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Dick Vet News Issue 33
Community and Campus
Community and Campus
Courses to connect students with campus wildlife
T
raining has been made available on the Dick Vet’s Easter Bush campus to build skills in nature awareness, wildlife tracking and conservation. A series of three courses to teach nature and ecosystem awareness and associated skills related to wildlife biology and conservation are aimed at improving understanding of the species and wider biodiversity on the campus. Participants are learning to be more mindful of the wider ecosystem and of the biodiversity on campus as well as how to identify wildlife tracks, signs and bird calls, to set up camera traps, and to map existing species. Lessons learned from the courses will help us better understand how to care for and steward the campus environment and the wildlife it sustains. The initiative will be supported by a £3,240 Student Experience Grant funded by donations to the University of Edinburgh. The weekend courses are being delivered by renowned environmental educator Dan Puplett
with the support of the School’s own professional wilderness guide Dr Glen Cousquer. Ecological findings and data collected could be used to adapt and evolve management of the campus to the benefit of both wildlife and students. Findings will also be used to complement other campus initiatives, such as tree planting and monitoring of hedgehogs and raptors. “This course series will connect participants with nature on our campus. We hope the courses will encourage better practices in sustainability as well as improve mental health.” - Paul Gogerty, BVM&S Veterinary Medicine student.
“These courses will help students understand better the patients they will be treating in their careers, as well as the challenges we face in conservation, One Health and ecosystem collapse.” - Dr Glen Cousquer, Lecturer and Programme Coordinator (MVetSci in Conservation Medicine and MSc One Health)
