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In the National School of Forestry at the University of Cumbria, we have a range of
courses on offer. Our foundation degree in Forestry is kind of entry level into the forest
industry, getting people who want to have careers out in the woods everyday.
The next level up is our BSc courses. We have a BSc Forestry, again aimed at the forest
industry, but specifically at going in at a supervisory level, continuing into forest
management careers. The foundation degree students, if they decide
that that's the route for them, can actually come and do a BSc Forestry one-year top-up
to get into that or two years by distance learning for flexibility with their jobs.
We also have a BSc Woodland Conservation course aimed at the other kinds of ecosystem services
that woodlands can offer. The conservation of biodiversity and the benefits to human
society that depend upon that. Finally, kind of bringing it all together,
we have a masters in Forest Ecosystem Management offered as a distance learning option, and
that is the course where you can learn about the forest industry as well as the woodland
conservation side of things. I'm studying the foundation degree in Forestry,
which is part-time distance learning. The reason I've chosen the University of Cumbria
is because it was recommended by my managers, who were paying for the course. Most of them
actually studied here themselves. I'm doing the long distance foundation degree
in Forestry. I come up here for one week a term to do a module.
The access to lecturers is really good because you can email them or they always around campus.
They're always very helpful and willing to talk.
We've studied quite a range of modules in our course so far. There's a large amount
that's more the management side - how to measure stands and work out volumes of woodlands.
But there's also a lot of the conservation side as well, like we learn about ecology
and biodiversity. We're really fortunate to be based at the
Ambleside campus, right in the heart of the Lake District National Park. It's a wonderful
place to be studying woodlands, semi-natural ancient woodlands including Atlantic Oakwoods,
which are really precious. But also, we have commercial conifer blocks, originally planted
for timber production, but increasingly used to supply other benefits to human society.
We have Grizedale in the south of the Lakes, famous for its sculpture park. Also up in
the north of the Lakes, we have Whinlatter where they have mountain biking in the woods.
And then in the middle, United Utilities own a woodland at Thirlmere, where they have a
reservoir supplying water to Manchester and Liverpool.
Being a Forestry student in the Lake District is fantastic. There's loads of local woodlands
to go to. We've been all over the place. And also just living in the area is great because
there's so many activities just on your doorstep. The links we have with organisations locally,
including the Lake District National Park authority, the National Trust, we work with
Natural England, and of course with the Forestry Commission as well, an organisation locally
called Cumbria Woodlands are very close partners for us.
In the National School of Forestry, we're a small team, but we have a diverse range
of interests, so we're all trying to pursue our own research as well as supporting students
through teaching. In fact, we'd argue that research informed teaching, where we bring
our research into the classroom, is the point at which students become most interested in
what's going on. It's really good. It's really good facilities
up here. It's probably the best around. And it's really friendly staff. They're all willing
to help, willing to help you succeed. If you're thinking about studying Forestry,
the best thing to do is come to one of our Open Days at the Ambleside campus in the heart
of the Lake District National Park, and let us show you what we can do.
I'm hoping to go towards the tree surveying or tree officer sort of sector and the University
of Cumbria has given me good background knowledge and good experience within that sector to
help me forward my career. I would highly recommend the course. The lecturers
are fantastic, they really know their stuff. The area is amazing. You can do whatever you
want to do and the university is really welcoming.