The aim of this blog is an attempt to promote and detail the exploits of a 2nd year geography field trip to Sicily. The hope is that this blog will be a vessel for students to comment on the activities they have partaken in and engage in discussion about the various activities they have experienced. It is also aimed at prospective students so they may get a taste of Brighton geography life. Also, first year students at Brighton can get an insight of things to come, and for third year students and beyond to reminisce of fond sicilian memories.
The trip as a whole, has a multitude of aims. Most important of all, is to give students experience of conducting fieldwork, especially in a foreign country. Field trips such as this one, are very important for providing practical skills and techniques. Through this trip, students learn skills that can be transferred to their own personal projects and prospective careers. The trip will develop analytical skills, working in a team – which is a very important skill to hone, presentation skills, and the ability to adapt to the often difficult working conditions. An associated benefit of going on field excursions such as this one is that it can help to cement topics, concepts, and ideas introduced in lectures. There is a big difference between seeing pictures and diagrams of volcanoes and actually standing on the slopes of Mount Etna!
The trip is broken up into days that specialise in various aspects of geography, geology, and environmental science, which will be chronicled in this blog as the week progresses. Towards the end of the trip, students have to formulate their own projects. They will create their own hypothesis, plan their own expedition and then produce data to either prove or disprove their idea. This project will then have to be presented and defended. The inclusion of this project forces students to develop their own ideas and implement them, planning data collection, acquiring relevant (and often limited) materials to conduct their fieldwork, and to manage their own time effectively.
But why go to Sicily?
Sicily offers a diverse range of environments and geological features allowing us to undertake a variety of activities related to volcanology, geomorphology, hydrology, microbiology, ecology and hazards. Our base of operations for the week is Catania, a vibrant city located at the foot of Mount Etna.
Going to a foreign country is always more complicated than local field trips, travel costs, shipping equipment, trying not to lose students on transit, all adds to the headaches. But it exposes students to a new culture, language, and way of life (and many, many pizzas!).
