Student research

I collaborated with the Surrey Wildlife Trust (SWT) on my postgraduate thesis during the summer of 2021. After listening to a lecture from SWT during my second term on the work that the Trust was conducting regarding connectivity, I reached out to and asked if they would consider supervising me, as I wanted to do a project on this too. They had previously worked with students on similar projects, so they were aware of the entire thesis process. SWT were incredibly quick to respond and supportive in helping me pick the direction I wanted to go, giving me freedom in doing so. I wanted to look at how collaboration between farmers could improve connectivity across landscapes. Through the support and the expertise from various members of staff, I was able to learn how to use new software programmes like GIS, which became integral to my project. As I was new to this software, I was able to ask for meetings at any point, which I found incredibly helpful as this project was done during the pandemic. Collaborating with the SWT also enabled me to learn from different members of the organisation, providing many contacts that I could interview to support and strengthen my work. It was a great experience being able to work with an organisation outside of an academic setting and I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity that SWT provided me.

SATRO organise research placements for students aged 16+ to undertake a genuine STEM based research project, working within an employer or academic research environment. The placement runs for four weeks during the Summer, enabling students to work alongside qualified professionals and experts. Surrey Wildlife Trust provide projects for the scheme each year, producing some fantastic results.

Priya completed a project with us in summer 2021: "Working with the Surrey Wildlife Trust was an amazing experience for me. This research project I carried out on the 'Barriers to Nature Engagement in Young People' was an eye-opener towards finding the solutions that can solve local problems and the lack of engagement we currently face in society. The staff members of the Surrey Wildlife Trust, continuously gave me guidance and advice to carry out all the research necessary to make this project successful. As a result, this project received a CREST Gold Award and it is thanks to SWT for giving me this opportunity and always helping  and communicating with me throughout!"

Ellen's project during summer 2021 was looking at Green Infrastructure in Woking: "I really enjoyed my work experience with Surrey Wildlife Trust over the summer. I found the topic chosen very interesting to research and my mentor gave me so much support and guidance via regular meetings and emails as I was working on my project. I am very pleased with the report I produced from my research and the chance to give a presentation based on my findings was invaluable."

I’m a PhD student on the Practitioner Doctorate program in Sustainability (Centre for the Environment and Sustainability, University of Surrey). The Surrey Wildlife Trust is an industry partner of this doctoral project, which focuses on urban development, biodiversity conservation and community wellbeing. The SWT has been critical for the completion of this project because working with them has allowed me to, firstly, tap into their expertise on multiple fields, such as ecological connectivity modelling, environmental and planning legislation, and community engagement. Secondly, I could access their extensive network of contacts, partners, and collaborators, which allowed me to identify some of the knowledge gaps addressed by this research project. Finally, working with dedicated, purpose-driven professionals in the field of nature conservation has inspired me to continue my career in the field of sustainable urban development and environmental conservation.