My MSc research project was in partnership with the Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust

Research project title: Measuring bird diversity in Grenoside woods - a comparison of methodologies between passive acoustic recordings and audio-visual surveys.

What does your project involve and what has been your experience

“This project is in partnership with the Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust. Over 6 weeks in the spring of 2024 we used 5 small audio traps to passively record bird songs. We set up the traps in various habitats within Grenoside woods and visited them weekly to download the data and replace the batteries. This data will be run through the AI app 'Merlin' to identify species and then compared to species richness data collected by volunteer surveyors who walk transects through the same woods. 

“I really enjoyed collecting the data and spending a day each week with Anna Field from the trust, she was very knowledgeable about wildlife and ecology and I was able to pick her brains about different careers in ecology. I was also seeing what a typical day would be like working for the trust and also helped her take part in newt surveys while on site, enhancing my skills as an ecologist and giving me additional experiences to add to my CV.”

Why is this research important and who will benefit?

“It is important to find simple and effective ways to record species richness of birds. Many bird species are decreasing in numbers with some seeing drastic decline, sampling techniques like passive audio recording are becoming increasingly popular to easily record bird song and identify the presence of rare species. 

“This research will directly benefit the trust as it will show the benefits and drawbacks of each survey type and it may help to refine the use of passive audio traps in the future e.g. perhaps 6 weeks is too long and 4 weeks was sufficient to sample the species present. This will also benefit many other ecologists and conservationists who may want to carry out similar passive recording surveys.”

What are your future career plans and how do you feel this MSc will help you achieve these?

“I have already secured a position as a freelance Ecologist for two ecological consultancies based on the surveying skills I have gained in this MSc. Soon I hope to get a more permanent position as a full-time Ecological Consultant or Marine Ecological Consultant, as my BSc is in Marine Biology. This MSc has equipped me with proficiency in various writing styles, including literature reviews, POSTnotes, IUCN briefs, lab reports, and academic reports across multiple journal formats. 

“There are multiple opportunities to go the extra mile at the University of Sheffield, for example, I have gained transferrable communication and advocacy skills from becoming a Student and Faculty Rep and chairing the Student-Staff Committee meetings. The most valuable skill gained from this MSc is the ability to use R for data analysis and presentation. This expertise will be advantageous in my future career, enhancing my appeal to potential employers."