Environmental Science & Sustainability (Dumfries Campus)

Placement opportunities - for BSc students

The combined approach of a broad based education with specialist input provides students with a wide range of skills attractive to any employer including the critical evaluation of complex issues, the presentation of structured, logical arguments supporting a viewpoint, both oral and written, and the production of, and participation in, team based initiatives. The applied, practical approach taken in Environmental Science and Sustainability, coupled with experiences gained through the placement, will equip students with essential qualities for working in public, commercial or voluntary environmental organisations.

2021 Environmental placement opportunities include:

As a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, and lockdown in the UK at the start of January 2021, placements were cancelled for this year to prevent the spread of the virus. Students had arranged the following placements, but were unable to undertake them.

• [Environmental Reclamation Services (ERS) Ltd: the student will be engaged in a laboratory and/or desk-based research on an aspect related to soil remediation technique offered by the company commercially. Research will involve collation/analysis of technical and financial information to inform decision making. Research to be embedded into company practice.
• Dumfries and Galloway Council: the student will be working in the area of climate emergency/climate change for the council. This will include work on the Renewable Heat Initiative and Feed-in tariff programme.
• Edinburgh Community Food: the student will be working for the organisation on local supply chains and food sustainability.
• Mabie Forest Kennels and Cattery: the student will be working with a team to transfer a wetland/pond into a stable ecosystem.
• Environmental Agency: the students will be working with the projects team on producing health and safety and specification paperwork for fixing flood defence assets. They will also be researching, collecting data and on-site information for writing incident response plans and contingency plans for our flood risk assets.
• Crichton Carbon Centre: the student will be involved with peatland restoration - monitoring success/failure (including field work at Cairnsmore of Fleet National Nature Reserve), and identifying key indicators of change. There will also be some desk based mapping and reporting of survey work
• SRUC Aberdeen: the student will design a sampling strategy, data analysis plan, collect samples, and process them to address questions about the storage of organic carbon in the soil profile under stocked and stockless crop rotations in a long-term experimental set up.
• John Muir Trust: work will include casework monitoring, desk-based research to inform Trust policies and positions, science and policy research review on topical subjects (e.g. peatlands, carbon sequestration, land use), field notes/website content.  Participation in Trust-wide projects on carbon, diversity and wild land.]

2020 Environmental placement opportunities include:

• World Glacier Monitoring Service - Zurich, Switzerland - the student will be working on videos relating to glaciers and carrying out some work on their global map.
• Glasgow City Council (Glasgow Botanic Gardens): the student will be involved with the horticultural side of the gardens and will be gain experience in propagation methods.
• Vietnam: the students will be working to improve the abilities of poor communities in Vietnam to develop sustainable livelihoods by adapting to climate change.
• Kosgoda, Sri Lanka: the student will be working on maintaining the project area and beach, feeding and caring for the turtles, burying turtle eggs and cleaning hatcheries, and releasing turtles back into the ocean.
• Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve:  the student will be involved in conservation work on the nature reserve site - deer management, forestry operations, path maintenance.
• Galloway Fisheries Trust: the students will be involved with research, restoration and monitoring projects including tree planting, water sampling, hatchery work and habitat surveys.
• QTS Group Ltd: the student will be working with the compliance team in duties relating to environmental impact and improvement. They will also be surveying, improving and implementing waste management processes for offices and workshops.
• Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve: the student will work as a volunteer on the reserve, carrying out maintenance work and working on a variety of environmental monitoring projects.

2019 Environmental placement opportunities include:

• EON Controls: the student will work on analytical work related to the monitoring and controlling of building services e.g. lighting, improving energy efficiency etc.
• Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve: the student will work as a volunteer on the reserve, carrying out maintenance work and working on a variety of environmental monitoring projects.
• Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve:  the student will be involved in seed collection for the continuous regeneration of the forested areas and assisting in caring for the nursery saplings. They will also contribute to deer control and identification and recording of species.
• Evnaskyn ÍVL: The student will take part in PCB analyses on biological tissues (sea-birds, fish) using APGC- MS/MS. 
• Kleerkut: the student will be assisting with writing reports, observing the management options for dealing with a variety of invasives, and receive training in carry out invasive weed surveys.
• The Wildlife Information Centre: the student will be data processing, carrying out GIS work and training, assisting with organising and participating in training workshops, carrying out field work and other office-based ecological work.
• South West Scotland Environmental Information Centre: The student will be working on wildlife records for Dumfries and Galloway, and Ayrshire which may include GIS mapping work.
• Five Oceans Environmental Services LLC: The student will be involved with: 
  • mobilising and demobilising for field work and permit applications
  • accompanying the field team on surveys 
  • data analysis and interpretation for reports 
  • assisting on sample processing
  • contributing to client reports, literature reviews and desk based studies
  • support of new technical services; app coding, smart data collection systems, remote sensing 
• Environmental Reclamation Services (ERS) Ltd: The student will be engaged in a laboratory-based placement. They will be involved in handling and characterisation of hydrocarbon contaminated soils and in the design and execution of remediation treatability testing.
• Clackmannanshire council: The student will be either working on air quality management or looking at pollution control.
• Transport Scotland: The student will be involved with various activities across environment and sustainability related to transport. Topics might include, but not limited to:
  • Investigation into air pollution emissions from Transportation Refrigeration Units
  • Investigation into air pollution risks in vehicles
  • Supporting the procurement of an air quality remote sensing network for Scotland
  • Noise management from transport
  • Flooding and climate change adaptation
  • Environmental assessment of roads schemes
• Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation: Projects include:
  • Collecting and analysing data on cetacean presence, abundance, distribution and behavioural studies through boat, ferry and land surveys
  • Collecting and analysing data on species movement, residency pattern and social structure using mark recapture photo-ID techniques
  • Monitoring and recording cetacean bioacoustics
  • Collecting and analysing data on the presence, abundance, distribution and behavioural tendencies of Mediterranean monk seals and various sea turtle species
  • Analysing microplastic content in marine animal digestive system
  • Monitoring and assessing marine litter on shore and at sea
  • Aegean Marine Life Sanctuary: the creation of an in-sea rehabilitation facility for marine mammals and turtles, but also for dolphins rescued from captivity.
  • Cetacean and sea turtle basic first aid and stranding response
• Raja Ampat Diving Project: Coral reef conservation and monitoring, producing detailed habitat maps where required. Working with local communities, education on environmental issues. Beach clean ups. Manta Ray Monitoring Programme (recognising key characteristics, markings and behaviours).
• ICOE Research Ltd.: the student will carry out research for environmental and ecological case studies, particularly in relation to a reservoir.

 

2018 Environmental placement opportunities include:

• SAP Ecology and Environmental: the students will be carrying out external and internal building assessments, forest walk over surveys, badger sett mapping, data analysis and compilation of 2017 survey results.
• Raja Ampat Diving Project: the student will be based in Indonesia carrying out coral reef conservation and monitoring while producing coastal habitat maps. They will also be involved with the manta ray monitoring programme and work with local communities, teaching them about environmental issues.
• Tilhill Forestry: the student will be assisting with the woody debris survey in the Menstrie Glen catchment area, and conducting a review of harvesting sites for diffuse pollution control implementation.
• AECOM: the student will work with staff within environment and planning – including ecology, noise and air teams, general environmental teams.  This will be a mixture of desk work, report writing, data gathering and site visits with the ecology and noise/air teams as they carry out surveys.
• RSPB Portmore Lough: the student will be involved with habitat management for breeding wading birds, breeding terns and gulls. Livestock handling and wintering wildfowl and wader surveys. Visitor engagement and events assistance. 
• East Ayrshire Council: the student will be working in the Waste Management Sector looking at waste minimisation, re-use and recycling.
• Glasgow City Council (Glasgow Botanic Gardens): the student will be involved with the horticultural side of the gardens and will be undertaking some desk-based study work.
• SRUC: the student will be working on an innovative project around emissions with staff at the Dairy Research Centre.
• ICOE Research Ltd.: the student will work as a junior analyst on a major environmental publication project. They will also carry out research on a case study involving a reservoir. 
• Watchtree Nature Reserve: the student will be carrying out practical conservation work during the placement and will also be involved in visitor management and administration/web editing for the reserve.
• Matang Wildlife Centre, Indonesia: the student will be working with husbandry tasks at the centre, assisting with some construction projects, and primate and sun-bear enrichment.
• Kosgoda, Sri Lanka: the student will be working on maintaining the project area and beach, feeding and caring for the turtles, burying turtle eggs and cleaning hatcheries, and releasing turtles back into the ocean.
• Edinburgh Zoo: the student will be based within the Property and Estates section, working with the Projects and Sustainability Manager and Sustainability Advisor. Work will include a review of the transport used at both sites to calculate the carbon footprint; this data will then be utilised to look at alternatives to encourage 'green' travel.

2017 Environmental Placements include:

• Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, Greece  - 3 students will be working with the organisation this year. One will be monitoring and collecting data on important ecosystems in the region. Another will be surveying island flora biodiversity and replanting areas degraded by erosion; they will also carry out field surveys of fauna. The final student will be carrying out a census of some littoral zone ecosystems assessing fish, algae and invertebrate biodiversity which have been impacted by tourism and pollution.
• Edinburgh Zoo: the student will either be carrying out a feasibility study for anaerobic digestion of the zoo's organic waste, or assessing the cost and carbon footprint reduction by converting all lighting to LED at the zoo.
• Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Caerlaverock: the student will work on habitat management, biological monitoring of wildfowl, reserve maintenance and visitor engagement.
• SRUC: the student will be assisting with research data collection and routine research farm activities as well as collating and analysing data from the dairy research systems
• Fruit Fruition: the student will be working in the organisation's environment-related section, collecting data, calculating carbon emission savings, delivering workshops and generally helping in organising a platform for scientific debate around climate change and agriculture.
• Leiden University College, The Hague: the student will work on the Life plus 2 meters project (communicating adaptation to climate change to the general public) and other projects such as the City Water (QUALITY) Project – related to our joint research interests. 

2016 Environmental Placements include:

• Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, Greece - Students will be working on projects related to Marine Mammal Research and Conservation; another student will be carrying out censuses of the littoral zone and factors impacting on them plus completing risk assessments of maritime traffic in the Aegean and developing related management proposals etc.
• Edinburgh Zoo - the student will be participating in a variety of activities within the Discovery and Learning Department. Activities will include assisting in the delivery and development of schools sessions, including developing a primary or secondary level lesson on global warming and sustainability that can be delivered at both RZSS sites, Edinburgh Zoo or the Highland Wildlife Park (HWP). Thus the student will also visit to our HWP site. She may also participate in animal handling sessions (animals include; cockroaches, rats, snails, snakes, lizards, guinea pigs and frogs) as well as help with Zoo tours.
• Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Caerlaverock - the student will be involved with habitat management, biological monitoring (including the Barnacle geese and Whooper swans), reserve maintenance, and visitor engagement.
• SRUC - the student will be collating and analysing data from the dairy cow automatic milking systems (milking robot). They will assist in collecting other data and carry out routine research farm activities.
• Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (Crossmichael) - Data handling, analysis and report writing.  Bird identification, wing-tag reading and identification at red kite feeding station and in field.  Radio-tracking red kites. Recording field information.  Site visits to RSPB reserves with relevant staff members.  People engagement at red kite feeding station.  Site visits with other staff members as appropriate and possible.
• Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (Mersehead) - contributing to the programme of events at the site; providing an interpretation of the wildlife to visitors; working with schools visiting the reserve.
• Scottish Natural Heritage - Uist Wader Project and Hebridean Mink Project work. The student will be using a bespoke trapping database and accompanying trappers on trap routes – checking traps already in place, moving traps, removing traps from the moor, working outside in inclement weather conditions. There also maybe an opportunity to go and spend some time with the Uist wader project and assist in the trapping and removal of the hedgehogs.
• University of Glasgow (Estates and Buildings) - Following the current building electricity consumption monitoring exercise, the student may be involved in an energy audit to identify the source of  wastage in the heavy consuming buildings.

2015 Environmental Placements included:

• Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, Greece  
• World Glacier Monitoring Service - Zurich, Switzerland - the student will be working on data relating to glaciers and carrying out some fieldwork.
• Crichton Carbon Centre - Sustainable Process Improvement Project work - field work, marketing, research and web material work; Land Management - support to manager.
• West Lothian Council - assisting the Council in a waste minimisation exercise.
• Xodus Group - compiling health, safety and environmental legal registers for different countries with a focus on oil and gas drilling.
• Solway Firth Partnership - the student will contribute to the work of Solway Firth Partnership in supporting a vibrant and sustainable local economy while respecting, protecting and celebrating the distinctive character, heritage and natural features of our marine and coastal area. The placement will include work on the marine invasive non-native species project.
• Dumfries and Galloway Council 100% RES Communities Project - Researching and identifying what key aspects of communities ensures a well-structured, able and dedicated working group and developing an easy to use tool kit for communities to help develop such groups.
• Scottish Wildlife Trust - the student will work with the reserve project officer: undertaking brush cutting using chainsaws, survey work, tree assessments and other duties.
• Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Caerlaverock 
• Natural Power - the student will be working with Natural Power's Senior Ecologist based at the organisation's global headquarters near Castle Douglas in the South West of Scotland. The placement will include field work involving surveys for protected species and carrying out desk-based ecology reviews, field data digitisation and some basic reporting.
• Edinburgh Zoo - the student will be participating in a variety of activities within the Discovery and Learning Department. Activities will include assisting in the delivery and development of schools sessions, evaluating our work on the Wild About Scotland Bus, potentially creating worksheets, trails or providing visitor education about native species conservation. The bus evaluation will require her to join the team on the bus which travels to various locations around Scotland. They may also participate in animal handling sessions (animals include; cockroaches, rats, snails, snakes, lizards, guinea pigs and frogs) as well as help with Zoo tours. guinea pigs and frogs) as well as help with Zoo tours.
• Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

2014 Environmental Placements included:

• Australian Koala Foundation - the student will be based in Australia near Brisbane and work on the survey database of koalas; in addition they will be involved in the GIS mapping of local koala habitat, and carry out field work.
• Edinburgh Zoo - the student will be based within the Discovery and Learning Department and examine the perceptions of zoo visitors when viewing the animals.
• Jersey Zoo - Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. The student will be working within the bird department on recovery programmes and doing keeper work. Species include cranes, ibis, flamingos, parrots, hornbills, pink pigeons.
• Royal Society for the Protection of Birds - Galloway Red Kite Trail. An established project, the student will work with the Red Kite Officer on identification and wing-tag reading as well as radio-tracking the red kites and recording field information.
• Crichton Carbon Centre - Sustainable Process Improvement Project work - greenhouse gas emission analysis, field based activities, research and support to marketing work.
• Dumfries and Galloway Council - Planning and Environment. The student will be involved with Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment projects within the region.
• Pöyry - the student will be based in Finland and work within the organisation's Environmental consulting department. The student will be specifically involved in the Environmental Impact Assessment of a large offshore gas pipeline.
• Forestry Commission Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage - the student will work with Scottish Natural Heritage staff on a monitoring plan for a lowland raised peat bog using fixed point photography. They will also be monitoring vegetation, grazing impacts and the re-wetting project on the drier heath areas.
• The Energy and Resources Institute - assisting in carrying out an assessment of municipal waste generated across 6 Indian cities with a focus on energy recovery.

Examples of previous Placements for environmental students

• Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) - methane emissions from dairy cows
• Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Caerlaverock - habitat and goose management
• Barony College: Carse of Ae Fish Farm Project - development of information boards for visitors
• Eco-Schools: Teaching resource development on the topic of water; Development of a website
• Scottish Natural Heritage/Scottish Environmental Protection Agency: Galloway Forest Park