Fieldwork with BSc (Hons) Zoology

In your second year you will have the opportunity to visit the Mpala Research Centre which is at the core of the Ewaso river ecosystem, a large and diverse region in the central part of Kenya.

We visit this area as the region is characterised by semi-arid savannah habitat that is representative of vast parts of Africa and is home to >550 species of birds and >100 species of mammals, including rare species such as Grevy’s zebra and African wild dogs. In these areas, resources are used with escalating conflict by humans, livestock, agriculture and plentiful wildlife. The Mpala Research Centre was created as a research and training facility with a mandate to identify and explore the key environmental components of this landscape and to seek ways of resolving some of these conflicts.

This field course focuses on expanding the zoological training you have received over your studies. This includes familiarity with the methods used to monitor populations, habitat preferences, distributions and home ranges and other aspects of species ecology. Equally, methods for assessing individual and population characteristics will be explored including invertebrate survey techniques, acoustic analysis, animal tracking and ID, camera trapping, comparative analyses of bones and structural morphology as well as species ID on numerous game drives. Students will also be able to put their knowledge and skills to practice by designing and conducting a short research project on the field course. Some highlights include visiting Mt. Kenya for a hike and exploration of a alpine ecosystem (weather dependent) as well Ol Pejeta Conservancy, home to a diverse range of species including the last remaining northern white rhinoceros.

When: Approximately early June

Where: Mpala Research Centre, Kenya

Length: Approximately 10 days

Cost: Fieldwork costs 

In the second semester of the first year, you will spend nine days in southern Spain at Zahara de los Atunes. The town is situated on the beach overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar with Africa visible over the water.

The rich Mediterranean flora and fauna coupled with excellent weather and many diverse habitats within a short distance of the town allow us to carry out a wide range of activities on the field course. As the summers are very hot in that area, spring is an excellent time to visit as many plants are flowering and invertebrates are numerous. The area is also famed for bird migration as its proximity to Africa makes it an ideal crossing point for summer migrants entering Europe.

The field course will focus on (1) learning how to identify plant and invertebrate species; (2) developing the skills to gather reliable data in the field; (3) keeping field notebooks that accurately record information and data for future use; and (4) designing and conducting field-based research studies to generate original biological knowledge. As an example, we would expect to include some or all of the following activities: 

The trip will end with a project which you will design and conduct while in Spain. There are plenty of opportunities to tailor your project to your own interests, and students have in the past successfully completed projects on broad range of subjects, including:

The area of the field course allows you to see some of the specialities of the Mediterranean ecozone, including the European chameleon, a wide selection of Fabaceae, birds including the white stork and bee-eater, and butterflies and moths including the Spanish festoon and emperor moth.

When: April in the second semester of the first year.

Where: Zahara de los Atunes, Andalucia, Spain.

Length: nine days and eight nights (residential).

Cost: Fieldwork costs. 

Accommodation: Shared rooms in a hotel in Zahara.

Food: Breakfast and dinner provided by the hotel. Make your own packed lunch each day or grab lunch in a local tapas restaurant. Vegetarian and vegan options available.