undergraduate | Ecology of the past

Departing from Hull

May 11, 2026
WDG

Hull was a departure point for many people across the sea, and also a departure point for me in my life and academic career!

Last weekend I returned to Hull to catch up with friends from my undergraduate days for the first time in more than 20 years! We were all based at the University of Hull “Ferens Hall” hall of residence for our first year (1995-1996), following this we shared houses in the streets around the university main campus. Over the last twenty years later we have all headed off along different an meandering paths in life, but catching up with everyone felt very normal. A testement to the solid friendships developed during those three years at Hull. The reunion was helped along by some Manchester Bitter and Yorkshire stout (not avaliable on tap in the Netherlands) and some fine locations in the redeveloped Hull marina area.

Whilst at Hull, as well as making friends, I studies for a BSc (Hons) in Physical Geography. During my degree I got my foundations and inspiration for exploring past environmental change from a range of great lecturers, memorably including:

Steve Ellis (soil science; and author of the then recently published Ellis & Mellor [1995] text book),
Barbara Rumbsy (past river systems; who – if I remember the rumour correctly – left academia to run a tea shop in the Lake District – was this true?),
Martyn Pedley (sedimentology; double carbonate sedimentology on a Friday afternoon was typically punctuated by a swift trip to the Student Union bar [but we always went back]),
James Brasington (hydrology; who I remember running after down a crowded corridor for some reason long forgotten), and
Jane Bunting (palaeoecology; who really set me on my academic path!).

As an undergraduate arriving in Hull in 1995 I could never have imagined that I would be in Amsterdam 30+ years later working as an academic. I hope that, as an academic today, I manage to convey the same energy and enthusiams for my subject as the lecturers I had at Hull did for me. Who knows where my students, staff, or I, will all be 30+ more years time, but I am sure things will change (and wierdly stay the same) just as much as they have (have not) over the last 30 years. I hope that the path is varied and interesting, and that more friendships and progress are made along the way. So on with the adventure…

APD workshop : African pollen data and education

May 4, 2023
sji15

In addition to researchers, many of us are also educators! William Gosling (this blog’s esteemed owner) will be leading a discussion of how to use the African Pollen Database (APD) for outreach and education! Please join us Wed, May 10 at 9am EDT (time zone converter). Please email sji15@psu.edu for the zoom link and instructions.

At this workshop, Will is going to focus on:

Why incorporating paleoecology in education is important.
Some theory about pedagogy related to paleoecology.
Discussion of specific ideas targeted at different groups (e.g. undergraduates, informal education).

Do you have exercises and modules that you have incorporated paleoecological data into? If so, we’d love to hear some of your ideas as well!

For more information, check out the schedule below and see past workshops here.

apd_workshop_schedule_sp23_edit Download

An undergraduate eye-view of an Andean lake-coring expedition

August 23, 2017
WDG

Part 1: Huayabamba
by Molly Kingston (a BSc Biological Sciences student at Florida Institute of Technology, taking part in an expedition lead by Prof. Mark Bush)

When I first heard about this class in Peru, I had no idea that I was going to experience so much in such a short period. Our goal was to visit two lakes in Peru and raise sediment cores for paleoecology. The first lake that we went to was Laguna Huayabamba, which sits at about 3250 m elevation in the La Libertad region of the Peruvian Andes.

However, getting to this lake was no easy task. Before the hike even started, we had to obtain the necessary permits and permission from the local people. After several days of visiting different town officials and waiting for approval, we could set out on our adventure.

Paleoecology course University of Amsterdam

September 29, 2014
Valerie

Students examining a sediment core extracted with a Russian corer

Last week, Will – our new associate professor at the University of Amsterdam – joined us on the field residential module of the undergraduate “Paleoecology” course; 7 days exploring the sediments and vegetation of the Twente region of the Netherlands. The experience provided Will with a lot of information on Dutch language, landscapes, and students; which should be useful to him next year as he will be coordinating the course!

Students examining peat exposures.

During this very intensive (4-week) paleoecology course, students get background lectures in past environmental change, learn to identify microfossils in the laboratory (pollen and chironomids), and go on the excursion to experience fieldwork. The field module involves excursions during the day, when students have to identify plant species indicative of different vegetation types in relation to soil nutrient availability and moisture content. The evenings are reserved for the students own paleoecological research investigation; this year students were reconstructing the vegetation history and climate change during the late-glacial from a lake sediment core from Germany. Once data collection was completed the students had to interpret the pollen assemblages they found using the knowledge of modern day ecosystems they gained throughout the week. On the final evening they presented their work to the whole group. The final results they achieved were quite impressive.

Students presenting findings from the days work

I am very curious as to what the course will be like next year, led by Will, and how he will tweak and turn it to his liking.

Debating the Vera hypothesis

Teaching in the field: Foundations, feedback and fun

September 16, 2014
WDG

My final teaching job for The Open University was to help deliver the “Sedimentary Rocks & Fossils in the Field” section of the Level 2 Practical Science module (SXG288) offered by the Science Faculty. I have been involved in all three presentations of this section of the SXG288 module, which will now cease to be offered, and a number of other Earth and environmental science residential schools over the last 9 years.

Having the opportunity to engage directly with students and enthuse them face-to-face about the subject I specialise in is a privilege I have gained a lot from. Furthermore, my over-riding impression from the students I have taught is that they feel they benefit greatly from the opportunity to explore first hand the concepts and subjects which they have previously studied in books and online. Based on my experiences on “Sedimentary Rocks and Fossils”, and other modules as both a tutor and a student, I am convinced that to effectively teach geological, geographical, environmental and ecological subjects effectively an element of field-based teaching is required.

An interview with Phil Jardine

July 1, 2014
philjardine

Well, we’ve heard from Wes and Adele, and now it’s my turn (Phil Jardine) for a bit of a chat on the “Ecology of the past” YouTube channel. Similar to the previous interview videos, I’m talking about my role on the Bosumtwi pollen chemistry project, and what I’ve done (academically speaking) prior to coming to the Open University. Enjoy!

For more videos check out the “Ecology of the past” YouTube channel.