Our physical geographers (BSc Geography) went out to the Edale valley to learn crucial geographical methods and delve into the processes which drive change in our local landscapes, in particular the intriguing rock formation surrounding Back Tor. For those unable to attend in-person, staff built a state-of-the-art virtual 360-degree tour of the area for students to explore. The key learning outcomes for our physical geographers were to engage with our surrounding landscape and begin to develop landscape interpretation skills, through activities such as field sketches and surveying.
Our human geographers (BA Geography) combined a walking and observational tour of Hope to Castleton, highlighting the key social and economic aspects of the area. These were coupled with online interviews of stakeholders in the Peak District to investigate how people navigate and balance different priorities when it comes to living and working in the national park, and especially how this has been recently impacted by Covid-19. Students learnt important data collection and analysis skills, as well as working in groups to present their findings.
Dr Tom Pering, who led the BSc Geography field class, said: “I think it’s really fantastic that, even under difficult circumstances, we’ve still been able to offer students the opportunity to get out into the field. Fieldwork is vitally important in terms of developing the practical skills that geographers use every day, so I’m really pleased that we’re continuing to equip the next generation of geographers.”