LAND and Wildlife Management students spent almost a week out of their comfort zone, helping a wolf, bear and lynx conservation project in the Polish mountains.
The group came closer than they bargained to a wolf pack one afternoon when they heard its howls just 200 metres away. “I’ve been going there 20 years and I’ve never heard them that close before,” said lecturer Adam. “It was quite magical and something the students won’t forget.”
A real experience in the wild
The group of 1st and 2nd Year students from Lackham, spent six days in sub-zero temperatures 800 metres above sea level in the Western Carpathian Mountains with lecturers Adam Harper, Wendy Green and Lauren Meek.
The group stayed in basic accommodation and eating local food in the tiny village of Wojtatowka in the Beskid Zywiecki mountains, far away from shops and screens.
“We were walking between 15 and 20km a day and we had quite a bit of snow for the first few days and I think it might have been a culture shock for some that they were in such a remote place,” said Adam. “But they were all excellent and coped really well with the conditions.
“The trip gives students a real world experience of seeing what wildlife biologists do day to day, it’s warts and all and it’s a very real experience. But they all got on board and contributed towards the work that’s being done out there.”
Learning from leading experts
The trip, which was a joint venture between Land and Wildlife and HND Animal Management, saw the group of 20 students working with conservation company Wildlife Seminars, which is affiliated to Warsaw University and, said Adam, a chance to work with experts in the wild.
“They got the chance to rub shoulders with leading biologists, which was amazing for them,” he said. “The week was run by Michal Figura, who is one of the leading live carnivore biologists in Europe and they had the opportunity to watch him and his team work.”
They learnt how to track the rare carnivores, setting camera traps and carrying out ecological studies. “They also did some skull ageing, which is ageing large carnivores by looking at skull features and is really interesting,” said Adam.
“Everything they did, like the field biological elements, is applied directly into their course and the other things they experienced, like using the GPS for tracking, learning how to survey wildlife populations and appreciating the conservation aspects, is all very relevant to their curriculum.
“We had a mix of students and for all of them it was a chance in a lifetime that provided them with some key skills they can apply to their studies, and for the HND students, skills they can take out into the field.”
A highlight was watching a demonstration of a thermal drone, which uses thermal images to identify animals in some of the more inhospitable areas. “They really enjoyed seeing it in action,” said Adam. “If you’re flying the drone over a forest it can pick up anything that’s living and breathing down there. When you’re tracking bears, wolves and lynx, which can be quite elusive, it really does increase your chance of seeing them.
“Michel goes around the world lecturing on wolves and conservation. He’s a global authority and I think the students realised how lucky they were to be there with him. I’d like to thank him and his team for hosting and also Wendy and Lauren for all the work they did to support the trip.”
Real experiences for real careers
From tracking wolves in the Polish mountains to working alongside leading conservation experts – experience like this help our students build confidence, develop practical skills and take their first steps into the industry.
