Our partnership with Paignton Zoo means you’ll benefit from an exciting blend of classroom-based and real-life activities as you progress through your programme.
Five key members of staff from the research team are part of our teaching staff, with specialist contributions throughout the programme from members of Paignton and Newquay’s keeper, veterinary, nature reserves, visitor experience, education and business teams.
As a student, you’ll also be eligible to access the wider research and scientific learning of Wild Planet Trust, and benefit from links to international research and conservation initiatives.
Paignton Zoo Environmental Park
From the Savannah to the Tropics, geckos to giraffes, Paignton Zoo Environmental Park is home to more than 2,500 animals.
That makes it the perfect place to study the habits and habitats of a whole variety of creatures.
As a University of Plymouth student, you will spend a significant part of the programme with our partners at Paignton Zoo. During taught semesters, two days per week are led by specialist staff at Paignton, with a combination of classroom and practical teaching to give you first-hand insight into the business and animal management.
Find out more about Paignton Zoo and Environmental Park on their website.
Wild Planet Trust
Wild Planet Trust is a registered education, scientific and conservation charity based around the South West that includes two zoos, a national nature reserve and two local nature reserves.
Wild Planet Trust funds regional conservation programmes across the world, helping species whose habitats face threats such as habitat destruction, the illegal wildlife trade, pollution, competition from introduced species and climate change. These currently include:
- Nigeria – conservation, education and monitoring the Omo-Shasha-Oluwa Forest, including forest elephant populations.
- Tanzania – working in collaboration with the Tanzanian Forest Service Agency to protect the Udzungwa Nature Forest Reserve from the threats of illegal logging, farm extension and hunting.
- Indonesia – working to safeguard the wild habitat of the critically endangered Sulawesi crested black macaque.
- South West England – studies include whitebeam trees, the declining Large Blue Butterfly and Cirl Bunting, and the threatened ecosystems of the White-clawed crayfish and Hazel dormice.
You also have the opportunity to contribute to research projects that academic staff are involved in.
Find out more about Wild Planet Trust on their website.
