Wildlife Conservation and Ecology (with placement)

Biodiversity underpins a range of ecosystem services which support our social and economic health and wellbeing, yet the World is facing global crises of biodiversity loss and environmental degradation.

If you have a passion for wildlife conservation and want to make a difference to the quality of the environment we leave for future generations both in the UK and internationally this is the course for you.

The programme is founded on the study of ecological science: the interactions between species, their physical environment and humans; and its application to the conservation and management of wildlife.

Key aspects focus on the ecology of protected species, animal behaviour, practical habitat management, ecological assessment of planning projects, and managing the ecological impacts of population growth, food production, land management and the climate crisis. Students will also develop professional skills in species identification, field survey techniques, data management, and project management. These topics will be underpinned by a sound knowledge of how key international and national legislation applies to practical conservation of species and habitats at home and abroad.

Each year of the programme includes at least one residential field course. In the first year, there are two residential field courses in the UK, while the second year field course is in Europe. In the final year, there is a UK field courses and an optional international field course. The latter is currently in South Africa. These residential field courses are supplemented by a wide range of field trips to local sites to contextualise material introduced in lectures and seminars.

The programme has a strong applied focus using standard industry techniques underpinned by science. Best practise has been driven by technological advances in remote sensing, eDNA, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and GIS. The application of these technologies is embedded in the course to promote conservation of wildlife.

The first two years of the course include an emphasis on professional development and employability. In their third year, all students undertake a work placement in the sector of at least 44 weeks. Students will have a wide range of exciting opportunities available to them. During the placement year students will have the support of the placement manager and a dedicated tutor. After successfully completing the placement students return to the university to re-join their cohort for the final year of the degree.

The university is situated in a rural location with easy access to the countryside of Cheshire and Shropshire, including the Meres and Mosses and the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The university also has its own estate of 400ha including a range of agricultural and semi-natural habitats. The estate and local sites are used in the course for site visits and practical exercises.

This is a new course, but is built on a long history of related courses, taught by staff with a wide range of academic and professional expertise. After the course has been running for one year, we will apply to have the course accredited by the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental

Management (CIEEM). The course has been designed to meet the requirements of the CIEEM competency framework. Accreditation by a professional body ensures that the curriculum is aligned to best practice in the sector.

Graduates will find a diversity of employment opportunities within the fields of ecological management, wildlife conservation, sustainable development and land management, including acting as ecological consultants and ecologists working to mitigate the impacts on wildlife of infrastructure projects, food production and climate change. Alongside these roles are opportunities with relevant organisations in the public and private sectors.

The course is comprised of modules covering wildlife conservation and ecology themes along with cross disciplinary subjects in fieldwork, personal development and project management. Each module is worth either 10 or 20 credits (although the final year research project is weighted at 40 credits) and each academic year of the course carries a weighting of 120 credits.

Each module has a web page on our Virtual Learning Environment. Here tutors upload material such as presentations, videos, and links to key sources for independent study. Material used in face to face teaching is uploaded in advance of classes, so that students can prepare and subsequently follow up to reinforce their understanding. Many modules also include practical work in the university laboratory, on the university farm, or at locations (e.g. nature reserves) nearby. Each year includes at least one residential field course as detailed below.

The first year of the course comprises ‘Core’ modules (meaning all students study the same subjects):

· Fundamentals of the Physical Environment (20)

· Contemporary Issues in Sustainability (20)

· Ecological Principles (20)

· Introduction to Wildlife Conservation (20)

· Environmental Survey and Field Skills (including two residential field courses) (20)

· Skills for the Natural Scientist (10)

· Communicating Science in a Digital World (10)

The second year of the course builds on the themes introduced in the first year. There are two optional modules (students must select one) and also an elective module. For the elective, students can pick a specialist module delivered by the wildlife conservation team or any other elective modules offered across the university. Second year modules are:

· Research Methods (20)

· Population and Community Ecology (20)

· Wildlife Conservation Management (20)

· Practical Research Skills (including a residential field course in Europe) (20)

· Professional Development for the Natural Scientist (10)

· Elective – Urban Ecology and Green Infrastructure (or any other elective) (10)

Plus one of two optional modules:

· Behavioural Ecology and Wildlife Conservation (20)

· Woodland Management (20)

The third year of the course is spent on placement with an employer. Students then return to re-join their peers for the final year of the course. A key aspect of the final year is the individual research project where students get to investigate a topic of personal interest. This might involve the collection, analysis and interpretation of data from ecological field survey, or a questionnaire, to answer research questions which they have developed with support of their project supervisor. There are two pairs of optional modules, including a module focussing on forestry that builds on the second year module on woodland management. Students select one optional module from each pair. Final year modules are:

· Honours Research Dissertation (40)

· Ecological Applications (20)

· Wildlife Conservation and Land Management (20)

· Integrative Project Management (including a residential field course in the UK) (20)

Plus one module from each of these pairs:

· Advanced Geographical Information Systems (10) or Contemporary Forestry (10)

· Countryside and Environmental Projects (10) or International Field Course in Natural Resource Management (10)

The course uses a range of assessment methods, including written material and verbal presentations. Written work takes many forms, such as traditional reports, essays and literature reviews, but also writing in a style appropriate for popular magazine articles, social media posts, advisory and briefing notes, consultancy reports, and business and site management plans.

The emphasis throughout the course is on authentic assessment, which means that work must be prepared in styles and formats that are relevant to the work place. The majority of assessments are coursework. Where ‘examination-style’ assessments are used, these are Timed Open Book Assessments where students produce work to a short deadline (e.g. 24 hours) with access to support materials, rather than being closeted in a traditional invigilated examination room for several hours.

All modules include opportunities for formative assessment, for example where tutors provide constructive feedback on students’ draft work before the final version is submitted for marking. Other innovative ways of formative feedback include peer to peer support, mini pitches of ideas, quizzes to cement learning and gradual development of key skills such as presentations. Harper Adams University has a thriving Learning and Teaching department with best practice techniques shared at numerous in-house events where innovative methods for teaching and learning are critiqued and developed.

Students submit their work online. Marking and provision of feedback is also carried out online. Students can submit work, and access feedback, while off-campus.

During the placement year, students’ progress is assessed through a review process involving the student, employer and academic tutor, designed to identify their Continuing Professional Development needs. The students must also produce two pieces of work tailored to their individual roles and assessed by their academic placement tutor, combined with an assessment of their overall performance completed by the employer.

The Honours Research Dissertation is a student’s opportunity to pursue their interest in research and develop a project within the themes of their course. The dissertation is the jewel in the crown of the Honours degree, providing cross disciplinary experience as well as applying experimental and statistical skills developed throughout the degree. During the project the student is supported by their individual supervisor through regular online and/or face to face meetings.