Alumni Q & A- Brogan Pett

Brogan Pett studied both the FdSc Zoological Conservation and BSc Applied Zoology at Cornwall College Newquay before completing his MSc in Wildlife Biology in Edinburgh.

Since then, Brogan has used the knowledge he gained studying to travel the globe pursuing his passion for wildlife and conservation. 


He is now working in Paraguay as an Entomology researcher and museum curator with the organisation Fundacion Para La Tierra.  

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We sat down with Brogan to find out more:

• Tell us about your time at Cornwall College?

Brogan: I chose the course because, based on the modules, it gave the most comprehensive array of topics in the zoology/ conservation sector of any other universities subject guides I had read. In general, conservation of the natural world had been the panacea of my ethos since I was about five, so it was the right choice for me. 

The location of the campus is absolutely beautiful, the small size of campus and classes meant I had very good relationships with my lecturers and tutor, being able to have a personable chat with lecturers makes a great deal for creative discussion and enables students to maximise what they gain from classes.

I learnt an awful lot reflecting on the wide range of modules that we studied, (truly, many many modules), which gave me a great feel for where I wanted to go in regards to specialisms etc. 

• What have you been up to since finishing your course?                               

Immediately after finishing my course in Cornwall, I worked in a small village in southern Tanzania for four months on an amphibian monitoring project, followed by a short trip to the Zambezi to jump off the Victoria falls bridge (Terrifying). The following summer (2017) and this summer (2018) I did work as an entomologist for Operation Wallacea in Madagascar. 

This past summer I have been awarded grants from both the Linnean Society and Mohamed Zayed species conservation fund, to conduct an independent research project after the Opwall season with BSc students from Mahajanga University on a recently discovered and highly endangered species of Lycosidae (wolf spider) found in the region.

We will be used mixed modelling approaches to try and estimate population sizes and range estimates and see if we can get this pretty spider some international exposure to aid its conservation. 

• What tips would you give future students that you have found useful?

Be better than yourself last week, that’s all, in whatever small ways you can push those boundaries, if you do that from the day you start a three year course, you’d have 156 weeks of growth which means you’d essentially be a human sunflower.

 

• How did your course help you with your career?

The wide variety of modules and assignments really helped spur me on as a scientist in a range of different disciplines. You may wonder why you have many assignments but you’ll be thankful for them in a few years! Challenging yourself is absolutely key to development and any future success you want to have and  Cornwall College was challenging and interesting, I really cant stress enough how much having those personable relationships at the College was to my development.

• What is the best thing about a career in conservation?

Aside from the actual job, I’d just like to say that conservation as a career path is absolutely a world opener. i.e. there is no destination you can’t go and work, truly. If you like exploring, doing something positive, and science, or even if you don’t particularly like science. Stick with conservation and the worlds your oyster! 

My actual current role as an entomologist is my dream job. Studying tropical insects / spiders etc. is just mind- blowing. The sheer diversity and range of species, colours and forms is almost too difficult to put across. But it’s something that fills you with wonder everyday.

For more information on the range of Zoology and Conservation courses available at Cornwall College Newquay visit www.cornwall.ac.uk or call 0330123 2523. 

Something to crow about: There’s life in the churchyard!

Written by Kayleigh Hunt 

Kayleigh is a student at Cornwall College Newquay, currently studying a BSc in Applied Zoology.      
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As our world becomes more urbanised it is often the countryside which suffers, it is therefore so important that our pockets of green space are preserved. Churchyards can often be the only remaining green area within fragmented landscapes and have an important role in conserving natural habitats. Preserving churchyards may not only benefit the fauna and flora, but the public too, with it being widely accepted that nature can have positive effects on human well-being.

I have loved birds ever since I can remember, when I was little, walking round my Grandad's aviaries was time well spent! Birds are excellent environmental indicators and the range of bird species within a churchyard not only reveals information about the avian community but other communities as well. For example, where there’s insectivores, it’s likely the invertebrate community is thriving! Therefore, as part of my BSc Applied Zoology degree I decided to research how the habitat composition of churchyards in North Cornwall is affecting bird communities and what management implications this may have.

My data collection involved two visits a day for two days to each of the ten chosen churchyards. One visit at 5am (thanks to the Spring/Summer weather of 2018, the spectacular sunrises were worth the early starts!) and one at 7pm. Six points were established throughout each churchyard and the maximum number of individuals of each bird species seen at any one time was recorded. As well as this, various habitat variables were recorded, including tree cover and grassland structure.

Results revealed that the most influential habitat variable on bird diversity is grassland structure. The management of grassland varied greatly between the ten churchyards and management level could be divided into three categories. Overly managed (mown), well managed (overgrown and mown areas) and unmanaged (overgrown). The three ‘well managed’ churchyards had the highest levels of bird diversity. At one site, between two visits, the overgrown grass was decimated. Wildflowers destroyed. Any invertebrate life inhabiting the area lost. Very tellingly, just 15 bird species were observed following the cut, compared to 26 and 23 before.

During this project I met with Robert Moor – coordinator of The Cornwall Living Churchyards Project. One of the projects main objectives is to diversify the grassland structure of churchyards to increase the range of wildflowers and invertebrates. Upon this discovery, I realised how important the findings from my project could be, that the science behind it could support the efforts of Robert Moor and local groups trying to help the fauna and flora in their churchyard.

My passion for the subject has led to a group in North Cornwall – The South Petherwin Cake and Raker’s - approaching me to join their committee to transform their churchyard into a ‘Living Churchyard’. This opportunity enables me, along with other members of a small community to take a proactive approach, which along with my research, I hope can make a real difference in the future.

For more information on the range of Zoology and Conservation courses available at Cornwall College Newquay visit www.cornwall.ac.uk or call 0330123 2523. 

Life as a Ranger

Written by Phil Maund

Phil is a former student of Cornwall College Newquay, studying an FdSc in Applied Ecology in 2012. Last Winter he started a new job role on the Isles of Scilly, with the Wildlife Trust, working as a Ranger.    
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Amidst breath-taking views of rugged Atlantic coast, the cool sea air easing in from the West, we clamber over granite boulders and endless hummocks of pastel-pink thrift flowers. Despite the awesome backdrop, our gaze is firmly on the ground before us lest we trip, or worse step on one of hundreds of carefully prepared seabird nests cradling eggs or fluffy chirping chicks. It’s summer and the land around us is strewn with nests, guano and feathers; we have intruded on an avian world, the likes of which is rare in modern times. We don’t intend on staying long, not merely due to the threat of painful dive-bombing skirmishes from above, but we have a couple of days to count the nests and chicks before leaving these majestic animals in peace.

We are on Annet, in the Isles of Scilly, some 30 miles southwest off the coast of Cornwall. Annet is a small island that is a protected site for seabird breeding colonies, including Great Black-backed Gulls, Shags, Oystercatchers and others. Many of these species are not often seen breeding successfully on mainland Britain, in part due to predation by land predators (such as rats) and disturbance from humans. Fortunately, a highly successful eradication and monitoring project has removed rats from both Annet and neighbouring St. Agnes & Gugh, which has seen a marked recovery of breeding success for seabirds on these islands. Furthermore, humans are prohibited from landing on Annet year-round, to prevent harmful disturbance. We are a small number of lucky individuals with the opportunity to enter their amazing world for a very brief period, in order to survey for the health of the seabird colonies, which will inform nationwide efforts to protect these species.

I work as a Ranger for the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, a small charity based on St. Mary’s, responsible for managing 64% of the land across the islands. The charity have a lease agreement with the Duchy of Cornwall to manage the full range of marine and land habitats, including working to promote and protect the amazing species that reside here. We also carry out a wide range of public activities such as guided walks and beach cleans, removing a whopping 3.5 tonnes of debris from the coastline in 2018 alone.

 My role is to work with the other rangers in managing the habitats, surveying populations of our target wildlife communities, organising our friendly herd of cattle and keeping 30 miles of footpaths open and accessible year-round. My work is incredibly varied, from surveying seabird nests to coppicing wetland trees, setting up fencing for our grazing and clearing ancient archaeological burial sites. We experience the beauty of the Isles throughout the seasons and enjoy spectacular panoramic views on nearly every day of work. 

In the summer, we see the Isles in all their glory and our work helps others to enjoy them, with tourism being central to the local economy. In the winter, conditions can certainly be testing as we are often battered by raging winds and squalls of rain but this is all part of the job for a ranger. We take the highs with the lows in the hope of helping our precious wildlife through our work. 

Having made a drastic career change from trying to become a professional musician, I began studying with Cornwall College in Newquay on an FdSc in Applied Ecology back in 2012. I graduated three years later with a full Honours degree and this enabled me to begin my career in conservation. The skills and knowledge I developed throughout my course are frequently called upon in my current job, including the surveying techniques for a full range of wildlife.

Back on Annet, we finish our seabird nest counts as quickly as we can, to avoid unnecessary disturbance to the devoted parents circling overhead and their offspring. Our work isn’t quite finished, though, as we then survey for the vocal calls of two fascinating species, the Manx Shearwater and the Storm Petrel, both of which nest in cavities under rocks and in burrows under the ground, much like their well-beloved Puffin neighbours.

All of the data we collect informs our grasp of the national and local trends of these seabird populations and there are certainly winners and losers. Worryingly, modern times are seeing an increasingly frequent abundance of losers in the fight for species survival. As we leave the islands, watching our feet as we go, every other step is punctuated by a distinct hollow crunching sound which betrays a disturbing truth. Beneath these granite boulders and endless hummocks of pastel-pink thrift flowers are strewn countless objects of various shapes and sizes, dumped by the surrounding sea and winds, nearly all formed of plastic. This truth beneath the surface of an otherwise incredible and majestic wild world underlines the importance of nature conservation in our times and for the future, making the work of Rangers vital.

For more information on the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, visit ios-wildlifetrust.org.uk or find us on social media.