Key facts

Overview

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The Postgraduate Certificate in Ecological Survey Techniques is a one year, part-time, modular programme offered by the Continuing Professional Development Centre at the University of Oxford.

It aims to train practitioners in ecological survey techniques through an effective mixture of online, face-to-face and experiential learning, equipping students with the knowledge, understanding and confidence to conduct ecological field surveys. It also provides the opportunity to build knowledge, skills and capacity in environmental conservation more generally, and provides participants with the evidence base to guide decision-making in biodiversity conservation and management.

Options and Structure

There are two study options within the Ecological Survey Techniques programme:

• Either apply to the Postgraduate Certifcate

• Or enrol on the individual modules (short courses in Field Survey Techniques)

The online modules cover survey techniques for each of the main taxonomic groups:

• Amphibians and Fish - module commences 22 March 2013
• Birds - module commences 11 February 2013
• Invertebrates - module commences 29 April 2013
• Mammals & Reptiles - module commences 4 January 2013
• Vegetation - module commences 19 September 2012
• Data analysis - module commences 31 October 2012

In addition to the flexible, online modules there is a week-long face-to-face introductory module in Oxford in September (commencing 10 September 2012), and an independent field survey and student project at the end of the course.

A core strength of the programme is its ability to draw on a rich pool of expertise: the teaching is conducted by a highly knowledgeable and diverse team of practitioners and academics, and all the online modules are tutor-led.

To find out more, please consult the course entry within the University's A-Z of Graduate Courses.

Description

The course aims to equip students with the techniques to survey, measure, quantify, assess and monitor biodiversity and ecosystems in the field. It is essential for conservation practitioners and volunteers worldwide to make evidence-based decisions about a site or species. Equipping environmental conservation practitioners with the capacity to collect and analyse field survey data in order to understand, interpret and, therefore, make informed decisions in environmental conservation is critical to the future of ecosystems and ecosystem services in all biomes.

Features

The training programme will, in particular:

• Provide continuing professional development and training for those people within the environmental conservation sector or those who have environment-related jobs ir a need to engage with issues within this sector;
• Empower volunteers, conservationists, ecosystem managers and other professionals who need to be more effective in providing the evidence in environmental conservation practice;
• Enable well-qualified, mid-career professionals working in an unrelated job to move into the environment sector, or to be more knowledgeable about surveying ecosystems in order to apply their existing, non-environmental professional experience to environmental conservation;
• Enable individuals who have no formal higher education qualification but can demonstrate excellent practical experience or the potential to study at postgraduate level, to gain a qualification, e.g. someone with extensive field survey expertise, trustee of an environmental NGO, research assistant on an environmental project, or an initiator of a local environmental group.
• Provide focussed training, via particular modules, to people wishing to learn about or update skills for a particular group of organisms.

Who is it for?

The Programme will therefore appeal to:

• Those who are working in the environmental conservation sector, in both developed and developing countries e.g. employees of NGOs and statutory nature conservation organizations, environmental consultants, wildlife conservation officers, environmental records office employees, countryside officers, ecologists;
• Those who are working in environment-related professions or wider business/industry where knowledge of environmental conservation practice, and in particular ecological survey techniques, is important to their jobs, e.g. secondary school teachers, FE and HE institution teachers, corporate employees, local government workers such as biodiversity planners;
• Those who are volunteers or have local influence and have an active non-professional interest in environmental conservation, e.g. local environment group volunteers and leaders, expedition NGOs who rely on volunteers to conduct field research, volunteers with NGOs and Wildlife Trusts;
• Those who want to change career into the environment sector and need an environmental qualification;
• Postgraduate students who need specialised training in ecological survey techniques in order to carry out effective field surveys for their own research projects, and who will take certain modules only.

Programme details

The one-year, part-time Postgraduate Certificate is made up of a number of online modules as well as two face-to-face modules. Two of the online modules are core modules (Field Techniques for Surveying Vegetation and Data Analysis), and students choose two out of four of the remaining optional Field Techniques modules. In addition, there is one core face-to-face module taught in Oxford at the start of the course, and a core field survey project module at the end of the course. In parallel to the taught modules, students have access to the course Virtual Learning Environment, which is tutor-guided, and where there is access to reading material, discussions, tutorials, and study skills.

The module titles are as follows:

Introduction to ecological survey techniques - commencing 10 September 2012- face-to-face in Oxford; core module; formative assessment

Field techniques for surveying vegetation - commencing 19 September 2012- online; core module; 10 CATS points (more details).

Data analysis - commencing 31 October 2012- online; core module; 10 CATS points

Field techniques for surveying mammals & reptiles - commencing 4 January 2013- online; optional module; 10 CATS points link (more details).

Field techniques for surveying birds - commencing 11 February 2013- online; optional module; 10 CATS points

Field techniques for surveying fish and amphibians - commencing 22 March 2013- online; optional module; 10 CATS points

Field techniques for surveying invertebrates - 29 April 2013- online; optional module; 10 CATS points (more details).

Field project - commencing 3 June 2013- online and face-to-face; core module; 20 CATS points

Please refer to the 'General Schedule of Modules' pdf, supplied in this section. In summary:

• The core week at the start of the course will be taught face-to-face in Oxford. This will be made up of 5 full days of teaching and will produce one formative assessment (no credit); proposals for the field projects will be discussed at this residential session to enable ample time to organise the logistics and academic content of the field projects;
• The four tutor-led online modules (2 core; 2 optional) will be taught entirely online, each taking no more than 100 hours to complete and each producing 10 credits of assessment. In addition to the time allocated to reading the core texts and articles, each module will include revision activities, research and discussion activities, multimedia tasks, practical exercises and an assessment
• The field survey project will consist of 1 month preparation time, 1-2 weeks full-time or full-time equivalent field survey, 1 month project writing, producing 20 credits of assessment;
• The course Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) will be tutor-led and accessible to students for the duration of the course. The equivalent of six one-hour tutorials will be delivered online.

Selection criteria

Staff

Dr Jocelyne Hughes

Role: Director & Tutor

Biography

I am Course Director in Ecological Survey Techniques. Since 1998, I have been a Departmental Lecturer in the Department for...more Continuing Education responsible for directing a portfolio of environmental courses. Previously I was a college lecturer at St. Catherine's College, University of Oxford, a research fellow at University College London, and I have held University Lectureships at the University of Reading (1990-98) and the University of Melbourne, Australia (1987-89).

I am a Trustee of the Oxfordshire Nature Conservation Forum; member of the Institute of British Geographers and the British Ecological Society; Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society; member of the Commonwealth Scholars alumni network; organiser of my local Wildlife Conservation Group working with volunteers to carry out wildlife conservation projects.

Contact details

Telephone: +44 (0)1865 286948
Email: jocelyne.hughes@conted.ox.ac.uk

Teaching

I direct the Postgraduate Certificate in Ecological Survey Techniques; previously I directed the two OUDCE Undergraduate Diplomas in Environmental Conservation; and I have organised and developed a variety of short courses for professionals and the general public in the Environmental Sciences and Biology, including the annual Oxford Energy Futures conference.

I teach and supervise on a variety of undergraduate and postgraduate courses at the University of Oxford, including the MSc in Water Science, Policy & Management in the School of Geography & the Environment, and the Postgraduate Diploma in International Wildlife Conservation Practice in the Department of Zoology (WildCRU). I am an external examiner at the Open University.

Research interests

My research focuses on the ecology, hydrology and management of wetlands. I have a particular interest in the ecological importance of microflow environments provided by aquatic plants in rivers and wetlands; water and nutrient cycling in wetlands; wetland vegetation dynamics; constructed wetlands.

Currently I carry out field research and monitoring into plant-water relationships at Marley Fen in Wytham Woods, Oxfordshire. I have carried out field work in a diversity of wetland habitats in Tunisia, Australia, Antarctica, Guatemala and the UK. I am a research associate at the School of Geography & the Environment at Oxford.

Publications

Selected Publications: Zhong, S & Hughes, JMR 2002 Laboratory flume studies of microflow environments of aquatic plants Hydrological Processes 16, 3279-3289

Zhong, S & Hughes JMR 2001 Turbulent structure of open-channel flow over aquatic plants: a laboratory flume study. In (ed LI Guifen) Proceedings of the 29th International Association of Hydraulic Engineering & Research, Beijing

Hughes, JMR & Heathwaite, AL (eds) 1995 Hydrology & Hydrochemistry of British Wetlands , John Wiley & Sons, Chichester. 486pp

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Mr Damien Farine

Role: Tutor

My current research focuses on the social behaviour of birds, particularly interspecific interaction in mixed-species flocks. I am based at the...more Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, part of the Department of Zoology at the University of Oxford, where I am studying towards a doctorate. Previously, I worked as an ecologist for CSIRO in Australia, where I investigated the potential for the production of sustainable biomass for bioenergy in Australia. This involved determining energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and soil carbon flows in agricultural and forestry systems, and I participated on several projects investigating options for climate change mitigation at regional to national scales.

During this time at CSIRO I also had opportunities to participate in many aspects of biodiversity research in remote parts of the continent, including Cape York and the Simpson Desert, where I conducted bird surveys by both land and air.

I still maintain a study site in Australia where I mist-net a diversity of birds including parrots, in order to explore ecological impacts of habitat change. However, my time is mostly spent in Wytham Woods near Oxford, where I am maintaining a PIT-tagged mixed-species population of tits and nuthatches on which I conduct behavioural experiments. I have also carried out field work on Albatross in the Southern Ocean and I am a life-long birdwatcher.

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Dr Thomas Hesselberg

Role: Tutor

I am a research associate at the Oxford Silk Group at the Department of Zoology at Oxford University where my current research focuses on...more analysing the geometry of the spider's orb web as well as the rules governing their behaviour. I have a PhD in biomimetics on functional morphology and locomotory behaviour of ragworms from the University of Bath and have previously worked on flight control in insects in Germany and tropical orb spiders in Panama.

Most of these diverse projects have resulted in large data-sets which I have analysed using a wide range of statistical tests.

In addition to my research I am Director of Studies for biological sciences in Public Programmes at the Department for Continuing Education for which I also teach weekly classes in animal behaviour. I give tutorials and supervise undergraduate projects at the Department of Zoology.

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Dr Roger Key

Role: Tutor

Consultant ecologist and former Senior Invertebrate Ecologist for English Nature and Natural England. Originally from Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire,...more most of my career has been in nature conservation, especially of invertebrates, first with the Radnorshire Wildlife Trust and then the Nature Conservancy Council/ English Nature & Natural England for over 25 years, before capitalizing on the educational work that I undertook (from tots’ minibeasts safaris to PhD studentships), to become Senior Education Specialist for Natural England. I’m now retired (early!) and an independent entomological/ environmental education consultant, where my work has included lecturing/advising course content for 11 universities, undertaking habitat evaluation, survey and management advice and continuing children’s invertebrate work. I’m probably best known for my invertebrate photographs (see http://www.flickr.com/photos/roger_key/), which have been published by over 300 organizations in 19 countries. In 2009 & 2011, I undertook 6 week research expeditions to South Georgia and St Helena, surveying for new alien invasive invertebrates, unfortunately being very successful at finding them on both islands. Other than that I’ve done much media natural history with the BBC, presenting on Countryfile, the Countryside Hour etc. and made the Christmas special ‘Auntie’s Bloomers’ with a spectacular trip over an old tree! I was awarded the Royal Entomological Society’s Marsh Award for a lifetime’s achievement in invertebrate conservation in 2010. close

Dr Chris Newman

Role: Tutor

Dr. Chris Newman, is a Senior Research Associate with the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit at the University of Oxford, who joined the group...more back in 1991. Chris is the co-ordinator for the WildCRU’s Badger Project, specialising in population dynamics and the effects of climate change and disease in population regulation. He collaborates extensively with other researchers internationally and is an author of over 50 peer reviewed papers and book chapters on many diverse aspects of mammal ecology, as well as work advocating public and corporate participation in conservation initiatives.

Chris undertook his D.Phil. on Population Ecology, Demography and Parasitology at Oxford University. He is an inter-disciplinary biologist, drawing together insights from demography, animal behaviour, physiology, evolution, genetics and parasitology, along with expertise in geology and forestry, to synthesise new ideas and comprehensive approaches to understand wildlife biology. Chris is the Mammals Officer for the Department of Zoology’s Ethical Review Committee and the WildCRU’s Animal Care and Welfare Officer.

Chris has run courses and tutored for Oxford University’s Department of Continuing Education for many years, and is also an experienced Principal Investigator with the Earthwatch Institute, currently running mammal monitoring expeditions in Nova Scotia, Canada.

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Dr Jon Shrives

Role: Tutor

Born and raised on the island of Jersey, Jon first became interested in marine ecology picking through the local rock pools with his grandfather...more at low tide. As a teenager, Jon learnt to SCUBA dive in the local bays and coves, and became fascinated with exploring the underwater world. Whilst studying for his undergraduate degree at the University of Southampton, he was bitten by the field work bug, studying fish on the idyllic coral reefs of Indonesia. After university, he then went on to work for several NGOs and ecotourism companies, first as a dive instructor and then later as a lecturer, senior scientist and ultimately an expedition leader in Indonesia, Honduras and Oman.

Jon returned to academia to study for his D.Phil at the University of Oxford, splitting his time between the UK and the coral reefs of Honduras. Whilst at Oxford, Jon supervised undergraduate field work and tutored in both tropical and UK marine ecology and conservation. After graduating, Jon then returned to Jersey to work for the States of Jersey Environment Department as a marine biologist and fisheries officer. Here his work varies from conducting stock assessments to enforcement patrols at sea, advising politicians on marine issues and working with both local and French fishermen and scientists to sustainably manage and protect the local marine environment.

With his love for rowing, sailing and diving, Jon can usually be found near some form of water, either in it or on it in various forms. He is a research associate of the Zoology Department at Oxford.

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Course aims

The course aims to create a blended programme of experiential, face-to-face and online learning in environmental conservation practice for practitioners and volunteers world wide, that will:

• Focus on the use of survey techniques for measuring, quantifying and monitoring biodiversity;
• Develop a critical understanding of how to analyse field data to answer particular research or management questions;
• Enable conservationists to make informed decisions on, and assess the status of, a species or habitat;
• Enable conservationists to evaluate which field techniques to use for measuring and monitoring the impacts of environmental change on biodiversity;
• Build capacity and communities of practice among environmental conservationists worldwide;
• Prepare students to progress onto a Postgraduate Diploma or Masters programme.

Assessment methods

The course is assessed on a modular basis, with assessments reflecting the learning objectives of the course. Students are required to submit:

• One 2500 word formative (marked with feedback but no credit towards formal course results) assignment;
• Four 2000 word assignments, up to two of which may be submitted as poster or PowerPoint presentations depending on which optional modules are chosen (10 CATS points each);
• One 5000 word field project and 1000 word online journal (20 CATS points).

Level and demands

Candidates will be assessed for admission to the programme on their individual merits and potential based on a) their Curriculum Vitae, b) a Personal Statement, and c) their three referees’ statements.

All candidates will need to address the following criteria

• hold a minimum qualification equivalent to a first Honours Degree (BA, BSc, etc). An academic transcript may be required.
  Non-graduates may be considered if they are able to demonstrate considerable experience in the field of environmental conservation practice. If in doubt, please email est@conted.ox.ac.uk. Students who have successfully completed the OUDCE undergraduate level 5 Diploma or level 6 Advanced Diploma in Environmental Conservation will be considered for entry to the Postgraduate Certificate;
• have first-hand experience of field work or conservation issues;
• satisfy the minimum required English language criteria set by the University, being either a native English speaker, or having a minimum IELTS score of 7.5. Students with borderline scores may be accepted on condition that they attend a language course and gain an acceptable score;
• provide three references. At least one of your referees should be qualified to comment on your ability and potential to cope with the academic demands of the course;
• provide a full Curriculum Vitae;

All candidates should also:

• have a good working knowledge of email, internet, basic word processing and spreadsheets;
• be able to show evidence of ability to commit the necessary time to study the course, and, where relevant, an employer’s commitment to allow them time to attend and complete the face-to-face teaching and field component.

Teaching methods

The programme is mostly taught online; this is designed to help in terms of access to the course for those in full-time employment, and can also encourage participation from students and professionals globally. In addition to 4 online modules, students will need to complete one face-to-face module in Oxford at the start of the course, as well as the field survey project at the end of the course.

The online and face-to-face modules are delivered via lectures, tutorials, discussion forums, field trips, practical exercises and field surveys. Throughout the course, there is online academic and pastoral support provided by the Programme Director, tutors and the Programme Manager.

See the full Programme Specification for this course.

Minimum IT Requirements

Please note that this course is taken online; to participate in our online courses we recommended a minimum computer specification.

Accommodation

The Department offers a full residential and catering facillity, with a range of both 3 and 4-star campus accommodation. 'Number 12', our recently refurbished Victorian on Wellington Square, right next to Rewley House, offers 9 superior en-suite bedrooms.

All students can take advantage of the excellent dining facilities and common room bar, where they may relax and network with others on the programme. See CONTED's web site for more detail.

Scholarships

Sources of Funding Support

Details of funding opportunities, including grants, bursaries, loans, scholarships and benefit information are available on our financial assistance page.

Apply for this course