Overview

The field course will be based in a tropical research field station in an area of high importance for biodiversity conservation. This will provide opportunities to learn about the drivers of biodiversity loss in the area, and the conservation interventions being implemented to address those threats. We place a strong emphasis on avoiding ‘parachute science’ in our field teaching by ensuring that the teaching team reflects, and contributes to, local expertise. Teaching will therefore be delivered by staff from Bangor University in collaboration with researchers from partner institutions in-country. Bangor students will also study alongside host-country students. The majority of the teaching will be in the field in small groups but there will be occasional classroom sessions and discussions in the evening. Students will learn about the history of the site with an emphasis on land use history, socio-economic context and conservation designation, ecology and key species at the site, local threats, survey techniques (especially camera trapping and distance sampling), plant phenology and forest structure, primate behaviour, social research methods (pitfalls and practicalities), human wildlife conflict and current protected area management. The students will also have a series of introductory sessions during which they will select a general research topic to work on in the field with a small group and a research guide.

The field course will be based in a tropical research field station in an area of high importance for biodiversity conservation where we will have the opportunity to learn about the drivers of biodiversity loss in the area, and the conservation interventions being implemented to address those threats. We place a strong emphasis on avoiding ‘parachute science’ in our field teaching by ensuring teaching team reflects, and contributes to, local expertise. Teaching will therefore be delivered by staff from Bangor University in collaboration with researchers from partner institutions in-country. Bangor students will also study alongside host-country students. The majority of the teaching will be in the field in small groups but there will be occasional classroom sessions and discussions in the evening. Students will learn about the history of the site with an emphasis on land use history, socio-economic context and conservation designation, ecology and key species at the site, local threats, survey techniques (especially camera trapping and distance sampling), plant phenology and forest structure, primate behaviour, social research methods (pitfalls and practicalities), human wildlife conflict and current protected area management. The students will have a series of introductory sessions during which they will select a general research topic to work on in the field with a small group and a research guide.

Assessment Strategy

-threshold -Grade D- to D+ - Assessments: Threshold students should be able to summarise information given during the module and present it in a way that is relevant to the question. Material in assessments should relate to the objectives of the exercise and draw on practical examples learnt in the duration of the field course.

-good -Grade C- to B+ - Assessments: A good student should be able to summarise information given during the module and present it in a way that directly answers the assessment question with elements of interpretation and discussion. Assessments should describe the objectives of the exercise and provide detailed responses relating to practical examples from the field course in a clear and concise manner. Assessments should be presented in a clear and organised manner demonstrating a strong understanding of core concepts.

-excellent -Grade A- and above – Assessments: Excellent students should be able to summarise information given during the module, and acquired through background reading/study, and present it in a way that directly answers the goals of the assessments with elements of clear interpretation and discussion. Assessments should describe the objectives of the exercise and provide detailed responses in a clear and concise manner. Assessments should be presented in a clear and organised manner demonstrating excellent understanding, and critical interpretation, of core concepts going beyond the materials provided in the course.

Learning Outcomes

• Be able to research tropical conservation issues, critically reviewing the available literature.

• Demonstrate accurate knowledge of the ecology and conservation issues relating to the sites visited.

• Demonstrate effective verbal and written communication skills and the ability to make and effectively use good quality field notes

• To be able to work as a multicultural team.