Course Impact Assessment

Assessment Centre

On the 12^th November we had our first assessment for this module. The workshop gave me a lot of feedback to work with for future interviews and greatly aided with my public speaking – one of my weaker points. It was also interesting to learn our personal traits through the Belbin’s test and discover what our respective roles would be within a working group. Though the email prioritisation was relatively straightforward, it was still interesting to see how we would differently prioritise the importance of the emails and act accordingly to each of the presented scenarios.

Careers Café

The 5^th December was the Careers Café which was sure to have great insights on how to gain employment post-graduation and show the wide range of careers paths available. Unfortunately I was unable to attend due to adverse weather conditions preventing me from returning from a recruitment event. However this module’s content proved invaluable for this event. It taught me how to highlight my transferable skills from academia and voluntary work. The assessment centre also aided with one-on-one interviews. The recruitment event allowed me to experience a formal interview situation and learn what employers look for in their applicants.

CV

The preparation of the CV was of huge benefit due to producing a template that can be used for future job applications. This included learning the basic structure of the CV and how to keep it succinct yet aesthetic. It was useful to learn how to tailor the CV to each respective job by organising it so as to emphasise the most relevant points. This was illustrated by seeing the different designs of CVs i.e. experience and skills focused. Additionally the preparation of the cover letter aided in formal writing and how to support and complement our CV.

Dragon’s Den

The 17^th February was the Dragon’s den exercise – a chance to develop our understanding of entrepreneur skills and pitch our ideas to a university panel.  This was useful for learning the basics, and what to consider, when starting a business. It also helped build on the assessment centre workshop; encouraging efficient teamwork and utilising our strengths, whether they be at planning or marketing. The tight deadlines also helped improve our time management. This was also a rare chance to use creativity and inventiveness both in thinking of original business ideas and creating a promotional video.

Business Plan Essay

Though essential for entrepreneurs, the knowledge of how to prepare business plans proved beneficial for a range of careers. The plethora of different points addressed within the sections can be applied to multiple scenarios, both when applying for and working in different careers. For example, communicate accurately and succinctly is vital for public speaking and research proposals. Additionally the knowledge of a USP is vital for every business and for prospective employees to stand out from other candidates. Furthermore the SWOT analysis can be used to improve the efficiency and co-operation of a team or business and develop your personal work ethic.

How the Seminars have influenced my Career Plans

The seminars have complemented not only this module, but my course (zoology) as a whole. The variety of topics covered have given me knowledge in a variety of biological sciences which have proven useful for other assignments and modules. These seminars have also illustrated the array of different careers related to my chosen degree and interests – included career paths I hadn’t previously considered such as urban forestry. Though I am not yet sure on my ideal vocation, I now have more knowledge and understanding on topical research projects and conservation issues which I can become a part of.

March Comments

I commented on these two blog posts this month:

http://elizabethhopkinson.wordpress.com/2014/03/31/illegal-hunting-and-the-bushmeat-trade-an-emerging-crisis-in-african-savannahs-by-peter-lindsay/comment-page-1/#comment-13

http://bsue3d.wordpress.com/2014/03/29/whats-for-dinner-illegal-hunting-and-the-bush-meat-trade-an-emerging-crisis-in-african-savannahs/comment-page-1/#comment-26

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Urban Forestry

Urban Forestry can be loosely defined as forests that grow in or around urban areas to provide ecosystem services. They can range from parks and large woodlands to simply the trees planted on streets or in people’s gardens. Whilst its name is relatively new, urban forestry has been shown to provide a huge variety of benefits to both people and wildlife in urban areas. As the UK is predominately urban, with around 80% of the population living in these areas, urban forestry is of great importance and will likely become more so in the future.

Within cities themselves, trees are particularly helpful for moderating the local climate and helping to insulate buildings. They act as a windbreak and also provide a canopy to act as a shelter against rain. Deciduous trees also lose their leaves during winter; allowing sunlight through to heat buildings. Trees can also aid in flood control – the cover from leaves restricts run-off whilst roots stabilise the surrounding soil. This is especially relevant given the recent adverse weather.

Forests have also been shown to have health benefits. 1/6 people in the UK will suffer a mental illness in their lifetime, but trees have been shown to help soothe anxiety, stress, and also improve recovery rates. Alongside this, trees have a huge role in filtering pollution. In Chicago approximately 10.8 tonnes of pollutants are removed daily by trees. Given the UK has one of the highest child asthma counts (around 15%), increasing these areas could be hugely beneficial.

Urban forestry could additionally have socio-economic benefits. These areas help promote community engagement and projects with nature. They’re also an essential education tool for the younger generation of the value of our natural areas. These sites are also cheaper to manage than grass fields which require frequent mowing. Additionally they raise the biodiversity and aesthetics of an area which can promote its housing market.

Ultimately there is a great range of opportunities from urban forestry. Alongside the enormous public benefit, this practice is becoming increasingly recognised. This could pave the way for the fusion of nature within our urban areas. Architecture in particular is incorporating these ideas into new building designs to create more aesthetic environments.

Naturally there are some challenges. In terms of ecology, planting trees needs to be performed carefully so that native species aren’t damaged – a non-native tree could spread disease or not benefit wildlife in the same way. Additionally there are also still superstitious beliefs surrounding woodlands. European fairy tales have made out forests to be dangerous places that need to be avoided, when in reality we should be encouraging their use for recreation and aiding wildlife.

Given such a simple concept has been shown to have such a multitude of positive effects, it is undeniably a practice that should be promoted and encouraged. With increasing information and training in urban forestry, and the expanding size of urban areas, the synergy of nature within cities and suburban areas will hopefully become more commonplace in the future.

Grey Squirrels vs Red Squirrels: My Personal Opinion

In response to a couple of comments left on my last post, I just wanted to give my personal opinion on the ongoing squirrel debate. The main reason I omitted this my previous post was simply as I realised it could be a blog post itself (due to having … erm… “strong views” on the subject) rather than a fair review of the seminar. So this is basically what this monolith of text is (sorry!).

So the seminar itself was obviously rather bias, but there were some worrying aspects that I picked up on. In particular, from what I gathered during the talk, there was no conclusive evidence beforehand that the eradication of greys on Anglesey would actually benefit the remaining red squirrels. It seems unprofessional that a conservation body would kill around 3000 grey squirrels on the off chance it might help 40 reds; regardless of the project proving a success. Additionally, whilst the status of the red squirrels is being monitored, there doesn’t appear to be any studies evaluating the impact that this eradication has had on the other endemic wildlife of Anglesey. Given there are already plans to perform eradications in Scotland (and we were told some “enthusiastic” locals have already begun culling greys) it’s worrying that the long-term impacts aren’t being assessed before the project is repeated again. Ultimately there may be a derogatory impact on Anglesey’s nature in the future that will also affect Scotland if these proposals go ahead.

The methods used for eradicating greys are also of concern. The guest speaker seemed to hold a prejudice against those who are unsettled by the killing of grey squirrels (something along the lines of these people don’t want any kind of animal to be killed). Whilst there can be extremists on both sides of any debate, the dismissal of these concerns is unjust. The main extermination technique used appears to be shooting. However this can result in causing heavy injury and not mortality if unsuccessful. Also, whilst illegal, there have been recorded instances of drowning being used. Due to it being legal to kill greys there doesn’t appear to be proper education or enforcement of the limitations to this law. Though it’s illegal to release a trapped grey squirrel under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981, it’s also illegal to cause unnecessary suffering to an animal under your care, included those caught in traps, under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Therefore, unless grey squirrels are killed by pest control experts or similar professionals, there’s a risk that people could be in breach of this law.

From the seminar and research I’m not surprised why this debate is so heated. I learnt from the talk that greys cause more damage than I previously thought. The suggestions and reports that greys are negatively affecting our native birds is especially worrying and definitely something that requires further investigations. Though there is a survival of the fittest argument, we must remember that reds were the best competitor in the UK and have only now declined because greys were introduced by humans – an event which wouldn’t have happened naturally.

However, unless there’s strong experimental evidence that shows that grey squirrels are having negative impacts to a range of UK wildlife, and that their removal won’t cause further damage, I personally cannot condone the proposed eradication of this species. Grey squirrels have had over a century to integrate into the ecosystems of the UK (NB: there was a mistake in my previous post, greys were introduced in 1876 not 1976 – my bad). The complete removal of this species would thus cause impacts to the entire ecosystem, meaning multiple species of wildlife would decline for the sake of reds. This is why I find it irresponsible that only the status of red squirrels is being monitored on Anglesey, and not the wildlife of the island as a whole. Basically an attempt to remove greys on a large scale could seriously damage the UK’s nature as a whole.

There’s also evidence, as pointed out in one of the comments, of reds developing immunity to squirrelpox in certain areas (e.g. Merseyside). As one of the main causes of their decline from greys, this natural recovery might allow reds to increase their numbers and range of their own accord without human intervention. Reds also seem to be able to coexist with greys. Whilst greys fare better among broadleaf trees, reds are able to survive among coniferous trees. So, a more sensible conservation strategy could be to promote and improve these coniferous areas to aid reds, rather than eradicating greys. We could thus compromise and be able to have both red and grey squirrels in the UK rather than encouraging the discrimination of one species for the sake of another.

Therefore, my personal opinion is that grey squirrels shouldn’t be eradicated in the UK. Added to this I also believe the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 should be amended to make it legal for trapped greys to be released. Whilst I still think we should try to increase the numbers of red squirrels, I believe a better conservation method would be to try and promote their resistance to squirrelpox, and increase areas of coniferous woodlands where they can outcompete greys, rather than trying to completely eradicate an integral species of the UK’s wildlife.

Feburary Comments

I commented on these two blog posts this month:

http://animalgal16.wordpress.com/2014/03/03/landscape-scale-grey-squirrel-control-lessons-from-the-uk-by-craig-shuttleworth/comment-page-1/#comment-25

http://bsuebb.wordpress.com/2014/03/01/a-brief-debate-on-the-two-species-of-squirrels-occurring-in-britain/comment-page-1/#comment-9

The Eurasian Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulagris)

Red squirrels are arboreal rodents distinguished by their rich red coats (which grey over winter). Like the European Pine Marten, red squirrels were once widespread throughout the UK, but have since heavily reduced in numbers. This is a result of competition with the introduced Eastern Grey Squirrel. Reds are now only found exclusively in Scotland, Ireland, Crosby, and the Isle of Wight. With only 140,000 reds thought to remain (compared to 2.5million greys) conservation efforts have attempted to promote the recovery of red squirrel populations.

Grey squirrels were introduced to the UK in 1976 from North America. Greys are almost twice as heavy as reds but have similar diets and habitats. Greys also live in greater densities than reds. Because of this, greys are able to outcompete and displace reds. Additionally, greys carry a fatal squirrelpox virus. Whilst greys are immune, squirrelpox is lethal to reds with most dying 4-5 days after infection. This explains why red squirrel numbers have declined so heavily.

A survey on behalf of the European Squirrel Initiative showed 69.7% of the UK public wanted greys to be controlled in order to restore the number of red squirrels. In 1998 a project aimed to completely eradicate greys from Anglesey to aid the 40 remaining reds. The project was successful and resulted in reds rapidly recovering on the island – increasing in number and inhabiting an additional 1350 hectares. Levels of squirrelpox virus also decreased on Anglesey. This showed red squirrels could recover naturally if grey squirrels were controlled. Similar conservation projects are therefore intended in Scotland.

Despite this there are concerns regarding the control of greys. Mass-culling of greys may have implications to their ecosystem. Due to decreasing the number of greys, predators would have less prey. Greys also promote tree growth by burying seeds in caches. However, overall, greys seem to cause more damage than good. In urban areas, greys are known to work their way into roofs, where they chew insulation, and may cause fires by eating wiring. They also strip bark – damaging trees. Furthermore greys may be decreasing bird numbers by eating eggs and fledglings.

Reds however are more beneficial to the UK’s nature. Reds bury seeds similar to greys but have a poorer memory. This results in many not being found and promotes greater tree growth. Reds are also more likely to be predated by birds of prey than greys due to being smaller. Pine martens are also known to predate reds. Therefore conservation of reds and reintroductions of pine martens may benefit each other.

As a native species favoured by the public, conservation of red squirrels in the UK is a priority. Though there are welfare concerns regarding culling, greys are ultimately an introduced species negatively impacting our local wildlife. Additionally immunocontraceptives and squirrelpox vaccines may be able to be used in the future to regulate greys by non-lethal means. Therefore, by controlling greys we can not only minimize their damages, but also allow reds to recover naturally and become widespread throughout the UK once more.

Dragon’s Den

On the 17^th February we took part in a Dragon’s den exercise – a chance to develop our understanding of entrepreneur skills and pitch our ideas to a university panel.  As a group of 6 we were tasked with mapping our business ideas, creating a short promotional video, and then pitching our proposals to the panel and our peers.

Our group decided to use Treborth Botanic Gardens as a “thriving area for conservation, education, and public recreation”. Essentially we aimed to promote conservation efforts, and educate the public of threats to wildlife, by using Treborth as a hub to host a range of recreational activities. This planning stage was particularly useful for the upcoming business plan assignment as we had to tailor our ideas around the 8 sections of a business case. This ranged from the structure and organisation of our business to how we aimed to secure funding and make our enterprise sustainable in the long run. It also helped in the understanding of whether our business ideas were feasible (workable and realistic) and viable (profitable).

The highlight of the event was the production of a 20 second promotional video. As a science degree, with essays being the normal assignment, it made a welcome change and chance to demonstrate creativity. With limited time and resources the outcomes were rather comedic, but there was some great examples such as the use of sketches and stick figures to advertise the the group’s businesses.

The final stage was to face the dragons and present our business idea to the floor. Again the groups had limited time to finalise and practice their presentations yet everyone still presented their ideas enthusiastically with all the necessary content. For me personally this stage was probably the most useful. Normally for presentations I end up having to rehearse everything I want to say until I feel confident that it’ll actually go well. However this task with its restricted practice time showed that it wasn’t really necessary; improvising can work just as well as long as it gets the information across and is still engaging.

Overall the day was incredibly useful for learning the basics, and what to consider, when starting a business. As groups it helped to build on the previous assessment centre workshop; encouraging working efficiently as a team and utilising our strengths, whether they were at planning the business or creating promotional videos. Added to this the tight deadlines definitely helped improve our time management by making sure we could complete the set tasks, and convey our message across in short periods of time. It was also a rare chance to use creativity and inventiveness both in thinking of original business ideas, and creating the promotional video.

December Comments

I commented on these two blog posts this month:

http://jstops.wordpress.com/2013/12/30/return-of-the-beaver-welsh-beaver-project/comment-page-1/#comment-22

http://zoologygeek.wordpress.com/2013/12/08/role-up-role-up-come-to-chester-zoo/comment-page-1/#comment-17

Exploring the Microbial Frontiers of our Frozen Planet

Approximately 11% of the entire land surface of Earth is permanently covered by thick ice sheets or glaciers. In these harsh environments, temperatures rarely rise above that of a fridge (4°C). These extremities have previously only been researched in physical terms (focusing on geography and geology) but have recently been studied as ecosystems and biomes (focusing more on ecology).

Though these glaciated conditions prevent most animals from being able to live in these regions, a wide range of microbes can be found. Algae are able to live within the snow and ice, bacteria are present in the air, cyanobacteria can be found in streams between ice sheets, and cryoconite (a mix of microbes, soot, and small rock particles) can be found within small potholes throughout the frozen surface. On the glaciers themselves, the top 2m or so of ice forms a photic zone. This “porous” ice allows sunlight to filter through and accommodate an abundance of micro-organisms. Even beneath the glaciers themselves, rock-eating microbes can be found which influence erosion.

The cryoconite found in these frozen locations are of particular interest. They are distinct from soils and moraines and contain liquid water. This allows them to house a community of bacteria and fungi. These microbial communities are unique to their resident glaciers, containing different mixtures of bacteria and microbes. Whilst cryoconite varies among different locations, they all contain soot. This soot darkens the ice, decreasing the amount of light reflected by the ice surface. This darkening also means more heat is absorbed, making the ice melt more quickly.

Within the dense packs of snow on the surface of ice sheets, a range of green algae can be found. These algae are also believed to increase melting by releasing spores full of sunblocks. These algae can also “bloom” into huge numbers, even in these freezing conditions, to have a big influence on the rate of melting.

Greenland has become a useful example for looking at the effects of these microbes. Over ¾s of Greenland is covered with ice sheets. This ice has been noted getting darker due to more cyroconites. Greenland is already known to drop off huge icebergs (2-4 times the size of Manhattan) and in 2012 it was found that that 97% of the surface ice was melting to some degree. The exact reason for this rapid melting isn’t yet fully understood, but the increasing amount of cryoconite could be, in part, responsible. Blooms of algae in the surface snow and ice could also be making the ice melt quicker.

In order to properly understand the nature of our frozen environments, and why they’re melting so quickly, we need to focus more on the microbial species that are found there. Their effects on melting in particular is important during this century, where global warming is having serious impact on our environment. With further research and awareness, we can learn the exact effects that these microbes are having, and how to control the negative impacts they may be having.

Careers Café / Job Interview

On the 5^th December a Careers Café was organised with previous Bangor University students presenting talks on their transition into their current field of work. The day was sure to have great insights on how to gain employment after university, and show the diverse range of careers that are open to us. I was personally particularly excited to hear from Dr Ross Piper. Like myself, he was a zoology student at Bangor University and was recently on an expedition to Burma – during which he was also working as a presenter for the BBC. One of the careers I’m particularly interested in pursuing is wildlife film-making (though more behind the camera than in front of it) so Ross was sure to have some really useful information for me.

Unfortunately, much to my disappointment, I was unable to attend the event due to weather conditions akin to the Day After Tomorrow. Due to the disrupted transport links I was unable to get back to Wales from Birmingham where I had attended a recruitment event. So instead of reviewing the careers café, this post will instead briefly review my job application procedure.

Though I was only applying for a temporary position in operations for a clothing retailer, the hiring process was still rather formal. An online application needed to be submitted whereby only certain candidates were then selected for the following recruitment event. The two hour event was split into three activities. The first involved discussing and presenting as a group what the company was looking for in its employees and how to stay on trend. The second was to pick out an outfit from a limited range of clothing. The third and final section was one-on-one interviews.

To say the experience pushed me out of my comfort zone is an understatement. This was actually the first “proper” job I’d applied for, having only previous done volunteering or brief work experience placements, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Plus having only focused previously on wildlife and biological sciences, I was unsure how I’d fare applying for a fashion retailer.

However the content of this module proved to be invaluable. By highlighting the transferable skills gained from academia and volunteer work in my application (as well as adding a slight comical twist) I was able to secure a place on the recruitment event. The interview skills workshop, and the list of mock questions, also proved useful during the one-on-one interviews and during the discussion of the qualities and traits the retailer was looking for in its employees.

Overall the recruitment event was definitely beneficial. It allowed me to experience a formal interview situation and learn what employers look for in their applicants. The ability to look back at the process and think where I could have improved is also of great help for future career pursuits. Plus the fact I was actually hired by the retailer was pretty great too!