Welcome
Congratulations to all prospective York students! As you prepare to step into the realm of higher education and university life, I’m here to ease you into the exciting world of environment and geography. We’ll be looking through the lens of the many immersive field trips I have personally undertaken. At York, we believe in learning by doing. Our field trips are a great way to better understand what we read and discuss in our lectures and seminars every day.
Learning through action
It’s widely recognised that immersing students within this environment is one of the best ways to reinforce their understanding of a topic or concept. The same way that someone learning a new language immerses themselves in the country’s culture. Like these linguistic students, I have found myself feeling as though what I’ve been taught has ‘clicked’, when seeing it in front of myself of holding it in my own two hands.
Due to the many different opportunities I’ve had to participate in field trips at UoY, I’ve built a collection of memories both academically and personally. I’ve grown closer to both my peers but also lecturers and members of staff that put in all the work behind the scenes to allow us to enjoy our trips so much.
The peak district
For myself and many others, our field trip to the Peak District marked the first trip after joining UoY. We embarked on this adventure to better understand glaciation, landscape characteristics and ecology of this unique environment. Alongside around 40 of my peers, we spent our day exploring what was previously an unfamiliar habitat. I was noting all the ways in which we could apply our lecturer’s information, with lots of opportunities to talk with our professors. Talking about ecology, geology, chemistry, and physics with our lecturers gave us a real taste of what it’s like to be a field scientist. This really sparked mine and many of my peer’s passion.
Boggle Hole
Our field trip to stay at the hostel in Boggle Hole was another memorable experience. Staying overnight with peers in such an informal environment really allowed us to get to know each other. Many friendships were formed at this point. In terms of our scientific participation, we undertook many tasks. These included sediment characterising, species identification and wildlife management. We also had open-air lectures (my favourite) and worked on group projects. At the end of the trip we presented our work. This was another incredible experience and has stayed with me throughout my time in York. If you have an interest for unique landscapes and ecosystems, you’ll surely be interested!
Tenerife
2023 was a highlight for my studies, with our trip to Tenerife being an unforgettable experience. With almost 200 of us in such a gorgeous and fascinating location, everyone undoubtedly had an incredible time there. Having an action-packed schedule of visits to the Ecomuseo, Mt. Chinyero, Parador de Canadas del Teide, Charco La Vaca and many more. There wasn’t a boring second at any point during this trip. I learnt more than I had imagined about crucial environmental topics. We covered renewable energy, extremist species, volcanic activity and tectonic movements and endemic species. I practiced both my written and practical knowledge. Most importantly, I’ve grown in confidence and made lifelong memories through fieldwork, and cultivated practical skills I’ll take forward into my career.
Summary
Hopefully, I have conveyed to you just how positive my experience has been within the department of environment and geography. I also hope I’ve shown all that there is to look forward to when it comes to field trips. I feel incredibly lucky and proud to have been a part of this department, and I’m sure you will too! Good luck to you all, and I look forward to seeing new faces around the campus.
If you’d like to read about other student experiences within environment and geography, they can be found here.
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