Geography, Ecology & Environmental Science Club
Geography, Ecology and Environmental Science Club for years 10 & 11
Location: University of Brighton’s Moulsecoomb campus
Dates: 31 January, 14 & 21 February, and 7 March
Time: 10.00 – 13.30
Explore science and nature in four fun sessions. Explore how we encounter nature, investigating people-nature interactions; solve a wildlife crime using forensic science; discover where Brighton’s drinking water comes from; and design your own water filter. Get hands-on, learn new skills, and see how science connects to the world around you.
Session details:
1) Everyday wild: mapping your nature encounters
This session is designed to spark new understandings of your everyday connections to nature. You will engage in a creative mapping exercise to reflect upon your experiences of journeying between places in your everyday life as you document how you encounter and interact with different types of nature on your journeys. The session will be a playful and absorbing way of understanding our individual and collective connections to nature.
The session will be led by Dr Paul Gilchrist, Principal Lecturer in Human Geography
2) Whodunnit? Using forensic science to investigate wildlife crime
Wildlife crime remains one of the greatest threats to wildlife populations around the world. During this session you will take the role of a forensic investigator trying to solve a wildlife crime scene. Using a range of forensic techniques including fingerprinting, blood typing, hair scale analysis and forensic entomology you will need to identify the perpetrator. This is a hands-on session that will require a good sense of observation, key biology lab skills and some great powers of deduction!
This session will be led by Dr Maureen Berg, Principal Lecturer in Ecology and Conservation
3) Where does Brighton’s water come from?
This session is all about understanding the chalk aquifer beneath Brighton and why it matters. We’ll explore what chalk is, how it stores and moves water, and why it’s such an important source of drinking water for the city. You’ll learn about the risks of water pollution, test water quality using real equipment, and work on practical ideas to protect this vital resource. By the end, you’ll see how geology, water science, and environmental care all connect to everyday life in Brighton.
The session will be led by Prof Martin Smith, Associate Dean for Research and Enterprise in the School of Applied Sciences.
4) Eco Engineers: Clean Water Challenge
In this hands-on session, you will explore simple, low-cost methods to filter dirty water using everyday materials like sand, gravel, charcoal, and cloth. You’ll learn how filtration works, why clean water matters, and how science can solve real-world problems—even with limited resources. Through guided experiments and group challenges, you will better understand the basics of water contamination and purification, build and test your own water filters, compare the effectiveness of different materials, and reflect on global access to clean water and how innovation can help.
The session will be led by Dr Magda Grove, Technical Team Manager and Dannie Makin, Technical Instructor for Geography & Geology.