News & Events
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.
Student Awards
- Eilidh MacLeod received Society of Biology Top Student Award
- Dean Campbell received Biological & Environmental Sciences Top Student Award
River Basin Management students visit Holyrood
Professor Gilvear and a number of students on the River Basin Management programme were invited to the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday 22 September. They were there to celebrate the successful first year of the Flood Risk Science Programme; a partnership between SEPA and the Universities of Stirling and Dundee. The event was hosted by the Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham MSP.
Degree course director, Professor David Gilvear of the University of Stirling believes the mix of work-based and university training is the best possible combination for producing a highly skilled and efficient workforce for the sector. Speaking of the trainees he said: “They are gaining the necessary skills in terms of understanding the causes of floods and the mitigation and adaptation measures needed to minimize the worst effects of flooding on communities.
He added: “I have been thoroughly impressed by the quality of the trainees who started last year; the future of flood risk management will be safe in their hands!”
Soil Science Researcher Wins Poster Award
Dr Kirsty Golding, a post-doctoral researcher based within Biological and Environmental Sciences, has received the Springer best poster award at the World Congress of Soil Science. At the congress, held in Brisbane on 1-6 August, her winning poster beat over 1400 other entries.
Entitled ‘The historical legacy of anthrosols at Sandhavn, south Greenland’, it features Leverhulme-funded research on the impact of Norse settlement and farming on the landscape of Greenland.
In presenting this research the co-authors Dr Kirsty Golding and Professor Ian Simpson raise awareness within the wider soil science community of the growing importance of cultural soils in historical landscape investigations.
Read their full paper at: www.sbes.stir.ac.uk/people/golding/documents/HistoricallegacyofanthrosolsatsandhavnsouthGreenland.pdf
River Basin Management programme profiled on Central FM
Stirling’s River Basin Management course was profiled on Central FM Breakfast radio today. Professor Gilvear highlighted how it seeks to provide training relevant to the European Union Water Framework and Floods Directive, The report also mentioned that SEPA and the Scottish Government have acknowledged that there is a shortage of suitably qualified people to meet the needs of these directives. The web site link to the report is (http://www.centralfm.co.uk/news/local/news.php?news_id=742).
Environmental Geography student receives Royal Scottish Geographical Society university medal from HRH Princess Royal
Rebecca Barclay, an Environmental Geographer at the University of Stirling was recently awarded the RSGS University Medal for her achievements in her studies and in her research dissertation. Rebecca graduated this year with a 1st class Honours degree and completed an outstanding Honours research project focused on Viking farming settlements in the north-west of Iceland. Her research forms a valuable part of ongoing research carried by Professor Ian Simpson in conjunction with Icelandic archaeologists. She is furthering her academic career on the MSc Environmental Management programme and hopes to progress to a PhD.
The award ceremony was held at the Perth Concert Hall, near the new RSGS Headquarters in Perth and the medals were presented by HRH The Princess Royal. The staff at B.E.S. would like to offer their congratulations to Rebecca on her award.
BSc (Hons) Environmental Geography degree programme:
http://www.external.stir.ac.uk/undergrad/course_info/courses_ug/geography.php
Stirling students promote SEPA’S flood awareness campaign
Monday 2 November, 2009
Flooding is becoming an all too regular occurrence in both urban and rural areas of Britain. So the University of Stirling’s creation of a new MSc degree course in River Basin Management is very timely and relevant.
The University’s Biological and Environmental Sciences, working in conjunction with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), has created a course which requires students to undertake part-time study, alongside part-time work with SEPA, as part of that organisation’s flood risk trainee programme.
To mark the launch of SEPA’s new flood awareness campaign, degree course director, Professor David Gilvear and two of his students, recently met up with Roseanne Cunningham, Scotland's Minister for the Environment, at the River Earn.
Speaking about the campaign, Professor Gilvear said: "it is critical that the general public are aware of flood risk and know what to do in the event of flooding. Stirling University is training students in the science of hydrology and river basin management to ensure that flood risk is minimised and sustainable solutions to managing the risk are implemented in the future."
In 2010 SEPA will once again be recruiting 5 staff onto the trainee programme, who will also study for their Masters in River Basin Management at the University.
Funded PhD project - Effect of tree destumping on physical soil properties and functioning
Clare Wilson*, Andy Moffat†, and Andrew Tyler*
* School of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Stirling, Stirling UK.
† Forest Research, Alice Holt Lodge, Farnham, Surrey, UK
This 3-year studentship is anticipated to start 1st April 2010 and is co-funded by University of Stirling, Forestry Commision Scotland, Forest Research and UPM.
Background
Forest stump harvesting is a relatively new practice in the UK, which involves mechanically ripping the stump and roots from the ground. The potential effects on soil porosity, aeration and water holding capacity, hydraulic conductivity and infiltration capacity, rootability and soil erosion risk have been poorly studied, and it is these effects that the student will seek to understand with the following objectives:
- For Scottish soils, to study the effects of harvesting and associated soil disturbance on morphological and physical soil properties important for its hydrological behaviour and receptiveness to tree root penetration;
- To evaluate effect of destumping on soil erosion risk and water pollution by application and development of forest soil erosion models;
- To use understanding gained in 1) and 2) to map regional site suitability for stump harvesting based on erosion risk for important forest areas;
- To identify modifications to site management practices to reduce any soil degrading effects to acceptable levels and provide input into revision of guidelines for tree stump harvesting in Scotland.
A range of methods and techniques are available to the student to achieve these objectives including GIS analysis, geophysics, coring and test pitting, field sampling and description, soil micromorphology, laboratory analysis of soil physical properties, and radioactive isotope analysis (Pb-210 and Cs-137) to identify the depth of disturbance and horizon mixing and assess landscape level patterns of erosion.
Applicant
Applications are invited from candidates with at least an upper-second class honours degree in an area relevant to the project (including physical geography, earth science, soil science, environmental science). To apply or for more details send your CV, the names and contact details of two academic referees, and a covering letter to Dr. Clare Wilson (c.a.wilson@stir.ac.uk).
Supervision
This is a collaborative project between Forest Research, University of Stirling and UPM. The student will be based at Stirling University but will also be regarded as a member of the appropriate Forest Research department, and therefore be able to benefit from appropriate formal and informal training provided for FR researchers. The supervisory team will include Dr. Clare Wilson and Dr. Andrew Tyler at UoS and Prof. Andy Moffat (Forest Research).
Click to download the PDF document 
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The Altajir Scholarships
Biological and Environmental Science is proud to have been chosen by the Altajir World of Islam Trust for the award of scholarships in the field of Environmental Science. The scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic excellence to support honours students in their third and fourth year of study.
The Altajir World of Islam Trust is a UK-based charity which supports exhibitions, publications, educational activities and other programmes related to Islamic culture and Muslim – Christian relations. More information can be found at http://www.altajirtrust.org.uk/
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The scholarship is open to all undergraduate students studying Environmental Science, Environmental Geography and related combined degrees. It is awarded to two students every two on the basis of academic achievement in years 1 and 2. The award is designed to support these students in their third and fourth year of Honours study.
In 2007-2009 the recipients were Rebecca Barclay (Environmental Geography) and Bastian Zeiger (Environmental Science). Bastian used the award to undertake field research for his Honours dissertation on waste management in San Francisco. He plans to complete a Master’s programme in the field of Ecological Economics and Sustainable Community Development in the USA. The scholarship allowed Rebecca to undertake geoarchaeological field work in Iceland for her Honours dissertation. She is currently awaiting the outcome of applications for a PhD in soil science and a Master’s programme in Environmental Management.
A new round of scholarships is being awarded for 2009-2011.
