BU Research Blog

Photo credit: Ewan Hitchcoe

In July 2016, a group of undergraduate students travelled to Indonesia as part of the ‘Landscape Ecology and Primatology’ (LEAP) research project.  For many it was their first experience of living and working in the tropics.  Below, Ecology and Wildlife Conservation student, Ewan Hitchcoe shares some insights into the trip.

For more information about the LEAP project, take a look at the latest edition of the Bournemouth Research Chronicle.

The first part of the trip was based at the Ketambe Forest research centre, located in Aceh province. The forest here is part of the network of forests that makes up the Gunung Leuser National Park. The Ketambe research centre was built by Dr. Herman D. Rikjsen, a Dutch researcher, in 1971 and was the first Orang-utan research station in the world.  Since its inception, the station has provided a base for many scientific studies carried out by well-known Orang-utan field researchers and their collaborators.  The long-term nature of the station means that it’s been possible to carry out studies that help both the public and scientific community with an understanding of adaptive strategies, life history variables and social behaviour of animal populations.

Our group of BU students spent a total of 4 days at Ketambe, one half of the group staying at the research station for two days and the other half staying across the nearby river at a guesthouse, before swapping over. Ketambe was our first introduction to the rainforest and much of our time was spent on extended treks through the forest where we were lucky enough to experience a multitude of flora and fauna including many old growth trees, insects, birds and primates, as well as stunning forest landscape features such as rivers and waterfalls.  Both groups were lucky enough to see wild Orang-utans at Ketambe – a mother and a young infant.

Here at Ketambe, we learned field skills, such as how to use the audio array method (spatial explicit capture-recapture) for assessing primate population density. This involved a 4am start and trekking into the forest, where we set up 3 different listening stations from which to record the morning calls of Orang-utans, Siamangs, Gibbons and Thomas leaf monkeys.  We took note of the time, species, bearing and approximate distance, so that we could triangulate primate group positions later back at camp. We also learned some other techniques for monitoring bio diversity such as butterfly trapping and handling under the instruction of MRes student and LEAP team member Emma Hankinson.

After a pit stop back at Medan our next destination was at Serbajadi Aceh Timur to meet with Tezar Pahlevie and the elephant handlers of the Aceh Conservation Response Unit (CRU). Here we learned how this dedicated team use low tech methods such as fireworks or planting citrus crops to try to dissuade elephants away from people and crop plantations. We also learned how as a last resort the CRU uses trained elephants (taken from the wild as ‘problem’ elephants that would have most likely come to harm from farmers trying to protect their crops) to fight and effectively scare off wild herds. We were also privileged enough to be able to engage with the elephants by helping to wash and feed these magnificent creatures, becoming acutely aware of how truly powerful they are.

The next day we were invited to Leuser Conservation Forum offices, where Rudi Putra and Tezar Pahlevie gave us a presentation about the excellent work being carried out in Aceh and beyond. The presentation stressed the importance of and many reasons for protecting the rain forest. We learned about their success stories, as well as some of the problems that hinder the team’s progress.  The biggest recurring theme is a severe shortage of and sometimes misappropriation of government funds.  In a developing nation often struggling to provide housing, water, healthcare and education for its citizens, habitat and wildlife conservation is understandable not at the top of the government’s priority list.  It quickly became clear that the issues faced here and throughout Indonesia are daunting and are not going to be resolved easily.

The full story of Ewan’s trip to Indonesia can be read here on LEAP’s project website.

To see more of Ewan’s photos, visit his website.

The 2017 Bournemouth Research Chronicle can be seen in full here.

For many people, going into hospital can be a very difficult time and the small things that staff do can make the experience less stressful – taking the time to offer reassurance, communicating clearly and going the extra mile in a myriad of different ways.  A joint project between staff and patients at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital’s Stroke Unit and researchers at Bournemouth University has been exploring these humanising touches and how they improve care.

Nikki Manns, Ward Sister and Caroline Bagnall, Specialist Speech and Language Therapist, are both part of RBH’s Stroke Unit and have been involved in the humanising care project since the beginning.  Below, they explain what motivated them to take part and how the project has been making a difference.

“I wanted to get involved because it seemed a good way of sharing our patients’ experiences,” explains Nikki, “I wanted our staff to hear patient stories from their perspective, so that we could get a better understanding of their journey on the stroke ward.  For me, that was one of the most valuable parts of the project.”

“I was interested in how we could improve our services,” says Caroline, “I was fascinated by the idea of humanised care and looking at how we could improve services from a human perspective.  I loved being involved in the project.  For me, one of the most important things was having the time to reflect on our work as staff and with patients.  It was very valuable to be able to think about each stage of the journey and explore how it felt to both staff and patients,” continues Caroline.

“I found it a very motivating process,” says Nikki, “Our staff really engaged with the project, which continued even after we finished.  Staff have been sharing snippets and stories with the rest of the team and really taking on board what we talked about.  They’ve been looking at all sorts of different things we could change in our working environment.”

“It’s been really  inspirational seeing people from all parts of the team getting together and coming up with new ideas and new projects that they want to lead.  They’ve been really motivated to improve patient care and experience.  The feedback they’ve got as a result has been great and has helped them to see how they’re making a difference.”

“One of the main things we’ve become aware of through the project is the power of small things,” says Caroline, “When people are in a new environment, they can feel quite overwhelmed.  The little things that we do as staff can help them to feel a little less vulnerable and scared when they have a huge event happening in their lives.  It’s been good to be reminded of the difference a small gesture can make.”

“Normally we get most of our feedback once people have left hospital,” says Nikki, “It’s usually through the friends and family survey sent out once people have been discharged.  Being face-to-face with our patients and hearing their experiences has been incredibly powerful.  It’s got so much more value to it.”

“I’d really like to see the humanising care project continue and rolled out in other parts of our NHS Trust.  All patients should have a fantastic experience, regardless of their age or what ward they’re on and I think all healthcare staff can learn something from being involved.”

To find out more about the humanising care project, take a look at the latest edition of the Bournemouth Research Chronicle.

The 2017 Bournemouth Research Chronicle can be seen in full here.

As part of her degree, archaeology student Josie Hagan, had the opportunity to join Professor Kate Welham at a dig in southern Spain.  Josie and Professor Welham formed part of the international team exploring the medieval palace city of Madinat al-Zahra.  Below, Josie shares her experiences of fieldwork.

“When I found out I would be going to Spain I was obviously extremely excited but also nervous!  I had participated in geophysical survey before in Wales and England but I knew that working in an entirely different country would bring different challenges,” explains Josie, “I really wanted to brush up my skills in geophysics (there is always more to learn), experience a different country’s archaeology and their outlook on how to manage archaeologically important sites.”

“I also wanted to meet more archaeologists! There is always so much you can learn from just speaking to other people and it is always nice making new friends across the globe.”

“While I was out in Spain, we used geophysical survey over what was the city at the bottom of Madinat Al-Zahara. We worked in small teams or pairs, as there was so much ground to cover, and this involved getting help from local Spanish archaeology and history students. Their English was amazing, and they were a brilliant team to work with, as everyone seemed keen to learn how to use the equipment.”

“The Spanish students were quite new to using some of the equipment, so it was nice to pass on some of the skills we had learned.  Towards the end of our time there, the Spanish students were taking their own surveys with us assisting.  Teaching someone else is great way of learning how much knowledge you have!”

“At the end of each day we also had the opportunity to help with downloading and processing the data we had gathered. This is really great experience and is also nice to see how our hard work was coming together on the screen.”

“My advice to anyone who is thinking of studying archaeology is to go for it! I didn’t do archaeology at A-level or have any real experience before I came to university but I have absolutely loved the course, found the teaching and content amazing and it’s just such a varied degree.  There is plenty to learn and I really appreciate the variety of lectures, seminars, lab sessions and field work, which keeps it all really interesting. “

“And for anyone thinking of going on a field trip – just go for it!  It will be scary at first but if you are happy to work hard and willing to learn then you will bring so much more to the trip then you can imagine.”

To find out more about the project and Professor Welham’s work, take a look at the latest edition of the Bournemouth Research Chronicle – BU’s research magazine.

The 2017 Bournemouth Research Chronicle can be seen in full here.

The latest edition of the Bournemouth Research Chronicle (BRC) is now available.  The magazine shares just a small selection of the research taking place at BU, from working with local hospitals to shaping conservation practices in Indonesia to improving sports equipment.

Complex global challenges are a defining feature of today’s world and universities can play a key role in addressing these challenges.  Here at Bournemouth University, we encourage our researchers to work together with our students and external organisations – businesses, charities, and hospitals to name just a few – to find solutions to these issues.  We believe that by bringing together research, education and professional practice, we can make a real difference through our work.  We call this Fusion.

This edition shares some of our examples of Fusion in action.  You’ll discover how our academic community is working together to co-create solutions to global challenges and to better understand society and the world around us.  You can also read about some of our newly awarded research grants and projects being undertaken by some of our PhD students.

Our students are a key part of our academic community and are involved in a wide range of research projects at BU.  In this edition of the BRC, you can find out about their fieldwork in Indonesia, Nepal and Spain, where they have been able to develop skills and gain experiences which will enhance their employability and help them later on.  In Indonesia, our students have been working with local charities to improve conservation practices, while in Nepal, student journalists have been reporting on the aftermath of the 2015 earthquake.

Locally, our researchers are collaborating with partner organisations in the region to extend our impact and make a real difference.  One example is our work with the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, where staff, former patients and BU researchers have been exploring the idea of ‘humanised care’ and how this can improve patient experiences.

We also encourage and support our researchers to work alongside businesses and other external organisations, enabling them to create projects that provide new, innovative ideas and drive industries forward.  Just one of the ways we support this is through Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF), which allows us to support a wide range of knowledge-based interactions between universities and the wider world.  In this edition of the BRC, you can read about two of our newest HEIF projects and challenges that our researchers are tackling.

The Bournemouth Research Chronicle gives an insight in to the exciting work taking place at Bournemouth University every day.

The 2017 Bournemouth Research Chronicle can be seen in full here.