Thailand’s Elephants of 2017

Written by student Jade Clayson, FdSc Conservation & Ecology  

There are more elephants in captivity in Thailand than there are in the wild in Thailand. Wild numbers are difficult to confirm given their dense forested habitats. The situation of Asia’s elephants is harrowing: the tourism trade. Elephants are forced to give rides, perform tricks and face long working hours in the strenuous Thai sun; many elephants die of exhaustion, stress and poor welfare. The tourism trade is a booming trade fuelled quite highly by westerners and now increasingly by Chinese and Russian citizens. Many tourists are unaware of the truth behind these close and intimate experiences with elephants. Elephants have not been domesticated, they are wild animals and sitting in howdahs (saddles) on their backs cannot be compared to that of sitting on a horse. Ever since the Thailand logging ban in 1989, elephants and their owners were forced to find work elsewhere (elephants are a source of income for hundreds of families in Asia), this dramatic shift in law saw the start of street begging elephants and the further development of using and exploiting elephants for our ‘entertainment’.

Three years ago, I applied for a 6-month internship on Global Vision International’s (GVI) elephant reintroduction programme in Thailand. Unaware of any of these issues before I went. From this life changing experience, endorsed in Karen hill-tribe culture, the ‘Thailand Elephants’ charity was born (www.thailandelephants.org). Gemma was the base manager of this programme and now is a very good friend of mine, she and I are the co-founders of this charity.

Student Jade Clayson (far right) in Thailand

During my time on this internship we also made good friends with Kerri McCrea, who last year started her own elephant project.Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary (KSES) opened in May 2016 and has quickly gained a great reputation: winning Thailand Green Excellence Award in the same year they opened. This summer I spent a month working as a staff member at KSES: leading hikes into the forest to observe and take data on the elephants, giving presentations, organising events, leading and motivating volunteers and loads of amazing other things (the list is endless). KSES are working very hard at the moment on their elephant research which, when published will be extremely valuable and positive to improve the husbandry and welfare standards of elephant in tourist camps throughout South East Asia.

‘Thailand Elephants’ charity focus on raising awareness and educating members of the public about the exploitation of elephants in the tourism industry. We also promote ethical elephant venues in Thailand, while we were there this summer we were able to progress extensively with our research and knowledge. My time away ignited and re-fired my passion and determination for Thailand Elephants and our work, I never lost the passion but being back out in Thailand was truly needed. Gemma met me out there and collectively we visited many elephant venues to gather further research on our ethical list. We now have made many links with organisations and people in the elephant world that will help our charity gain reputation and grow so we can reach more and more people, globally.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about elephants or our work. If you are keen on getting involved with our charity please email us through our website or contact us on Facebook. We have opportunities for you to be an advocate which would greatly help us spread the message and damn it would look good on your CV! Especially if you’re an aspiring conservationist, or even if you just love elephants/animals.

If you have been to Thailand or plan to go (or even know anyone planning) please, please, please fill in our survey (and share) to help us gather more research on traveller’s plans, even if you did not or plan not to see elephants. The data is very valuable to us: CLICK HERE FOR SURVEY 

I will be giving a talk at Cornwall College Newquay on Thailand Elephants soon – watch this space, posters will go up when a date and time is confirmed. 

www.thailandelephants.org

Facebook: @ThailandElephants

Heading for the coast this weekend?

By Dr Peter McGregor (Research Coordinator, Science & Natural Environment, The Cornwall College Group)

The recent spell of fine weather has lifted moods and shown Cornwall at its biodiverse and beautiful best. It’s easy to personally appreciate the benefits a little sunshine brings to Cornwall’s natural assets when you live here, but did you know that the positive benefits of spending time in the natural environment, such as reduced mental fatigue and negative mood, are well-documented scientifically?

Most investigations of such benefits have been carried out in urban parks, so it was good to see research published recently on how wildlife behaviour in a marine setting influences these effects.

Led by Dr Mat White of the European Centre for Environment and Human Health, the research team also involved Plymouth University, the RSPB and National Marine Aquariums. Researchers asked around 1500 people how they perceived several locations represented by videos and photographs in terms of their willingness to visit and restorative potential. The results showed that coastal settings with higher perceived biodiversity were rated as offering greater restorative potential. Respondents also reported they were more willing to visit them. What better motivation is there to explore what Cornwall has to offer?

The results also showed that men tended to be more sensitive to biodiversity levels and older respondents considered coastal settings in general to offer more potential to restore. As I fall into both sub-categories, I now know why I spend my weekends kayaking on Cornwall’s wonderful coast and why I seek out the more remote and wildlife-friendly sections.

The study’s findings probably also explain why our students at Cornwall College Newquay clock up more smiles per student than elsewhere in the UK. As a specialist provider of degree programmes in Zoology, Marine and Surf Science, you are more likely to find our students out on the beach at Tolcarne or taking samples knee-deep in the Gannel Estuary than you are in the classroom – they are experiencing first hand the positive effects of biodiverse coastal habitats.

So why not head for the coast this weekend? Be it the craggy cliffs of the Lizard Peninsula, the windswept towans at Hayle, or the sheltered coves around St Agnes, we are spoilt for choice. And science has shown us it’s doing us the world of good. Maybe I’ll see you there.

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

Help student conservationists save the bees

A group of student zoologists from Newquay are creating a buzz around their important new conservation project.

The Back Garden Bee Project, consisting of seven Applied Zoology & Conservation degree students from Cornwall College Newquay, have made it their mission to raise awareness on bees and their importance in the natural world. The group was formed around the Conservation Project Management module of their degree programme and has united the students in their passion to offer a helping hand to this global issue.

Student Ria Arabin from the team, said: “Bees may seem small in size but they are colossal with regards to ecological influence. We formed the Back Garden Bee Project to provide people with an insight into the incredible life of bees, providing information on what exactly is causing their decline and most importantly how everyone can get involved to help give them a much needed boost!”

Bees are the most important pollinator of food crops in the natural world and as pollination is essential to the growth of much of the food sources we rely on as humans, the ongoing decline in bee numbers would have global implications if it continues. As Albert Einstein famously once said:  “No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.”


Luckily, there are many simple changes that anyone can make to help bee populations in our own back gardens. Student Jessica Cranston explains: “By adding a few simple things to your garden you can turn it into a bee haven and help fight their decline! No matter what size garden you have, your level of gardening skills, available equipment, money or time, there are small changes you can make to help. Whether that is adding a window box full of their favourite flowers or planting a wild flower patch in your garden, every little thing will help your local bees.”

Fellow student Jamie McIlhatton continues: “Making more informed consumer choices is also really important. Supporting our local bee keepers and purchasing local honey rather than going for the easy, cheaper option at the supermarket will be integral to bee conservation in the future. You can visit your local farm shop or organic health food store for your best chance to find some local honey or even check out local bee keepers online. It’s a small change to make that can make a big difference, not to mention that local honey is delicious!”

The team of students have been spreading their conservation message online via social media and their own web site, as well as visiting local schools including a day spent at Summercourt Academy constructing DIY insect hotels with around 120 school children.

Jessica Cranston explains: “In addition to buying one from a local garden centre, anyone can make a contained insect hotel themselves, all the family can get involved and you can make it look however you want! You can go foraging in your garden or local woods to find wood, bark, pinecones, sticks and logs. The only challenging part is making the frame to fill, however there are resources online to show you how. It is also beneficial to the insects once inside, to cover the entire outside it wire mesh as this prevents predation from birds! We have a more detailed blog post that explains the process we went through to make our insect hotel on our website.”





For more information on The Back Garden Bee Project visit:

http://backgardenbeeproject.wixsite.com/website or search Back Garden Bee Project on Facebook.

 

For more information on the range of wildlife, conservation and marine science courses available across The Cornwall College Group visit www.cornwall.ac.uk or call 0330 123 2523.

Borneo research trip 2017

Written by Tamar Davis, FdSc Conservation & Ecology

In April 2017, I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to go to Danau Girang Field Centre for ten days with ten other students and three members of staff. We took part in numerous surveys which contributed to seven years’ worth of data collected by Cornwall College. Either side of the field course, we visited local conservation centres; explored Koto Kinabalu; and completed coral reef checks at Mantanani Island. The experience allowed us to use several survey techniques in a new environment and expand our knowledge of the projects taking place at Danau Girang.

To allow us to acclimatise, the first couple of days were spent in Sepilok, visiting the Orang Utan and Sun Bear Rehabilitation Centres, and the Rainforest Discovery Centre. This was a great introduction to the wildlife found in Sabah as well as an amazing opportunity to see such amazing animals such a short distance away. There were 44 sun bears at the centre that were undergoing the rehabilitation process to be rereleased. It was devastating to see so many sun bears in need of help, but so inspiring to see the conservation efforts of the local people.

                              

  We transferred to Danau Girang Field Centre where we were introduced to the team and the projects currently based at the centre. The buildings at DG were surrounded by riparian forest, which meant we were in constant contact with the wildlife around us. A family of macaques resided close to the centre and often appeared on the main path and outside our dormitory windows. A mother and baby orang utan, a wild boar and a civet also made appearances just metres from us and the buildings. Having such amazing animals so close to us made it hard for us to believe they were wild, but were reminders of what an incredible place DG is and how lucky we were to be living within such a remarkable environment.

In between the rain, we conducted surveys on the Kinabatangan River and in the forest. These included bird surveys; primate surveys; night frog surveys; fish surveys; camera trapping; fish and crustacean traps; moth surveys; and river profiling. During these surveys, we saw a diverse range of species including kingfishers, hornbills, and eagles; proboscis monkeys, macaques, and langurs; and brown bull frogs; tree frogs, and microhyla frogs. Being part of these surveys gave us the opportunity to learn and practice new techniques which we can use in the future.



A highlight of these ten days for me was the night walks. Walking slowly and silently through the forest at nigh allowed us to see a variety of unusual invertebrates including stick insects, mantis, and a Arctiine Moth pupa. The complexity of the invertebrates really made me appreciate the environment I was in and refuelled my fascination of the natural world and passion for conserving it for future generations to learn from and enjoy.




 After spending a night in Kota Kinabalu, we transferred to Mantanani Island, where the variety of surveys continued. During the day, several snorkelling trips took place to survey fish, marine invertebrates, and coral. In the evenings, we watched to sunset together and counted the frigate birds. We also had the opportunity to take part in early morning scrub fowl surveys and night walks to survey the endemic Mantanani scops owl. These surveys and this environment was a huge contrast to what we had experienced in DG, but equally as amazing and valuable.





The whole experience was incredible and I would recommend it to anyone willing to learn a vast range of survey techniques in a new and exciting environment, surrounded by like-minded and inspiring people. As a group, we have all become closer and have continued to remain in more constant contact than we did before we left, sharing our memories and discussing what conclusions can be made from the data we collected. I am very thankful to the lecturers who made the trip possible and allowed it to be so incredible and valuable.

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

Students unleash innovative surfing competition

One of the Europe’s leading surfing competition events is once again being organised by students studying at Cornwall College Newquay. 

The Surf Science and Marine Sports Science students 

The Personnel Solutions Surfaced Pro, which was held for the first time last year, was praised for offering equal prize money for the men and women’s events and the professional way it was coordinated.

Taking place at Watergate Bay on May 6th and 7th, the Personnel Solutions Surfaced Pro is the first event on the 2017 UK PRO Surf (UKPS) Tour and is being organised by higher education students from Cornwall College Newquay.

The event will see competitors from both the UK and Europe battle it out in a range of categories, and is already attracting interest with its focus on new and innovative surfing and equality in prize money for both male and female competitors.

Ellie Turner at last years competition  (photo credit-Jason Feast / UKPSA)

Programme Manager Brender Willmott from Cornwall College has been guiding the students along the way. She said: “Working with the UKPS Tour on the first event of the year gives the students a fantastic opportunity to meet elite surfers and to work with sponsors, athletes and related organisations but brings its challenges as they are just coming to end of a busy first year and gearing up for end of year assessments and exams!

Brender continued: “They are having to get focused and show real commitment to their studies and the event – it’s a great real life experience and challenging to say the least!”

Working alongside UKPS, the student’s involvement covers every element of the event planning, from marketing and promotion, gaining sponsorship, right through to the logistics of the day.

The event is organised by the students as part of their Surf Science and Marine Sport Science degree programmes at Cornwall College.

These courses cover a wide variety of elements within the surf industry and marine environment, from event planning, marketing and enterprise, board construction as well as topics such as biomechanics and oceanography.        

UKPST director Dave Reed said it was great to be “working again with Cornwall College students to organise and run this ground-breaking event”.

Finalists from last years competition  (photo credit-Jason Feast / UKPSA)

Zoe Gascoyne, a Marine Sports Science student at Cornwall College Newquay is project managing the event. Zoe said: “I am enjoying the real hands-on approach that we are receiving and its great work experience in the field of events management. Running this event with Dave Reed from the UK Pro Surf Tour has introduced me to so many new ideas and contacts in the surfing industry; it's been a great opportunity to network. I have also learnt how to work with industry professionals and it's great to be included in every step of the event planning process.”

Zoe continued: “It's shaping up to be a great weekend of surfing with some the UK's elite athletes competing to win titles as well as points on the UK Pro Tour. Watergate Bay is one of Newquay’s most beautiful beaches and with Korev Lager joining us down on the beach we can guarantee a chilled out weekend with some awesome surfing!”

Personnel Solutions have been announced as the title sponsor for Surfaced Pro.
Managing Director of the company Matthew Sherratt said it was great to be the headline sponsor for event.

“This is a new marketing direction for the company, however, with all the hard work the College students put in, we know our investment will achieve a great return.”


Our UK Pro Surf Tour from UK Pro Surf Tour on Vimeo.


For more information on the Personnel Solutions Surfaced Pro, please visit www.ukprosurf.com and to find out more about the Marine Sports and Surf Science courses available at Cornwall College Newquay, please visit www.cornwall.ac.uk or call 0330 123 2523.

Leading the UK fight against alien invasion

Conservation action groups from across the South West have been leading the UK’s battle against alien invaders.

The South West Invasive Species Forum, organised by Cornwall- based conservation group SINNG (Student Invasive Non-Native Group) alongside South West Water, was held at Roadford Lake recently with delegates from across the region attending as part of national Invasive Species Week.


The aim of the event was to coordinate action and awareness on the impacts of invasive non-native species and a range of organisations collaborated, looking at the problems these species pose and discussing possible solutions.
Animals and plants from all over the world have been introduced to Britain by people and while most are harmless, 10-15% spread and become invasive. This can lead to them harming the environment and our wildlife, impacting on the economy, or even posing a risk to our health and the way we live.

Nicola Morris

Nicola Morris, a Lecturer at Cornwall College Newquay and Project Coordinator of SINNG, explained: “Most people are familiar with the problems that Japanese knotweed can cause. But other species are becoming a serious problem such as American skunk cabbage and some animal species such as the freshwater zebra mussel.”


Nicola, who chairs both Cornwall and the South West Invasive Species Forum, continued: “I see the invasive species forums, both at county and regional level, being umbrella groups supporting a wide range of stakeholders, able to offer support, share knowledge, expertise and potentially offer practical support where possible. With such a wealth of experience in the west country from people who have been working with invasive species for many years we are in a good position to coordinate management of these invaders in order to be most effective in the control of invasive species and raise awareness of their impacts.”




“The forum was a huge success and I was pleased to see so many people in one room intent on making a difference to the environment in Cornwall by taking action on invasive species. After seeing the huge success of the Cornwall Knotweed Forum over many years I hope this South West Invasive Species Forum could also lead the way in helping to control and limit the impacts of invasive species.”

Attendees at the South West Forum

The West Country is leading the way with this type of conservation work with two new groups now established to tackle the issue on a county scale. Cornwall Invasive Species Forum was set up last year and the Devon Invasive Species Initiative has just been launched under the umbrella of the Devon Local Nature Partnership. Representatives from both groups are working collaboratively to see how they can work together on a regional scale and it is hoped that other county-based invasive species forums will be set up to support a joined-up regional approach to tackle the problems posed by invasive species.


Sue Goodfellow, Chair of the Devon Local Nature Partnership, said: “We are delighted to be establishing a new initiative in Devon, to raise awareness of the increasing problem of invasive non-native species. A diverse group of organisations has come together to take this forward all with a key aim. It is critical that local organisations, specialists and land owners and managers work together to reduce the spread of invasives.”

Student Jade Clayson speaking to the group

Student Jade Clayson from Cornwall College Newquay attended the forum as a SINNG volunteer. Jade said: “I really enjoyed the forum; I’ve spent quite a bit of time volunteering with SINNG and enjoy being part of such a good cause. It brings people together, whether working in this line of work or even having a slight interest. It’s so important for the future of our native wildlife, habitats and ecosystems and without awareness, talk and action we will lose our very important British species.
“Having these forums allows people to share their thoughts, innovative ideas, fears, plans, solutions and the more people involved, the further the word spreads.  I love the process of all the work SINNG does and I’m proud to be a part of these wonderful partnerships that involve the community to make the town and nature, a better place.”


Anyone interested in joining the Cornwall or South West INNS Forum please contact Nicola Morris on: nicola.morris@cornwall.ac.uk

More information on the Devon Invasives Initiative can be found at: http://www.naturaldevon.org.uk/home/devon-invasive-species-initiative/

Herpetofauna Workers Meeting 2017

SINNG Coordinator Nicola Morris alongside student volunteers had a road trip up to the Herpetofauna Workers’ Meeting in Central Nottingham.     

Organised by Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC) and Amphibian and Reptile Groups of UK (ARG UK), this two-day event is the highlight of the herpetological calendar. On offer was a full and varied programme of presentations and workshops with plenty of opportunities to network with a diverse audience representing conservation organisations, ecological consultants, statutory bodies, land managers, academic institutions and students, and enthusiastic volunteers.

Hear about the experience from two of our students who attended:

Frankie Simpson BSc (Hons) Applied Zoology and Conservation

“When I first got the email about the conference, I wasn’t so sure that it would be right for me, because my interest lies primarily within Marine. Although I am doing a herpetological genetics project and I saw that there were some planned talks on genetics and eDNA. So I decided it could be useful for me to go, and I'm so glad I did!

Just before I went, the stress of my third year uni work load had caused me to lose motivation for the course and the research I was doing. Going to the conference, speaking to professionals that are currently working within conservation and hearing about their research and what it achieves gave me back my motivation to do well within my course. It's easy to lose sight of why we do things, especially when they can be stressful, but it's going to conferences like the herp workers meeting and hearing the interesting presentations that help to put it back into perspective and re-inspire you to get back at it.

Since getting home from the conference, I've never gotten through my work faster or felt better about the quality of it. When you have those moments when you lose the motivation or have a block, it helps to take a step back and reassess where you are and what needs to be done to get where you're going. The herp workers meeting did just that for me. It also gave me an insight as to what it's like giving those types of talks. As part of our honours projects we are expected to give a presentation on our research, so I used the conference as an opportunity to gain some tips on presentations, watching people give their talks so I would know what to do when it comes time for me to do mine. Because of how well the whole weekend went I'm already planning on going to the scientific conference in December.” 

Jade Clayson FdSc Conservation & Ecology

“My biggest highlight of the whole experience I had attending this amazing informative conference was the amount of knowledge I left with. I would not say my sole interests are in herpetology, but it’s a big passion of mine. I like to branch out and get involved with all different aspects and species within conservation. I’m not really sure on my path yet.

The part that was most interesting to me was the Norfolk Pond Project, who aim to reserve the decline of Norfolk’s ponds so that agricultural landscapes contain a mosaic of clean water ponds with fewer ponds overgrown by trees and bushes. 

I found their project extremely interesting; Carl Sayer is a very passionate and dedicated gentleman. Without my words coming across as disrespectful in any way, he, unlike most of the folk in the whole room (particularly professional scientists and ecologists) did not have a large scientific background. But his love of his work shone through his presentation and I loved that. I guess the reason this was such a massive interest of mine is because his project’s work made my recent volunteer work with SINNG feel more rewarding than ever (with the most recent work on restoring Treloggan’s pond). The photographs of Carl and teams work was phenomenal, ponds that didn’t really exist are now teaming with life. The process of change over time was incredible.

Ponds are in massive decline throughout the UK, largely due to land claim, pollution and INNS. Restoring overgrown and ghost ponds encourages life such as amphibians, plants, mammals, invert’s, birds and fish.

I learnt so much on this two-day conference and met many influential important people in the field of ecology, herpetology and sciences. I left with a bigger passion for herps most definitely. The most recent scientific methodology of eDNA sampling for our protected GCN’s was news to my ears. What an amazing new piece of technology. The different areas and organisations of work going on through the UK was very interesting and it was amazing to see so many passionate people.

I was extremely impressed with the whole experience and plan to attend this event next year and I would seriously encourage any other student to go (even if not interested in herps specifically because you’d be surprised and how damn awesome they are). Snakes scare the life out of me, but I left that conference with a new-found love (although I am sure they still terrify me).”