Category: Field trip

Sustainable campus in Falmer

Brighton jumps into top 30 in new university sustainability league table

The University of Brighton has climbed an impressive 16 places to secure a spot in the top 30 of the latest People & Planet University League, a prestigious ranking of 165 UK universities based on their environmental and ethical performance.

Brighton’s achievement also places it as the fourth most sustainable university in the South East, showcasing its leadership in sustainability within the region.

Recognized for Excellence in Sustainability

The People & Planet League evaluates universities across 14 categories, including environmental policy and strategy, water use, waste and recycling, carbon management and reduction, as well as education on sustainable development.

Brighton was awarded:

  • 100% for its sustainability strategy and policies.
  • 90% for staff and student engagement.
  • 85% for education on sustainable development.
  • 83% for carbon management.

The improvement on last year’s league table position means Brighton has risen by 41 places in the last two years having placed 71st in 2022 and 46th in 2023.

University of Brighton People and Planet award

A Mission-Aligned Approach

Ollie Swan, Head of Sustainability at the University of Brighton, emphasized the institution’s dual focus on academic and operational excellence:
“Our academic mission is deeply connected to addressing today’s environmental and ethical challenges. By aligning our teaching and research with real-world issues, we prepare students to contribute to a sustainable society. At the same time, we’re committed to ‘walking the talk’ through our own environmental performance. While these results are encouraging, we remain focused on consistent improvements within our emerging university strategy.”

A Track Record of Sustainable Action

The latest performance in the national sustainability league table comes after the university was awarded platinum status through the EcoCampus university sector environmental management certification (EMS) scheme.

This is a result of implementing strategic policies to cut carbon emissions, move towards cleaner energy, protect biodiversity, and reduce waste.

So far, the University of Brighton has:

  • Generated 630,000 kWh of solar power in 2023/24—equivalent to powering 230 homes for a year.
  • Diverted 4.7 tonnes of waste from landfills through a reuse campaign, which collected 592 bags of unwanted items from student halls and raised £8,880 for charity in 2024.
Commitment to a Sustainable Future

This recognition reflects Brighton’s dedication to fostering a culture of sustainability. The university’s staff and students play an active role in driving positive environmental change, setting a strong example for the wider community.

Christina CammLeave a comment
Three students on a beach walking across rockpools

My course so far

Hi I’m Jade and I’m a first year studying Biological Sciences BSc(Hons) and here’s what I think of the course so far…

I chose this course as I’ve been interested in biology for many years, and I like that this course specifically allows you to cater it more specifically to yourself with how many option modules there are for later years. I chose Brighton as I’ve lived rather locally my whole life, and I’m enjoying being able to study whilst also still getting to live at home.

Continue reading “My course so far” →

Laura RubyLeave a comment
Group of students walking on fallen tree trunk in wintery woods at Devils Dyke

Nature walk and social at Devil’s Dyke

To take a break from studies this February, 40 students and staff from Geography, Environment and Ecology courses decided to get out of the city for a casual social event. The chosen location was Devil’s Dyke. With its deep ice-cut valley, its wildlife, its folk legends and its panoramic views across the South Downs, this was the perfect place to roam around on a Saturday afternoon! And being just 20 minutes from the city by bus, it’s easy to travel to any time.

Continue reading “Nature walk and social at Devil’s Dyke” →

Nick McGlynnLeave a comment
Group of students in the woods on a bat hunt

Third year bat surveys at Woods Mill

As part of the Ecological Impact Assessment module, students met Ryan Greaves, from the Bat Conservation Trust and we had the fantastic opportunity to take part in bat box checks.

The mild weather in late September meant that bats were still active and around! After an in-depth lecture on bat species and their ecology, an intro to bat boxes and the different survey tools at hand, we were ready to go an check some boxes. This year was a really good one and we found some common pipistrelle in a couple of boxes.

As part of the standard bat survey, measurements were taken, we had our smallest male with 4.5g. Pipistrelle weigh the same as a £1 coin! We concluded our training day with a bat walk, using bat detectors and listening to the clapping of the bats feeding above our heads!

This was a great start of term!

Hand held technology for monitoring on the bat hunt
Group of students in the woods on a bat hunt
Close up of hands in glove looks at a leaf
Find out more about biology and ecology at Brighton

Stephanie ThomsonLeave a comment
Group of students on the seafront at Bexhill on Sea

A study visit to Bexhill’s urban greenspaces

Geography and environmental sciences students taking the specialist urban geography module Cities & Social Change recently travelled to Bexhill-on-Sea in East Sussex to learn about coastal towns in transition.

The group visited key sites of green infrastructure around the town which had received substantial regeneration monies over the last decade. And they were joined by local experts Adrian Gaylon, sports development officer, and Frank Rallings, former head of planning, at Rother District Council.

Students observed the innovative seafront planting scheme on Bexhill’s West Promenade. Beautiful herbaceous perennials provide year-round colour and structure that thrives with minimal maintenance in an aggressive coastal micro-climate.

Continue reading “A study visit to Bexhill’s urban greenspaces” →

Stephanie ThomsonLeave a comment

Field trip to Sicily 2023 – days one and two

Our level 5 Geography BSc(Hons) and Environmental Sciences BSc(Hons) students visited Sicily on a week-long field trip. Environmental Sciences BSc(Hons) student and (we think) brilliant photographer, Lizzie Pallett, documented the trip.

Day one – Lava fields of Mount Etna

Day one of the Level 5 field trip to Sicily! First stop: the lava fields of Mt Etna.

Students in the distance with snow covered peak of Mount Etna in the background
Continue reading “Field trip to Sicily 2023 – days one and two” →

Laura RubyLeave a comment
Back of a group of students on mules in the mountains in Morocco

Fieldweek 2023: Morocco

Our second year Geography BA students spent a busy week in Morocco, exploring urban and rural landscapes as part of their Research and Field Skills core module.

Starting off in Marrakech, students spent the first day undertaking a transect walk that took them on a slice directly through the city. Starting in the ‘New Town’ of colonial Gueliz, students began to investigate post-colonial urbanism, development strategies, water stress and plans for a sustainable Green Morocco as they made their way to the ‘Old City’ of the medina. Here they examined tourist practices in the souks and at the famous Jemaa el Fnaa. In the evening they returned to the famous square to see how this busy nightlife space is created.

The group were joined by local Amazigh/Berber guide Saeed on day three, learning about water and land use in the outskirts of Marrakech from him. Students got a first-hand view of the irrigation techniques used in a rapidly-developing yet water-scarce country, and heard about the politics of who gets access to water, and why.

Continue reading “Fieldweek 2023: Morocco” →

Stephanie ThomsonLeave a comment

Ecology and Conservation second-year fieldwork

Applied Ecology and Conservation Field Course module

As part of the second year Applied Ecology and Conservation Field Course module, we visited a range of local wildlife sites, such as the British Wildlife Centre, Waterhall, Knepp Estate, Rye Nature Reserve, Blue Reef Hastings and the Hastings Fisherman’s Protection Society. The module very well attended and the students continued to build a diverse skill set. Along the way there were some interesting talks on ecological processes as well as surveys and management experiences. Opportunities for further involvement in the form of volunteering or final year projects have also arisen and these offer excellent opportunities for employment. One of the highlights was the Knepp bird ringing day were we had the opportunity to get close to some amazing birds thanks to Penny, Josie and Dave.

Yellowhammer bird
Yellowhammer (photo: Zoe Lawson)
A bullfinch sitting on a hand
Bullfinch (photo: Zoe Lawson)
Continue reading “Ecology and Conservation second-year fieldwork” →

Laura RubyLeave a comment
A frog in the grass

Froglife workshop and fieldwork

In November students went along to Froglife’s ‘Discovering dew ponds: Amphibian habitat management training workshops’. These sessions were run by the wonderful Jennifer Hooper and William Johanson. Split into two sessions, the first covered amphibian ID and a habitat management theory session. This included sessions on how to identify many of the amphibian species native to the UK, such as the smooth newt, and their eggs. The students were also tasked with coming up with ideas on how to make example landscapes more amphibian-friendly.

The second session was more hands-on! Despite the heavy rain, the group worked on a pond in Stanmer Park that had been struggling to hold water. This was likely due to damage to the liner underneath, so a lot of stomping was done to compact the sediment beneath the liner to prevent any water from leaking into the sediment below. These workshops were really helpful to those studying or going on to study our final year ecological consultancy Ecological Impact Assessment module, as it gives an insight into what conditions amphibians need and what their habitats might look like.

Pond in Stanmer Park

Laura RubyLeave a comment