Marwell Wildlife is excited to celebrate 10 years of its unique conservation course, blending education with hands-on experience for future conservationists
Winchester: Marwell Wildlife is marking a big milestone with its conservation course. It’s been ten years of helping students dive into the world of conservation.
This course is pretty special. It mixes classroom learning with real-life conservation work. Students get to tackle important issues like habitat loss and climate change.
What’s cool is that it’s the only course like this in the UK. Students get hands-on experience at Marwell’s zoo and even get to do fieldwork both in the UK and abroad.
As of 2024, nine new students have joined the program. They’re following in the footsteps of over 60 alumni who are now working in conservation and research around the globe.
Dr. Heidi Mitchell, who leads the program, shared her pride in the course. She believes the biggest impact we can have is on each other, especially in these challenging times for our planet.
The course really gets students involved in real-world conservation issues. They conduct research that helps shape Marwell’s efforts.
Projects can be anything from finding ways to protect endangered species to studying how climate change affects reintroduction efforts.
Students also get to go on a Marwell-led field course in Kenya. There, they work on projects, collect data, and share their findings, gaining valuable experience in conservation efforts in Africa.
At Marwell’s Science and Learning Centre, MRes students are part of the conservation team. They have access to top-notch facilities and training in field research.
This unique approach to postgraduate education gives hope in the fight against biodiversity loss.
If you’re interested, applications for the 2025/26 academic year are now open. Check out marwell.org.uk/conservation/science/mres for more info.
