Woodland Ecology and Conservation (with Sandwich Year) BSc (Hons)

University of Cumbria

Course Overview

Climate change and biodiversity loss are the twin challenges of our time, choose woodland ecology and conservation to gain the expertise to enable you to become part of the solution.

Delivered by research-active academics, some of whom have recent woodland management experience; the course includes lectures, laboratory practicals, computer sessions and fieldwork in the ancient semi-natural woodlands and commercial forest plantations around our beautiful Ambleside Campus, in the heart of the Lake District National Park. You will be inspired by passionate lecturers telling you about their own research findings, and by field trips where staff discuss the ecologically evidence-based decisions they made.

The National School of Forestry has been producing future foresters and woodland ecologists for fifty years. A professional body, the Institute of Chartered Foresters, accredits this course, and the Woodland Trust awards the prize for best graduate. Some recent students have benefitted from our exchange programme with Humboldt State University, studying among the redwoods of California.

Placement year

We want our students to get paid placements, rather than voluntary internships, but nothing can be guaranteed. We facilitate seeking placements and have contacts with previous providers, but it has to be the responsibility of the student to secure the placement. Some placements pay a wage, others offer free accommodation, others just a training budget. Some provide a car or use of a pool vehicle, for others you need your own transport. If you do not already have a driving licence, be aware that you will have to learn to drive in order to have any realistic hope of obtaining a placement, or a future job. What we can say is that students who go on placements provide feedback that the experience has been beneficial. It is fairly common for students to return from placement with job offers from their providers for when they graduate. Indeed, some students return part-time because they have taken jobs at the end of their placement.

Why Choose University of Cumbria

• This is the only Woodland Ecology and Conservation course in the UK, possibly the world.

• Woodland Ecology and Conservation with and without placement received 100% Overall Satisfaction in the 2019 NSS as part of a suite of forestry and conservation courses

• Full employment of 2019 Woodland Ecology and Conservation with and without placement graduates in the woodland ecology and forest industry sector.

• Recent graduates have included National Park Wildlife Rangers, Planning Foresters with Forest and Land Scotland, Woodland Management Consultants and Assistant Forest Managers with Tillhill Forestry.