Give the agriculture students a spade and a field to look at and they will be happy, as evidenced in this photo, though I’m not sure where they have hidden their spade. They were deciding whether to enter the fields into Countryside Stewardship, convert to arable (there used to be turnips here) or whether they needed to introduce more rye-grass. This is a small farm near Brampton, Cumbria.

Also pictured, talking to the group, is Hannah Davis, PhD student and former Organic Agriculture MSc. I can honestly say that I would not have survived the last year or two without her ability to turn her hand to anything I ask her to do at any ridiculous amount of  short notice. Thanks, Hannah. 

It is such a pleasure to watch our 4th year MEnv students present their dissertations.  As first years they were conscientious and engaged so their hard work and enthusiasm have paid off as they present these high quality, high impact pieces of research. Jackson audited and made recommendations regarding sustainability at Barbour (an enormous task), Gabby investigated paper cup recycling at Newcastle Uni and Phoebe researched bio-stimulants as alternatives to conventional fertilisers to promote sustainable agricultural production. Their slides are of such high quality and the confidence with which they stand before their audience and present their work and answer questions cannot be faulted. I feel pretty proud of them, but their families can be prouder still.

How better to spend a sunny spring afternoon, as a break from assignments, than to learn how to identify grass vegetatively? Oh and we slipped a few lichen surveys in too. My son does not believe that the students are actually enjoying themselves, but they couldn’t be happier. (Edit: actually he did, but only when he thought they were having a picnic.)

Adam Rodgers analysed a pollen core at Greenleighton Mire a couple of years ago as part of a 3rd year module. He carried out all the work independently. Abi from the National Park read his paper with interest and asked if it could be published. I thought I would at least add his pollen diagram to my bog blog. Meanwhile I am looking into plioting an online student journal scheme with our students, so maybe we can publish the entire paper. If you would like to see the article, then please contact me.

Janet taught us (the MSc students and others) a handful of lichens that live on trees. With the help of a trusty app we have been racing to record lichens on trees throughout the northeast. The map gives the survey locations to date. I suspect Ray currently has the record for being most obsessed, but I have a (un)healthy fascination with the map – which can be accessed via the link below. https://eric-ne.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=bcb8ca4119014c81b24fb6b052f075b1 . Photo by Carol Ross, a much better  photographer than I.

If you want to get involved – I can put you in touch with Dr Janet Simkin, the creator of the survey.

What an amazing week for jobs.

Adam – who graduated in summer from the MEnv in Ecosystem Management got offered two jobs this week: one with a government agency, the other with an environmental consultancy. He says he has finally worked out how to do job interviews using the STAR technique.

Phil (on pic) on MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation and Ecosystem Management has landed himself a work experience over the summer in Iceland surveying arctic foxes. Wow – how cool is that? Then I believed he’s looking at birds on Lindisfarne, which though voluntary is highly competitive.

And Ellie (on pic), also on that course, has been offered the Coastal Care traineeship – an amazing opportunity to build skills. She said our careers event in November helped her so much with applications and interviews, along with Janet’s trip to the Whinsill – as she will be managing a bit of that very grassland.

And then there’s Phoebe and Jackson who are finishing off our MEnv program and are already set up with jobs. Jackson got an Environmental Consultancy position and an offer with his current placement while Phoebe has landed a place on Nuclear Graduates scheme.

The 3rd years chose any topic for their literature review- as long as it related to Environmental Science – and any means of communication. John chose to include some primary data collection in collaboration with Gibside National Trust. These are some of the posters. Others chose presentations or leaflets. Hoping for a video or website perhaps next year.

The MSc Ecological Consultants, Wildlife Consevation and Biodiversity and Conservation students have been thinking about how best to monitor botanical species when carrying out research projects to detect change. How accurate is estimating percent cover by eye? Are there alternatives? Is it ok to use DOMIN? Also improving botanical skills. Then working out how to enter and manipulate data efficiently in Excel – but I didn’t get any pics in the computer room – not sure why!

I think Ray is doing all the hard work while Phil is just relaxing listening to the meadow pipits and skylarks …I assume they are taking turns.

Jatavia and Yuqian are taking a moment to pose for the camera while Ke continues to identify the moorland species

Just finishing off the podzol soil profile – they might even be enjoying themselves

Testing the water quality – samples from the Ouseburn

Tufa dam – a rare sight for Northumberland – a site for future field trip that I’ve been checking out with Paul from Natural England and James from Nafferton

The first year Environmental Science and Earth Science and Countryside Managers and Rural Studies have been making the most of the not too bad weather and been learning about soil profiles, water quality, Land Use Capability and water quantity – with more to come after Easter when they do some botany and develop their own research projects… watch this space.

Steng Moss with the Abi of the National Park. Taking peat depths and pulling up Sitka trees to prevent invasion. Learning about bog management. Musa got the deepest peat at 7.1m.   Checking the Whin Sill species with Janet and Gill – the creators of the grass roof at the Sill Discovery Centre. We also trialled Janet’s new lichen distribution app.

We also enjoyed seeing lizards on the bog and toads on the Whin Sill. 

And some crazy proof that one of us can still turn a mean cartwheel in her wellies.