Surf degree students Basque in magnificence of field trip

Surf Science degree students have returned ‘stoked’ from a mind-blowing field trip taking in some of Europe’s top surfing locations.

The students, all from the foundation degree in Surf Science & Technology at Cornwall College Newquay, have spent ten days on a tour of the Basque Country.

The first stop was the town of Mundaka, on the northern coast of Spain. Mundaka is home to one of the longest left-hand waves in the world, making it an internationally renowned surf destination.

During their stay, the students visited AZTI, a science and technology centre specialising in oceanography, to meet leading research scientist and surfer Pedro Liria.

Pedro gave the students an insight into the Mundaka sandbar, detailing how continued sand dredging of the river mouth has affected the famous waves and the resulting plans for a restoration effort to build an artificial dry sand beach.

The students balanced out their fieldwork with regular surfing excursions and a trip to the coastal city of San Sebastian to soak up the Spanish culture.

Surf Science Programme Manager Chris Selvey from Cornwall College Newquay, described the field trip as “a great opportunity for our students to explore first-hand the implications of human and climatic influences on the environment.”

Chris continued: “Getting hands-on experience carrying out fieldwork in beach topography and oceanography, putting into practice the knowledge they are gaining in the classroom, has been an invaluable experience for the students. Not to mention, the waves have been awesome!”

The FdSc in Surf Science & Technology at Cornwall College is a unique academic programme that covers aspects relating to the science, sport and industry of surfing. These include the history and culture of surfing, event management, environmental science, human exercise science, principles of psychology and coaching, the design and manufacture of surf boards and the geographical and climatic influences on surfing.

Programme Manager Chris Selvey added: “The course benefits from very close links with many of the major players in the surfing world. Our students have the chance to design and build their own surfboard, take surf coaching, first aid and beach lifeguard qualifications, as well as working in an industry-related environment. If you have an interest in working in the surf industry, the course will give you the skills and experience you need to start your career.”

The second leg of the field trip was spent in the small hilltop town of Bidart, located near Biarritz in Southern France. Students spent more time surfing as well as investigating the impact that man-made structures can have on the marine environment and ecosystems.

Student Dan Priddle moved from Devon to study the course in Newquay. Dan said: “The trip was amazing with lots of laughs shared, many interesting things learnt and some great surfing. Getting up to surf at sunrise in Mundaka is definitely something I’ll never forget. Being able to experience a place I had never been before while surfing, taking in the culture and learning loads along the way was an unforgettable experience. I enjoyed every minute of it!”

For more information on the Surf Science & Technology and Marine Sports Science courses available at Cornwall College Newquay click HERE or call 0330 123 2523.

Focused on hedgehogs

Written by Deborah Smith-Hackett

Deborah is currently studying the FdSc in Animal Behaviour & Psychology at Cornwall College Newquay. 

This blog post marks the introduction of a new passion in Deborah's world, namely hedgehogs, and how a chance encounter has shifted her focus entirely and consequently changed the direction of her studies. 
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About 18 months ago, I lost one of my own domestic animals and I was understandably very upset.

On that day, for the first time, I saw a hedgehog come into my garden. It was out in the daytime, which I knew was not a good thing, so I contacted Prickles and Paws (a hedgehog rescue charity based near Newquay, Cornwall) and they said that this behaviour was not right and they told me to bring it in.

I spent a good couple of hours with them and they went over the animal and discovered it had a really bad mite infestation.

From there I ended up volunteering with them. The result of this is a massive passion for hedgehogs.

It has spun off into other natural species too. When I first started my degree, I was all about dogs and other domesticated species but now getting to work with other wildlife has made me very much more aware of an area I didn’t know I had a passion for.

 From that I have also discovered marine conservation as well, including helping with BDMLR (British Divers Marine Life Rescue) and working with seals. I hate the idea of not being involved with that. I now intend to carry on with a third year of study to top up to a full degree. Originally it was to be regarding dog behaviour but now I want to go in the direction of marine conservation or hedgehogs.

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Hedgehog in Need of Help?

If you have found a hedgehog or are unsure whether a hedgehog needs help please contact Prickles & Paws Hedghog Rescue on 01637 831299 or 07926 576164 for advice. 

For more information on studying the FdSc in Animal Behaviour & Management course at Cornwall College Newquay visit our website HERE or call 0330 123 2523.

Surfboards, cockroaches and fireballs for young scientists

Staff and students from Cornwall College Newquay have been providing an insight into the exciting world of science for local primary school children. 

Around 130 Year 6 pupils from Newquay Junior Academy attended the ‘Cornwall Science Fair’ event at the College campus as part of British Science Week.

The wide range of interactive science-based activities on offer ties into a wider initiative of raising aspirations in relation to studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects that Cornwall College currently leads.

The children took part in a series of short sessions, designed to educate them on a number of different subjects and show them that a white coated scientist working in a lab is just one of many vastly different professions that can result from studying science.


Conor Kendrew STEM Coordinator for The Cornwall College Group said “the enthusiasm of the pupils was fantastic to see”.


“As scientists we are all about progress, working hard in contributing to society’s collective knowledge, so for myself and my colleagues at Cornwall College to be given the chance to share our passion for science with the next generation has been inspiring,” he continued.


“For them, it was an insight into the working world of science but for us it’s been a wonderful reminder of the future we’re working for. Little do the pupils know, one day their work will take it to bigger and better places than any of us can imagine!”

       


The interactive activities and experiments included taking part in a recycling relay challenge, mindfulness in the natural environment, learning about marine plastic pollution, shaping a surfboard, using the college’s virtual reality headsets to explore the marine environment, fish biology, beach safety, CPR training and racing cockroaches.

The day culminated in an explosive finale of an outdoor, large-scale science experiment to all of the school children as a group. The controlled ‘wax fire’ experiment demonstrated the result of when melted wax is doused in water. The ensuing reaction created a 10 foot high fireball much to the delight of the junior scientists.

Assistant Headteacher Amy Patterson from Newquay Junior Academy said: “On behalf of all of our pupils and staff, I wanted to say thank you very much to Cornwall College Newquay for another fantastic morning. We always look forward to coming to visit you and the children always enjoy themselves - today being no exception.”

For more information on the range of Zoology, Surf and Marine courses available at Cornwall College Newquay visit www.cornwall.ac.uk or call 0330 123 2523.

Life As A Sea Turtle Hugger

Written by Daisy Harris

Daisy is a marine conservation student at Cornwall College Newquay. She enjoys getting involved with a variety of marine based charities, to gain practical experience within the field of work she is truly passionate for.  

This blog post focuses on the time that Daisy spent at the Archelon Sea Turtle Rescue Centre in Athens, Greece.
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For me, the Mediterranean is a special place. It gave me one of the most beautiful and challenging experiences of my life as a budding marine conservationist, working at the Archelon Sea Turtle Rescue Centre in Athens, Greece.

So what makes it special?

A mid-tropic climate paired with one of the most stunning backdrops in the world to work in for a start. Along with the fact that I was able to work with sea turtles, which are one of my favourite marine reptile species and native to the Mediterranean.

Archelon Sea Turtle Protection Society Of Greece rehabilitates injured or sick Sea Turtles, with the goal of releasing them back into their natural environment. The centre gives these Sea Turtles a place to be safe from the outside world for as long as they need. These species are truly amazing. They are so resilient to injuries, diseases, parasitism and other outside influences from both people and their natural territory.

In addition to being a rehabilitation facility, education is an important part of what Archelon does. Teaching both the locals and tourists about the importance of their native species of Sea Turtle will help them to protect them in the future. As the centre is a non-governmental organisation, it is funded through donations from charities and the public and relies on volunteers for help.

Being the only and main rescue centre within the Mediterranean, Archelon faces high pressure with the numbers of turtles they get in for rehabilitation. During my time there, a total of 35 Loggerhead Sea Turtle were at the centre, three being permanent residents and the other thirty-two requiring full-time care before being released.

Looking after the Sea Turtles day-to-day for thirty-two days, you definitely form a strong connection with these prehistoric creatures.


Summer is one of the busiest times of the year in Greece due to the warm weather and mind-blowing scenery. This meant that the work was full on. Every day, we would either be releasing the turtles back into the wild, caring for them or  collecting new turtles to join the centre.



This meant you had to be on top of your game at every point of the day and had to toughen yourself up to seeing some turtles in a bad state, either upon arrival or sadly when one had died. This was one of the most difficult moments seeing a Sea Turtle in this way.


When I was at Archelon, I was collecting data for my second-year research project. I took data for thirty-two days around the behaviour of Sea Turtles within captivity, which will be used for scientific purposes for both my own project and by Archelon. I will be using it alongside other data provided by Archelon, including medical examinations and x-ray imagery, to back up the evidence I have collected. My goal is that the data will provide an insight into how Sea Turtles cope within captivity and with their injuries, which I hope will lead to stricter legislation within the EU.

All my experiences at Archelon have been worth it a thousand times over. It has helped me to realize that this is the career path I dream of, working within Sea Turtle rehabilitation. The skills I have developed and gained studying at Cornwall College and working at the centre has led me to where I am now and shaped me as a person who cares about marine wildlife and its environment. I want to fight for marine conservation forever.

I worry about the future of Sea Turtles. Within a few decades or less Sea Turtles could be extinct along with other species and the environments in which they live in.

The marina, which is the area right by the rescue centre, has been heavily impacted by people misusing the ocean for all the wrong reasons. This misuse of the marine environment is the main reason the Loggerhead Sea Turtle is endangered and still currently facing day-to-day issues.

In the end, it was hard to leave a place that meant so much to me. I miss the sound of the sea, the ocean breeze, seabirds calls and warmth within the air and it is an experience which will stay with me forever.

The truth is that beneath their hard exterior shell, sea turtles are a keystone species that help to maintain the ecosystem around them. If you remove them from that environment, the biodiversity within it will be lost.

Want to make a difference? For more information on the range of Marine, Zoology and Conservation courses available at Cornwall College Newquay visit www.cornwall.ac.uk or call 0330123 2523. 

Board shaping at Skindogs!

One of the leading surfers in the world is helping the surf industry thrive in Cornwall by educating the next generation of industry experts.

Professional surfer Ben Skinner is sharing the talent and resources at his Newquay-based company Skindog Surfboards, with degree students from Cornwall College Newquay, giving them a unique opportunity to get hands-on experience of building a custom board.

Working in partnership with Cornwall College, Ben and his team at the Skindog factory will be helping Surf Science & Technology students to design, shape, paint and finish their own custom surfboards over the next few months as part of the ‘production methods’ module of their specialist foundation degree programme.

For more information on the Surf Science and Marine Sport Science courses available at Cornwall College Newquay visit www.cornwall.ac.uk or call 0845 22 32 567. 

Skindog Surfboards produces the highest quality, hand crafted custom surfboards in Cornwall. Visit their website at www.skindogsurfboards.co.uk 

Wildlife in Miniature

Written by Kirk Mason 

Kirk is currently studying the FdSc in Wildlife Education & Media (WEM) at Cornwall College Newquay. 

Kirk uses his love of photography, combined with a fascination with arthropods and the tiny environments they occupy, to create stunning other-worldly macro images of the natural world.  

In this blog post, Kirk details his motivations in capturing the beautiful intricacies and diversity of this miniature view.
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Repeating units of maroon coloured hexagons stacked together take the form of a quadrant- it is connected to a large leathery barrel like chassis. Its texture like cracked leather, is covered in dimples and quill-like hairs of varying lengths that support sporadically placed tiny yellow orbs.
Shimmering transparent scale-like structures rest upon the chassis, reflecting light and revealing prismatic colours that are fragmented by a dark lightning pattern giving resemblance to an organic stained-glass window.

Underneath the structure, several gangly, stilt-like appendages provide support. Microscopic hooks and hundreds of barbed fibres sit at the end of each stilt providing a firm foothold to all but the smoothest of surfaces.

These features belong to a fly, a creature most often chased around the house by would be amateur pest controllers! 

The details of these incredible creatures often go unseen, due to the limitations of the human eye and our negative view of most invertebrates.

Through macro photography, we can surpass the limitations of the human perspective and observe details of these tiny creatures that would otherwise be impossible to – transforming seemingly mundane things into points of intrigue and appreciation.

So why is this important?

There is an issue with public perception of invertebrates, many people are frightened of them or see them as annoying pests. They are in fact one of the most influential groups of animals, many providing incredible utility in pollination, decomposition and pest control. We also benefit from the remarkable substances that they produce to create valuable medicines and materials.

Through influencing public opinion and cultivating appreciation, we may be able to create a sustainable future for generations to come.

This year I’m starting production on my own invertebrate video series with the aim of changing public perception of invertebrates and the habitats they occupy.

I believe that interpreting and communicating science is more important than ever due to current global events. WEM is an excellent degree with assignments that feel relevant and interesting and I intend to utilise the theories the course has taught me in my work, with the goal of inciting behavioural change.

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Find out more about Kirk Mason and his macro photography online at:

 Website 
 Instagram
 Facebook 
                                                                                   

The strengths of ‘research embedded’ teaching

 The continuing publication of student-led scientific research has been highlighted as a unique strength of Newquay’s specialist science college.

Cornwall College Newquay offers higher education programmes in Wildlife Education, Animal Behaviour & Management and Zoological, Marine & Ecological Conservation.

Despite having a smaller overall student body when compared to the majority of university providers in the UK offering comparable courses, Cornwall College has managed to retain a disproportionately high number of examples of its students having their research published in both science and trade journals.

Dr Mark Nason, who is the Head of Campus at Cornwall College Newquay, sees the ability to engage higher education students in applied research as a “key strength” of the College and one that is “almost unique within the sector”.

Mark said: “It’s extremely unusual for a college to be able to provide students with this opportunity, particularly since we are not able to access much of the money used by universities to fund their research activities. Our academic staff embed learners in their research activities wherever possible and for a College we have an unrivalled track record of supporting our learners to publish their own original research, often in collaboration with industry.”

“This helps to enrich the experience for our learners and gives them a significant head start when applying for jobs or progressing to postgraduate qualifications. Many traditional universities are envious of our innovative ‘research-embedded’ approach to teaching, which is only possible with our small group sizes. We are justifiably proud that we have managed to maintain this unique activity and that through their research, our students and staff continue to influence local, national and global policy and practice” Mark continued.

Recent examples of submitted and published research work by Cornwall College students have appeared in many leading international, peer-reviewed journals within the disciplines of biological and conservation science. These include journals Bioscience Horizons, Biological Conservation, Wildlife Rehabilitation, Zoo Biology, Anthrozoös, Ocean Science and trade journal Practical Fishkeeping.

Cornwall College Newquay alumni Rhiann Mitchell-Holland is the latest student to gain recognition of her work in published form. Research completed by Rhiann as part of her Honours Project for her degree forms the basis of a paper that has been recently accepted by the journal Bioscience Horizons (The International Journal of Student Research).

Rhiann said: “Publication of my Honours project in a peer-reviewed academic journal sets the seal on the quality of the Cornwall College Newquay experience for me. It was hugely motivating to be doing a project and know that the results would be used by scientists and regulators - and I knew this because they told me so, in emails and in person. When I presented the results in a poster at the South West Invasive Species Forum, it was brilliant to be treated by those taking part as one of the expert delegates.”

Rhiann continued: “It couldn't have been done without the support and guidance of my lecturers as co-authors; from dealing with the demands of referees to going through the proofs with a fine tooth comb. I know that this staff expertise isn't usually found outside of research-led universities and few universities have contacts who can apply the results. The combination of the two at Cornwall College Newquay is part of what makes it so special - and why I am so pleased to have attended there.”

For more information on the range of Wildlife Education, Animal Behaviour & Management and Zoological, Marine & Ecological Conservation courses available at Cornwall College Newquay visit www.cornwall.ac.uk or call 0330 123 2523.

"Be the change my generation wasn’t"

Written by Jason Birt

Jason is the Programme Manager of FdSc Wildlife Education & Media at Cornwall College Newquay. 

In this blog post, Jason imagines writing a New Year thank you letter to his future great-grandchildren in a post climate-change Cornwall.   
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Dear my wonderful great-grandchildren,

Many thanks for the flip-flops you gave me for Christmas – they really have made some advances with plant leather. I shall look forward to wearing them on the new beach. I hope you have had great Christmas in the Shetlands. I remember when they were a really cold outpost of Scotland. I understand they are quite temperate now and they’ve made a real success of independence.

Well, that was a fantastic Christmas we’ve just had!  I took the monorail over to New Newquay to join the many who jumped into the water at New Fistral on Christmas Day morning– not that cold: a balmy 17 °C in the water. Everybody has really taken to swimming over what was the golf course. Got to watch out for the swarms of jellyfish. Most of the time they are just annoying but occasionally they are the really poisonous ones.

Back at my house on the south coast, the turkey was washed down with some cracking Pinot Grigio from a lovely vineyard in Cumbria. They don’t half know how to ring out those flavours in the Lake District. Not a patch on the wines we had in the 2010s but French and Italian wines are a thing of the past. We had the dinner out in the garden during the evening – a bit too hot inside the house still and the garden during the day was burning hot. I must admit it does seem all of a palaver to slap on the 100% DEET before heading out to pull some crackers but those midges, sandflies and mosquitos are the devil himself. Got to take precautions, though, what with your nephew contracting malaria when visiting the Cambridgeshire coastline last November and I still get relapses from when I got it on a trip to Wales 20 years ago.

Do you remember all those years ago when I bought that cheap inland property?

I said it was a future investment because it would be waterfront in a few decades. You all laughed, thinking I was joking. The climatologists and oceanographers only predicted a 1 metre rise by 2100 back in 2018 but even they couldn't have guessed just how quickly the Greenland and Antarctic ice-sheets would slip off the land.Who’s laughing now? Nobody. Nobody at all.

As I mentioned, we had Christmas dinner in the garden. It was such a treat to hear those small autumnal waves lapping on the new beach just the other side of our garden fence. We went for a snorkel before dinner and it’s amazing just how quickly what was once farmland is turning into a marine habitat. It’s always a pleasure to see triggerfish and other Mediterranean creatures taking advantage of these new habitats - it's just a shame to have lost all the marine species from my childhood, especially as the diversity of species is much lower now.

You might worry that with my garden being southwest facing and now coastal, I would be in danger of these more powerful storms we've had these past few years. I have taken measures – the fence is more of a sea wall, really. And I have had a few inundations – cost me a few Euros as I cannot get home insurance anymore – but most of the time the wind is blowing from the northeast, so my coastal retreat is quite sheltered. I reckon I’ve got another decade before my house retreats beneath the waves: the sea is rising quite quickly.

What have I missed this year?

Birdsong - we have lost almost all of our species in recent years. They say it is because the migratory birds arrive too late for the invertebrates they feed on. They have done their thing and by the time the birds arrive, they have flown off or died. Nothing to feed them after such a long flight; nothing to feed the chicks either. That’s assuming the birds have survived the intensity of heat in Africa.

In my childhood, I loved seeing the swooping flights of swallows, swifts and house martins as they pursued their quarry of insects. No more. I must show you some video – the evidence predates holographic-telepathic transfer.

I also miss the fish I grew up eating. Trigger fish isn’t the same with chips as cod and haddock. Those species are just too far north in the Arctic and the Arctic Union won’t allow us in to catch them anyway. But you guys in Shetland know that! And I don’t care what the manufacturers say – jellyfish just isn’t a suitable replacement for shellfish, no matter what they do to it. That's ocean acidification for you...

But we’ll cope, I guess. Cornwall does feel like it’s getting hotter with each passing year and my air conditioning unit struggles during the hottest days of summer. I feel sorry for those who don't have one - it's a necessity these days. They say that the European desert is encroaching north with each decade. I can’t believe that it has reached as far as southern Brittany. Well, during the summer at least. I do like the way that it blooms during the winter, when the rains come, assuming it doesn't flood.

Anyway, that’s enough for now! I will hopefully, finally get to jet up to you in New Lerwick during the year, as I've always wanted to see it. And you are always welcome to fly down to the airport in New Newquay any time you want – as I said earlier, there is a decent monorail the six miles across to the south coast.

Yours sincerely,

Your Great Grandfather

P.S. – In all seriousness, I wish I could send this letter back in time to the students I was teaching in 2019. I'd tell them, “Be the change my generation wasn’t – it’s up to your generation to do something to remedy this developing situation. If this letter fires you up with righteous indignation – and it should – take the first step of a momentous journey of change and become an expert in how to make things right.” 

Of course, it's too late now. My sunny optimism in this letter masks the fact that conditions are tough here in Cornwall. I wish that you, my great grandchildren, had my childhood of birdsong, fish in the sea and seasons involving some sort of cool temperatures. Certainly, I wish you didn't have to fend off the mosquitoes. Perhaps Shetland gives you that childhood? I do hope so!

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.