*BSc (Hons) Conservation Biology is now named BSc (Hons) Ecology and Conservation
William Bayfield-Farrell – BSc (Hons) Conservation Biology graduate
Helping to resolve global challenges
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Course studied: BSc (Hons) Conservation Biology*
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@Current job title: Ecologist
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@Current employer: Johns Associates
Why I wanted to study at Plymouth
I was drawn to study at Plymouth as the course allowed for freedom to choose from a wide range of modules and design your own personal project for your dissertation. I have an interest in tropical biology so the field course to tropical Costa Rica was a big draw! The staff were also very friendly and passionate about what they did, which greatly improves the quality of the course. I would definitely recommend studying at Plymouth, particularly for a biological science degree, as there are scholars with a wide range of interests and there is something for everyone. There certainly was for me, and I greatly benefited from this throughout my time at university.
The surrounding area is also a beautiful part of the country with lots of potential interest to a budding biologist. Certainly, one of the best areas of the country to get outdoors!
The Hoe and Plymouth Sound
Dartmoor
Whitsand beach
Facilities
During my final year, working on my dissertation, I found myself using the labs a lot. I was in there every day for about four weeks straight. They were equipped with all that I needed, and I was able to speed through my data without a hitch. They also had an excellent collection of creatures and critters which, as an entomologist, I greatly appreciated.
Support
The lecturers, the lab technicians to the baristas on campus were all lovely! I received excellent support for my ideas and work throughout my course from lecturers and staff, and I am still in contact getting advice even after I have left. I was able to round off my skills and knowledge through asking staff about questions and techniques outside of the lectures. It was through the help of my supervisor I managed to get the grade I wanted from my dissertation and my degree as a whole.
Skardon Gardens, glasshouse facilities
My placement experience
My placement year was one of my favourite parts of my degree. It opened me up to potential career paths I could go down to work in a field of my interest. I was able to learn skills outside of the curriculum of my degree, improve my skills for the final year of my degree and my career following. I learned lots of theoretical, taxonomic skills while working in a collection at the Natural History Museum in London, work-based community outreach skills at Pollenize CIC in Plymouth, and field skills in Panama with a local researcher who I can now call a close friend. I made contacts all over the world, particularly in the Americas, such as the USA, Panama and Colombia. My placement year sent me on a trajectory I am now following to develop my career as a scientist and researcher.
During my placement year, I produced a manuscript at the Natural History Museum, cataloguing a tribe of scarab beetles stored in the collection. This manuscript was published in late 2022. To be published before I finished my degree has been a great personal achievement of mine, and to have a paper in my area of work will hopefully open doors in the future. I have more manuscripts in the work, and I hope to continue to publish throughout my career.
Bee keeping with Pollenize CIC
William in Panama
Learning field skills
William with his first published paper
My career path
So far, I have worked for two consultancy companies. For one I have worked with a variety of species from bats, mice and newts and learned a variety of survey techniques. For the other company, I have been practising my invertebrate surveying skills using light traps and my insect identification, while going through the samples.
I have greatly enjoyed practising my survey skills and learning new techniques along the way.
Using light traps for insect identification
Helping tackle big issues
My degree within the Biological Sciences cluster educates students on a variety of issues, such as biodiversity loss, habitat destruction/fragmentation, pollution, over-exploitation and much more. Making students aware of these causes facilitates progress and allows them to work towards resolving these global issues by in-depth explanation of theory and methods.
I knew I wanted to work with tropical montane forests and my degree showed me issues in these ecosystems, in this case, climate change and habitat destruction, and what this environment provides for nature and communities. I then looked more in depth at these issues and explored work in this area that were touched on in lectures and workshops. This allowed me to explore a variety of methods to help resolve global challenges in my own way in my area of work.
Our hands-on approach, will give you the scientific tools to address environmental issues
Develop your knowledge of ecology and conservation key areas such as population ecology, evolutionary processes, behavioural ecology, conservation genetics and habitat management, and prime yourself for a career in ecology, conservation or environmental monitoring.
