Devon out here: our ecology field trip social media roundup

 An annual spring tradition has seen Zoology, Environmental Management and Wildlife Conservation  spend a week in Devon learning ecology skills.

The first-year students spent the week at the Field Studies Council's Slapton Ley centre as well as in the surrounding countryside where they discovered lots of fascinating species, on land, water and in the air.

Harper Adams Lecturer in Wildlife Conservation, ELM and Zoology Dr Julia Casperd said: “The Harper staff team, myself, Dr Andrew Cherrill, Laura Vickers, Paul O’Hagan and Nikoletta Foskolou were impressed with our students’ resilience, dedication and team work – they were a pleasure to work with.

“I’d like to say a huge thank you to Edward Parrish, Director of Bicton College for arranging a fantastic day for us exploring the Lower Otter Restoration Project and the impact of the reintroduction of beavers with Sam Briant Evans of the Clinton Devon Estates.

“We also saw the establishment of one of King Charles’s National Nature Reserves with Rick Lockwood, ranger from Devon Wildlife Trust and Kirstie Ellis  - The Super NNR’s Landscape Recovery Project Manager.”

Catch up with some of the highlights from the week with our social media roundup.

And we are off! #IntrotoEcol2024 with our @HarperAdamsUni first years @FSCSlaptonLey with dream team: Andy Cherrill, Laura Vickers, Paul O’Hagan and Nikoletta Foskolou!! @DrJohnReade @dr_andy_wilcox #ecology #zoology #conservation pic.twitter.com/aY7uhsB9cC

— Julia Casperd (@jcasperd) May 11, 2024

2/5 @entomolojosh @Entomatthew @Dr_Joe_Roberts ..more to come later…our @HarperAdamsUni students have more photographs. They are currently identifying them…@DrJohnReade pic.twitter.com/CEU6a6UN1d

— Julia Casperd (@jcasperd) May 12, 2024

#IntrotoEcol2024 #aquatic #invertebrate sampling habitat carousel to explore the effect of water quality on functional feeding groups. @dr_andy_wilcox @DrJohnReade @simonsegar @FSCSlaptonLey pic.twitter.com/LvWpqgnXUc

— Julia Casperd (@jcasperd) May 12, 2024

Speaks for itself! @HarperAdamsUni students and lecturers loving canoeing on the @FSCSlaptonLey Ley. Pleased to report the @vanwalt grab works a treat! @dr_andy_wilcox @DrJohnReade #IntrotoEcol2024 pic.twitter.com/AD1HL665FB

— Julia Casperd (@jcasperd) May 12, 2024

Slightly better view of the transect to be sampled to demonstrate succession: it’s a beautiful day ??????????‍????? pic.twitter.com/nmNbhf1Iad

— Julia Casperd (@jcasperd) May 14, 2024

Lots of discussions tonight as students design their own research projects @FSCSlaptonLey @HarperAdamsUni #IntrotoEcol2024 pic.twitter.com/oNDYstYbdb

— Julia Casperd (@jcasperd) May 14, 2024

Searching for our diligent @HarperAdamsUni students out doing a bird survey in the reedbed. They were up at 5.30 am, all credit to them for finding the time for a second survey. Presentations start 3.30 pm sharp following the final assignment upload. @dr_andy_wilcox @DrJohnReade pic.twitter.com/wI8fHQ73RS

— Julia Casperd (@jcasperd) May 16, 2024

A fantastic array of presentations by the @HarperAdamsUni zoology, wildlife conservation and ELM students reporting on their ecology focused independent projects conducted @FSCSlaptonLey pic.twitter.com/W8IwTTin8J

— Julia Casperd (@jcasperd) May 16, 2024

 If you're interested in finding out more about our courses - and how field trips like this help our students learn - then why not visit the next Harper Adams Open Day, on Saturday, June 22?

Sign up here.