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MSc/Diploma/Certificate in Environmental Management
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What's new?
Partnership sees Stirling training the construction industry to safeguard the environment
The University of Stirling has forged a partnership with new professional body, the Association of Environmental and Ecological Clerks of Works (AEECoW), to provide environmental training to the construction industry.
Courses, which will be provided by Biological and Environmental Sciences, will include environmental and ecological science, environmental management and conservation science.
Links between the University and AEECoW will also increase the employability of Stirling graduates by giving students exposure to another employment sector and experience of a professional working environment.
Stirling Professor David Gilvear is leading the partnership between AEECoW and the University. Professor Gilvear says the programme will ensure that Environmental and Ecological Clerks of Works (ECoWs) will be able to apply the knowledge and skills gained on major development projects.
ECoWs play a key role in protecting natural heritage. Driven by planning policy, their primary role is to monitor compliance with environmental legislation on development sites. However to date, there has been no clear guidance on the qualifications required of them.
Professor Gilvear said: “The University is delighted to be part of this process. The knowledge and information that will be shared in our training will be of immense use to those working in construction.
"AEECoW will help shape the future of the industry in Scotland.”
AEECoW Chair, Professor George Fleming, says the professional body has been established to create a forum for closer working between developers and those involved in protecting the natural environment.
He added: “AEECoW will act as a qualifying body, raising professional standards amongst those who fulfil the ECoW role.
“It will also be one of only a few professional organisations that welcome professionals from both the development and environmental industries and will serve to promote closer working between the groups.”
Scottish Government’s Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Stewart Stevenson MSP is hosting an awareness raising event at the Scottish Parliament on 9 November to promote the formation of AEECoW and the role of ECoWs.
Prizes for 2010 Environmental Management MSc students in Landscape Research Group dissertation competition
Two of our 2010 Environmental Management MSc students have just been honoured in the Masters dissertation competition run by the Landscape Research Group. This organisation awards prizes for the best Masters dissertations across UK institutions in the field of landscape as it relates to science, planning art or design. Tom Bradfer-Lawrence was awarded first prize (£350 and membership of LRG) for his dissertation entitled ‘Restoring woodland communities: assessing the comparative development of the flora of planted and naturally generated habitats’. Paul Lintott was commended (£75 and membership of LRG) for his dissertation on ‘Foraging activity of bats in golf courses within urban environments in relation to habitat composition at varying spatial scales’. Tom is currently employed as an ecologist by the National Trust for Scotland while Paul is studying for a PhD in this department on bat ecology.
Prizewinners for 2011 will be announced in May 2012.
Field class to the Cairngorms National Park
A new 4-day format field class to the Cairngorms was a great success. Good accommodation, company, food and weather was appreciated by all. Projects including the use of differential and hand-held GPS, bed material particle sizing, aquatic macro-invertebrate sampling, flow gauging, and vegetation surveys all passed of successfully. The final morning was one of Powerpoint presentations of the findings. Social activities included a pub quiz, football, table tennis, a number of the group trekking to the Cairngorm summit and a good soaking for a few adventurous soles who attempted to cross a pond on metal rings dangling above the water
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Donana 2012
The fieldtrip to the Donana National Park in Spain is now a well established Spring module, assessed via project work and a practical test. This allows those students who wish to develop their field skills and knowledge of natural environments including rivers, wetlands and sand dunes and the threats facing them to have a focused programme of study. We stay in a pleasant field centre in El Rocio which has good facilities for evening study. Students whose interests lie elsewhere have the opportunity to susbstitute another taught module for the field class.
This year the Donana fieldtrip was dry and reportedly the driest winter on record. Thus, where there were large lagoons in 2010/11 there were just puddles of water. In contrast, where deep water prevented flamingos feeding in the wet years there were now flocks present, feeding within the shallow lagoon in front of El Rocio. The whole week was cloudless. Although cold early in the morning, it soon warmed up and a number of staff and students went swimming in the sea.
SAAS Funding 2012
For 2012 SAAS eligible students will be able to apply for a loan of £3,400.
More information will be available on the SAAS site:
http://www.saas.gov.uk/student_support/funding_update.htm
Apply today for a place and fulfil your environmental management career aspiration.
Scotland's Saltire Scholarships
This exciting scholarship opportunity is open to Canadian, Chinese, Indian and US nationals and is aimed at encouraging bright, talented and hard-working individuals to live, work and study in Scotland. Awards worth £2000 each are available towards the cost of tuition fees
See http://www.talentscotland.com/students/study/scholarships/saltire-scholarships.aspx for more information and then submit your application to study-abroad@stir.ac.uk by the closing date of 1 June 2012.
Research Project Write-up
Students write up their MSc projects in the format of an article to be submitted to an international journal. This provides improved training in scientific and environmental management writing skills and also opens the possibility of students publishing their work. In recent years, MSc dissertations have formed the basis of articles in 'Aquatic Conservation: Marine & Freshwater Ecosystems' and 'Biological Conservation'.
Examples of projects undertaken are :
The Scottish renewable energy target. A study of the Scottish Parliament's policies for onshore windfarms and their implementation from an environmental perspective.
The future of public rights of way in Loch Lomond and Trossachs Nat Park.
An investigation of the migration of mercury contaminated sediment at the Union Canal, Falkirk)
An evaluation of the environmental effectiveness of SEPA's registration of river engineering.
Assessing the quality of compost being produced at Stirling Council compared to the requirements of composting standard PAS 100 with a view to future marketing
SUDS implementation in a manufacturing industry adjacent to a watercourse or an aspect of ISO 14001 implementation in a business environment
Impact of extensive lifestock grazing on the environment in Zaragoza, Spain
Top job for former student
Greg Radford has recently been appointed as Director for Environment and Social Development at the International Finance Corporation, Washington DC (a member of the World Bank Group). Greg, a Canadian national, graduated in 1991 and previously worked as Chief Environmental Advisor for Export Development Canada.
At IFC, Greg will oversee sustainability issues, including climate change and IFC’s management of environmental and social risks. “Joining IFC is a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of the financial industry’s standards on the environment and social sustainability,” said Greg Radford. “I am very excited to become part of a global leader and to help continue IFC’s outstanding reputation by working with other financial institutions, civil society, and the private sector in emerging markets.”
In his previous position, he was responsible for overseeing EDC’s Environmental Review Directive, directing the Environmental Advisory Services team, and providing strategic advice and guidance on environmental matters affecting EDC.
