Environmental Conservation, BSc (Hons)

You will develop scientific knowledge and technical skills. These will enable you to deal with the environmental problems and social and economic issues involved with the rural environment and management of wildlife habitats. Conservation is becoming an increasingly important global issue. This is due to continued pressure from climate and land-use change.

This course will give you the skills and knowledge you need to pursue a diverse range of career opportunities and voluntary sector activities.

The topics covered provide a rich blend of practical hands-on skills with those necessary to initiate and manage policies and programmes. This will enable you to help conserve and develop the countryside in the best interests of the:

• local
• national
• global environment.

You will also help the communities which visit, use and depend upon it.

Why choose this course?

• Brackenhurst campus is the ideal environment for studying this course. We have 200 hectares of farmland, woodland and wetland with a diverse range of habitats and wildlife species.
• Brackenhurst is part of the DEFRA Environmental Stewardship Scheme and home to NTU's academic environmental team.
• Placement opportunities have been taken with the Wildlife Trusts, Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group or the RSPB.
• Residential field trips have included wildlife and environmental surveys and wildlife monitoring such as badger watching.
• We are opening a brand new 1,000 square metre, £2.5 million campus library in Autumn 2013.

DEFRA Environmental Stewardship Scheme

The estate is part of the DEFRA Environmental Stewardship Scheme that supports effective environmental management of farm land and countryside estates. Initiatives include the establishment of six metre field margins of permanent grass to protect hedgerows and ditches from fertilizer sprays and soil leaching. Over the years species of wildlife have flourished at Brackenhurst campus including:

• Barn Owls
• Lapwings
• Yellowhammers
• butterflies
• moths.

Want to know more?

• Book your place on an open day.
• From biodiversity to carbon reduction - find out about NTU's environmental work
• Find out more about the School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences.

How many places are available?

There are approximately 15 places available on this course.

When does the course start?

Please see the academic calendar for term dates.

What will I study?

Year One

Modules

Biodiversity Conservation

You will explore the biological diversity on earth, focusing on the abundance and distribution of species.

Ecology, Terrestrial and Water

You will study the interaction of biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors in relation to the distribution of populations and communities within ecosystems. This provides a scientific basis and understanding.

Landscape and Land Use

This module relates landscape evolution to the influences of human activity in the past, present and future. You will examine the:

• value
• opinions
• impact
• policy aims of different stakeholders in the countryside.

Mapping and Vocational Skills

You will learn a number of the practical skills frequently used in conservation management. These will be put into practice in a scientific approach to habitat management. The mapping content of the module includes techniques for producing maps, such as linear surveying and the use of a level and a total station.

Personal Development Skills

This module is concerned with your career development. You will gain transferable skills that are essential for working within the conservation sector.

Wildlife Surveying

You will take part in on and off-site survey sessions that will teach you a range of common survey techniques typically used by ecological and environmental consultants.

Year Two

Applied Habitat Management

You will take part in a series of site-based habitat and species evaluations on and off-campus. These will include:

• surveys and assessments
• data analysis
• discussion workshops
• seminars
• lectures.

Planning and Recreation

You will develop the skills needed to evaluate outdoor recreation facilities and review the potential hazards to users.

Environmental Monitoring and geographical information systems (GIS)

This course will help you to understand the methods and processes involved in the long-term monitoring of air and water quality through the use of case studies. It introduces students to mapping and spatial analytical techniques used in geographical information systems (GIS) and remote sensing. You will develop skills through practical tasks using GIS software such as MapInfo and GPS (Global Positioning System) data.

Planning and Recreation

You will investigate the implementation of the planning system in England and Wales when applied to the development of:

• settlements
• transport
• recreational facilities in rural areas.

This module takes into account the planning policy framework.

Environmental Law and Policy

This module will introduce you to the legal and institutional framework within the environmental sector. You will investigate the development, implementation and impact of environmental policies and laws at a national and international level.

Environmental Design and Analysis

This module will prepare you for your final-year research dissertation. You will develop an understanding of:

• research methods
• processes and applications including hypothesis-testing, statistical analysis and data presentation.

Natural Resource Management

You will explore the exploitation of natural resources in a range of terrestrial, water, marine and atmospheric environments, including the concepts of sustainable development, economic and social frameworks needed to explore the management of natural resources.

Final Year

Global Agriculture and Food Security

This module will provide an overview of the global agricultural industry. You will investigate the concepts of:

• production in agriculture
• forestry and fisheries.

The role of European policy in the United Kingdom and European Union farming is considered alongside the global context of agriculture. Issues relating to the harvesting and production of food and food from sustainable sources are explored in the context of global food security.

Environmental Impact Assessment

This module addresses the processes of identifying, quantifying and evaluating the key potential impacts of development on the environment. You will learn about the legislation and mitigation associated with likely effects on the bio-geophysical environment, and study the socio-economic consequences of particular activities.

Advanced Ecology

You will explore terrestrial and aquatic environments using a wide range of approaches, from community ecology to the study of anthrogenic impacts including land use, pollution and climate change. This module concentrates on recent advances in ecological methods and covers complex subjects including island biogeography and ecological modelling.

Dissertation

You will have the opportunity to develop expertise in a field of personal interest, through carrying out independent research, under supervision, in an area of environmental conservation and countryside management.

Optional modules

• Environmental Politics, Issues and Ethics
• Wildlife Management
• African Ecosystems

Contact hours

You will have 13 hours of scheduled contact time per week, of which approximately two hours will be practical work.

How will I be assessed?

You will be assessed using a variety of methods including the following.

Coursework 67%

• Coursework exercise – 17%
• Project output – 8%
• Portfolio – 42%

Exams - 33%

Where will I study?

Set in rural Nottinghamshire, but only a 40 minute bus journey from the city, the University has close links with a range of countryside organisations within the county. We have over 200 hectares of farm and woodland estate that acts as an outdoor classroom. It provides the perfect learning environment for this course.

What do the course fees cover?

The annual fee for your undergraduate degree course includes a number of items in addition to your tuition.

• You will be given a pre-paid printing allowance of £20 (which currently equates to up to 400 sides of A4 black and white printing) for use in NTU Print Shops.
• We will supply you with laboratory equipment, coats and safety equipment, where required.
• You will not have to pay a tuition fee for you Year Abroad / Sandwich year when it is part of your course.
• Your tuition fees cover any additional administration fees for International Exchange.
• You will be given two tickets to the Graduation Ceremony (any additional tickets will incur a fee).

What is not included in the fee?

You will need to budget for the following:

• general printing of coursework in addition to the printing allowance
• books and texts
• accommodation and travel costs
• travel and accommodation costs involved in year abroad, sandwich year or any placements you take
• graduation social events
• additional field trip or field work costs where not borne by the School.

Language classes are available via the University Language Programme at a very reasonable additional fee, alongside your chosen course. These do not bear credit towards your course.

Are you an international student?

Find out more about entry requirements, fees and accommodation.

View the full course specification
Please note that course specifications may be subject to change Outdoor classroom

Brackenhurst estate is the ideal learning environment for you to study this course:

Hedge rows

• Here on the Brackenhurst estate we have approximately 12 miles of hedgerows, many being species rich containing more than seven species of vegetation.
• Hedgerows are traditionally used to provide a stock proof barrier or to separate various fields. They also provide shelter to crops from the elements, and prevent soil erosion
• Their main ecological role is to provide varying habitats to many insect, bird, small mammal and some amphibian species, providing not only shelter or a food source but forming wildlife corridors, linking sites.
• The Great Crested Newt uses the hedgerow to move to different ponds on the estate, bats also feed in the summer months along a hedgerow.
• Hedgerow management is carried out under our Countryside Stewardship obligations. Hedges are cut in rotation using the modern method of 'flailing'.
• A more traditional method is also used on the estate, that being 'hedge laying' where stems or pleachers are severed part way through, using a billhook, and laid down at an angle. This gives longevity to the hedge, thus maintaining its ecological importance, providing a stock proof boundary whilst teaching students hedgerow management in a traditional manner.

Field margins

• Field margins are an increasingly important wildlife refuge on farmland, varying from one to six metres in width on the Estate.
• They provide a valuable source of food and shelter for invertebrates, which in turn provide food for birds and small mammals.
• Ground nesting birds such as Skylark and Grey partridge use the margins for breeding and foraging.
• Many different species of wildflower can be found in our field margins, including Orchids.

Woodlands

• Semi Natural Ancient Woodlands are categorised as being approximately 400 years old.
• At Brackenhurst our SNAW woodlands contain such species as Oak, Ash and Beech, to name but a few, these are managed in several ways.
• Trees are high pruned to allow sunlight to penetrate the canopy allowing light to the flora on the ground, and brash (cuttings from pruning) are laid in lines called windrows throughout the woodland. This provides shelter for invertebrates and small mammals and nesting areas for birds such as the Wren.
• Coppicing is another traditional method of woodland management where stems are cut off just above ground level, which allows regrowth of the tree.
• Deadwood (Standing and felled) is an important but often neglected part of any woodland ecosystem and provides habitat for insects and fungi. Some tree felling is also undertaken to create open glades, diversifying the woodland structure even further.

Halloughton Dumble

• The dumble is a characteristic waterway of mid Nottinghamshire farmlands, containing both shallow and deep pools often with high sided banks.
• The dumble runs approximately west to east from Halloughton Village.
• The Dumble supports a variety of habitats vital for wildlife survival on the estate.

Pond and bird hide

• Sheepwalks Pond was created in the winter of 1995 by excavating an area adjacent to Halloughton Dumble that suffered seasonal water logging due to the high water table, and natural spring, which is located to the north of the pond.
• Puddle clay, as used by canal builders, was used in the construction of this wildlife haven.
• The bird hide provides students with a platform to observe wildlife on the pond.
• Notable species include Kingfisher, Reed Warbler and Bunting, Little Grebe, Shoveller, Bittern and many other species of Wildfowl.

Wildflowers

• Through environmentally friendly farming methods and its various habitats the Brackenhurst Estate provides a haven for wild flowers to flourish in the summer months
• Species such as Birdsfoot Trefoil, Pyramid Orchid, Cornflowers, Cowslips and Primroses, to mention but a few can all be found in the woodlands, field margins and grasslands within the Estate.

Local areas of environmental importance

Nottinghamshire comprises a diverse range of environments for students to study and is close to many areas of environmental importance such as:

• the Peak District
• Lincolnshire coast
• Sherwood Forest and agricultural region.

We also have the environment centre and laboratories that you can use during your time here.

Eco-library

Our brand new 1,000 square metre, £2.5 million pound campus library opened in 2013. The library building uses energy-efficient and low-carbon initiatives such as photovoltaic panels, LED lighting, intelligent lighting control, heat-reclaim ventilation during winter, renewable cladding materials, locally sourced materials and water-leak detection systems.

Our biodiversity analysis of the library site highlighted the need to check for protected species such as bats and great crested newts. We've created new ponds, fence-ringed areas and bespoke habitats as part of our mitigation strategy.

Peregrine falcons - watch our live streaming

The Newton building at Nottingham Trent University has, for the last decade, been home to a breeding pair of peregrine falcons, who nest on an outside ledge near the top. Watch live footage or archive video of the falcons nesting, laying eggs and rearing their chicks.

Green Flag status

Brackenhurst campus has been awarded the Green Flag status, a national award recognising green spaces throughout the country. We received the award along with other notable green spaces such as Kensington Gardens, Regent's Park and St James's Park.