MSci Biodiversity and Conservation student David Blahout recounts his experience of the second year module, ‘Introduction to Field Ecology’. David has written a number of virtual diary entries on the topic, and has compiled his account of the incredible module here, highlighting the challenges and joys of working in the field.

After a long pandemic year, I was ready for a new adventure. At the end of term 3, I still had one module left: Introduction to Field Ecology (BIOL0007). It promised an authentic, hands-on, practical experience in the field, and was the module that I looked forward to most the entire year. You should have seen my relief when it was confirmed in term 2. Yes, in the beginning, there was no guarantee that the field trip would happen. But, as restrictions were lifted, I grew more and more excited for the final step of my 2nd year. Would the course be an exciting experience or just another module to be ticked off my annual transcript?

The module started with its first week in London. I was finding my way to Hampstead Heath when I noticed an undeniable quality of the module – maybe it was just my socially deprived brain, but I found it incredibly refreshing to work with my peers in person again. This experience was different from meeting someone in a lecture hall; it was more intense, and this set the BIOL0007 module apart from others. Most modules do not offer such an intensive collaborative and teamwork experience. In this first week, our aim was to assess grass community diversity and total carbon stored in trees. I must be honest here: one day our objective was the collection of invertebrates in thistle or nettles. While our invertebrate friends were captivating as always, I wasn’t keen on jumping into thistle every two minutes.

The second and final week of the module was supposed to happen at FSC Blencathra in the Lake District. We were welcomed by the rocky green hills of northern England.

On the first day, we had only one task: to set up light traps for moth surveys. The very next morning, I stood with my peers in awe as we witnessed the large variety and beauty of moth species. We cared not whether it was the ordinary pale tussocks, the twig-like buff tips or the magnificent poplar hawkmoths. All of them were astonishing. The macro-moth diversity reminded me of a quote by Charles Darwin. The words ‘Endless forms most beautiful’ indeed come alive when you see evolution’s finest work.

Besides moths, we also performed bird point counts (this is a tally of the birds that can be perceived by sound or sight by one observer) or river ecosystem quality assessments (whereby several parameters such as temperature and sediment quality are evaluated). Frankly, the bird point counts were quite a challenge as I was hearing many of the songs and calls for the first time in my life. Identifying a species correctly was always a satisfying moment.

The ultimate challenge was a mini-research project which each group had to develop and report. My team chose to investigate moths. We were interested in whether there was any difference between forest and grassland macro-moth communities. Even though we didn’t find any significant results, it was an exciting experience to undertake, requiring good teamwork, precision, and an innovative spirit. I am still proud of my R code for Total Taxonomic Distinctness (very painful and tedious when calculated by hand).

In the end, BIOL0007 wasn’t just another module to be ticked off…it was simply amazing.

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How has this field trip affected me? Well, I found a new love for the moth. A love which I carried back home, where I started catching the picturesque beauties on my own. I know that I will continue to do so for a long time.

If you enjoyed this article and would like to know more, you can contact David via your UCL email.