Learning on location

We take full advantage of our natural surroundings to create amazing fieldwork experiences, in addition to the opportunities to travel the world with residential and overseas field trips.

Fieldwork is a fascinating way to develop your practical skills. You'll gain hands-on experience of a wide range of environmental, social and economic situations that will place your studies in the context of real-world issues.

Please note that the capacity of residential field courses is limited and that there may be a selection process for these modules, so you may not be guaranteed a place on all modules.

  • Switzerland

    You will select from one of six interconnected study themes to explore: alpine climate and hydrology; glacial processes; alpine rivers; streams; soils; and ecosystems. Through the collection of significant amounts of field data on your chosen theme, you will gain an understanding of a particular thematic focus of alpine environments.

  • Croatia

    The Istrian Peninsula, an idyllic landscape of olive groves, forests, wineries and beaches. This environment is strongly governed by its geology, biodiversity and position between differing climates. Istria is also the setting of dramatic socio-economic, political and environmental changes. During this trip, you will focus on the challenges of environmental management, particularly of water resources, in this unique landscape.

  • Spain

    Home to over 1500 species of plants, 400 species of birds and 50 terrestrial mammals, Doñana National Park, is one of the most critical biodiversity hotspots in Europe. You will explore the diversity of the habitat and organisms living in the area, and you’ll gain an understanding of the role of the National Park in conservation efforts and also practical experience of identification, critical observation and accurate recording of plants, invertebrates and animals.

  • Italy

    Visit Mount Etna, Europe's largest active volcano, and study the complex processes that take place both on the surface and beneath volcanoes. You will explore many physical volcanic processes, including lava flow emplacement, explosive events and the evolution of a basaltic volcano. You will also evaluate methods of managing volcanic hazards on densely populated active volcanoes.

  • Local Field Excursions

    Nestled between the Lake District World Heritage Site, Yorkshire Dales National Park, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and nearby to major cities such as Manchester, Lancaster is ideally placed to study ecological, environmental, geographical and socioeconomic processes.

  • Slapton Ley

    Our week-long trip to Slapton Ley in Devon offers a unique opportunity to study a critical environmental issue, eutrophication, through fieldwork and laboratory analysis. Based at Slapton Ley Field Studies Centre, you will explore the hydrological processes which govern a coastal freshwater lake of ecological significance.

  • Cornwall

    Explore the flora, fauna and soil ecology of Cornwall, and learn about the conservation efforts to restore the region's natural habitats. Students will have guided tours of the Eden Project and gain practical fieldwork skills by undertaking plant and nesting bird surveys. Excursions will give students the opportunity to undertake hands-on activities looking at habitat degradations and restorations, and developing the ability to identify, record and characterise plant, bird and marine species.

  • Kenya

    Based in the beautiful Rift Valley, you’ll explore the staggering biodiversity of local aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, at the same time considering how best to monitor and protect it. Working with experts in African ecology, you will gain first-hand experience of the ecological processes and conservation issues common to the tropics. Together, we will evaluate the challenging balance between tropical conservation and human activity.

  • Geological Mapping - Isle of Mull

    Further your understanding of geologic and geomorphologic processes, and Earth Science field skills, in our residential field trip to the Isle of Mull. During this field course, you will learn how to collect field data in order to make a geologic map. In addition to becoming familiar with this particular field area, you will also visit some of the oldest rock formations in the UK which formed during the opening of the Atlantic Ocean and as such you will be able to understand a wide range of geologic terrains.

  • Carrock Fell - The Lakes

    Spend a week with your fellow students in the nearby Lake District and learn a number of important field and lab skills needed to succeed in Environmental Science. Based at Carrock Fell, in the nearby Lake District, you will collect primary data from a disused tungsten mine and analyse and interpret this to assess the present and future impacts this will have on water quality.

  • Ecology - Isle of Mull

    From rocky shores and sand dunes to moors and uplands, explore the ecology of the Isle of Mull in Scotland in this week-long field trip. You'll get the opportunity to observe a wide variety of native flora and fauna and come to understand how their ecologies are linked.