolution, human science and conservation, while based in unfamiliar environments. We will cover:

• An introduction to a range of habitats, in-country biodiversity, evolutionary backgrounds and the complexity of conservation issues.
• Observation, data collection, discussion sessions and data synthesis based on a range of activities conducted in natural and semi-natural habitats.
• Group research projects on an aspect of either biodiversity, behaviour, evolution, human science or conservation.
• Communicating science to a wide audience.
• Acquiring skills and experience required to pursue a career in either biodiversity, behaviour, evolution, human science or conservation and put learning from lectures into practice.

The skills you gain from fieldwork, teamwork, working with unfamiliar biodiversity, and to tight deadlines, will all stand you in good stead for careers in the environmental sector by developing or enhancing your employability. Transferable skills to other sectors include:

• problem solving (linking theory to practice, responding to novel and unfamiliar problems, data handling),
• time management (managing time effectively individually and within a group),
• collaboration (taking initiative and leading others, supporting others in their work),
• self and peer review (taking responsibility for own learning, using feedback from multiple sources),
• presentation skills and audience awareness (presenting ideas effectively in multiple formats).

The teaching contributions on this module involves elements of research undertaken by module staff. Moreover, you are encouraged to undertake enquiry-led learning, specifically through the group research projects and sourcing material for factsheets and subsequent discussion.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

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

• 1. Outline the environmental factors that determine the variation in habitats and biodiversity from an ecological, behavioural, evolutionary, and conservation perspective
• 2. Explain how to approach studying biodiversity, in all its forms, in the field and an appreciation of the wide range of knowledge bases required for an effective comprehension of the challenges faced.
• 3. Compare and contrast various strategies to maximise natural habitat and conserve biodiversity in the context of evolutionary pressures

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

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

• 4. Describe in detail and analyse essential facts and theory across a sub-discipline of biosciences
• 5. Analyse and evaluate independently a range of research-informed literature and synthesise research-informed examples from the literature and from the questioning local experts into written work
• 6. Identify and implement, with limited guidance, appropriate methodologies and theories for solving a range of complex problems in biosciences
• 7. With minimal guidance, deploy established techniques of analysis, practical investigation, and enquiry within biosciences
• 8. Describe and evaluate in detail approaches to our understanding of biosciences with reference to primary literature, reviews and research articles

ILO: Personal and key skills

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

• 9. Devise and sustain, with little guidance, a logical and reasoned argument with sound, convincing conclusions
• 10. Communicate effectively arguments, evidence and conclusions using a variety of formats in a manner appropriate to the intended audience
• 11. Analyse and evaluate appropriate data and complete a range of research-like tasks with very limited guidance
• 12. Evaluate own strengths and weaknesses in relation to graduate-level professional and practical skills, and act autonomously to develop new areas of skills as necessary
• 13. Reflect effectively and independently on learning experiences and evaluate personal achievements
• 14. Work in a small team and deal proficiently with the issues that teamwork requires (i.e. communication, motivation, decision-making, awareness, responsibility, and management skills, including setting and working to deadlines)

Syllabus plan

The field course is preceded by preparatory lectures well in advance of planned travel.

A typical field course will take place in either September, early January or April/May and will be based at one to three main locations during your trip.

Each day of the field course will involve learning activities relevant to the current location. Field related activities will start immediately, and culminate in whole-class synthesis and discussion of information. Planning for small-group research projects will proceed from Day 1, in consultation with module staff. Small group projects will be carried out in the latter half of the field course, ending with group presentations of initial findings. Throughout the course there will contributions from local field biology experts along with evening seminars and discussions during which students will be expected to prepare material and contribute in the form of oral contributions and questions. Students will be expected to have prepared for all seminars and discussions: the level of engagement should be more scientific and more scholarly than the level expected during Stage 2 field courses.

On return to the UK you will individually produce a poster based on the results of the project. You will present posters to your colleagues in the Centre for Ecology and Conservation approximately 2-3 weeks after your return.

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

Details of learning activities and teaching methods