- UCAS course code
- F852
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Bachelor of Science (BSc)
BSc Environmental Management
Duration: 3 years
Year of entry: 2025
UCAS course code: F852 / Institution code: M20
- Key features:
Study abroad
Industrial experience
Scholarships available
Field trips
- Typical A-level offer: ABB
- Typical contextual A-level offer: BBC
- Refugee/care-experienced offer: BBC
- Typical International Baccalaureate offer: 34 points overall with 6,5,5 at HL
Course unit details:
Conservation Management Project
| Unit code | PLAN30402 |
|---|---|
| Credit rating | 20 |
| Unit level | Level 3 |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 2 |
| Available as a free choice unit? | Yes |
Overview
This course unit will provide you with experience of undertaking a practical project for a ‘real-world’ client, Manchester City Council (MCC). Your focus will be on developing a conservation management plan, as part of a team of students, for an urban biodiversity site (which may include a Site of Biological Importance (SBI), former SBI or candidate SBI). The course unit runs throughout the second semester and provides you with the opportunity to coordinate, design and implement your own project, supported by meetings, workshops and presentations with the course unit convenor and external contributors. This course unit develops practical knowledge and skills in relation to group working, project design and planning, with a particular focus on undertaking work related to the management of sites for biodiversity conservation whilst maximising other ecosystem services.
Aims
The unit aims to:
- To provide students with practical experience of issues related to the assessment and management of an urban biodiversity site.
- To introduce students to the roles of the range of various practitioners and stakeholders involved in managing urban biodiversity sites.
- To develop students understanding of the conservation management planning process and how to produce a viable conservation management plan.
- To enable students to demonstrate the range of their knowledge on environmental issues within a practical project.
- To enable students to utilise the self-learning capabilities learnt during their programme and to demonstrate them in a student-led group project.
Teaching and learning methods
Lecture-based sessions: Lectures take various formats including presentation of topics and processes linked to conservation management planning, invited practitioner presentations, workshop exercises, formative presentations from student groups and assessed presentations from student groups.
Workshops: A particular focus for the workshops that take place outside of the lecture-based sessions is on spatial data gathering, analysis and presentation.
Site visit: A site visit takes place during this unit, with students introduced to the sites that form the focus of their conservation management plan. Site visits are supported by external stakeholders who have knowledge and experience of the sites.
Meetings with the module convenor: Meetings between the module convenor and each group of students take place at various points to provide an opportunity for formative feedback and to address specific issues related to the production of the conservation management plans.
Knowledge and understanding
- Identify the steps that form the conservation management planning process
- Recognise key issues related to the management of urban biodiversity sites
Intellectual skills
- Evaluate multiple sources of information to make decisions linked to the management of urban biodiversity sites for conservation
Practical skills
- Design and implement the required stages of developing a conservation management plan
- Design and implement a methodology for data collection, analysis and synthesis to support the development of a conservation management plan
Transferable skills and personal qualities
- To deliver professional standard reports
- Deliver professional standard presentations
Assessment methods
| ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY | LENGTH REQUIRED | WEIGHTING WITHIN UNIT | FEEDBACK |
1. Group presentation 1 | 20 minutes | 25% | Feedback is provided verbally within the session and via TurnitIn within 15 working days of submission |
2. Group presentation 2 | 20 minutes | 25% | Feedback is provided via TurnitIn within 15 working days of submission |
3. Group report |
6,500 words
| 50% | Feedback is provided verbally within the session and via TurnItIn within 15 working days of submission |
Feedback methods
Formative feedback will be given verbally through workshop sessions.
Written summative feedback will be given on the group presentations and group report.
Recommended reading
Alexander, M. (2020). A Guide to Management Planning. Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, Bridgend, Wales.
Ausden, M. (2007). Habitat Management for Conservation: A Handbook of Techniques. OUP Oxford.
CABE Space and Mayor of London. (2009). Open Space Strategies: best practice guidance. CABE, London
Institute of Environmental Assessment. (1995). Guidelines for baseline ecological assessment. Institute of Environmental Assessment. E & F Spon, an Imprint of Chapman & Hall, London
Tait, J., Lane, A. and Carr, S. (1988). Practical Conservation: Site Assessment and Management Planning. Hodder and Stoughton, London.
Study hours
| Scheduled activity hours | |
|---|---|
| Fieldwork | 8 |
| Lectures | 24 |
| Practical classes & workshops | 16 |
| Independent study hours | |
|---|---|
| Independent study | 152 |
Teaching staff
| Staff member | Role |
|---|---|
| Jeremy Carter | Unit coordinator |