The Opwall experience at Calakmul, Mexico was one that cannot be matched. While the week had many highs, lows and challenges, the skills, information and experience will stick with both of us forever. Throughout the week, we took part in assisting scientists…

Every summer students arrive in OpWall field sites to collect data for their undergraduate or MSc research project. As a field scientist at the Madagascar site, I have seen many of these students in the forest. As a lecturer, I have supervised many student…

It’s 10:30pm, my fellow bat scientist is curled up in a rice sack trying to stay warm, the guide is huddled at the base of a tree keeping a look out. I check the time, gather up my gloves, head torch and…

It was amazing to gain first-hand fieldwork experience with Operation Wallacea at the terrestrial site in Krka National Park and the marine site on Silba Island! Conducting biodiversity surveys in Croatia was a great introduction to conservation and ecological field techniques and also…

Seeing a stag in the wild for the first time was a moment filled with an overwhelming sense of awe. The opening in the shrubbery revealed the stag with its towering antlers, intricately branched like a crown. Each step, deliberate and graceful,…

During the July school holidays 20 students travelled to a very remote part of Indonesia to participate in Operation Wallacea for 2 weeks. Operation Wallacea is an environmental research and conservation expedition organisation, who design and implement biodiversity and conservation projects around…

Equipment to consider When starting out with getting experience in the field and learning how to identify the wildlife around you, it can seem daunting! Fieldwork can require a huge amount of specialist equipment depending on the taxonomic group and the research…

As an 18 year old girl who was currently in the depths of A-Levels, being told that I had the opportunity to go on a school trip to SOUTH AFRICA was amazing in itself. This was even before I had become familiar…

This summer I had the unique opportunity to work as a habitat surveyor with Operation Wallacea (OpWall) at the Knepp Estate, a pioneering rewilding project in the UK.  It was a highly rewarding experience. Not only did I feel I was providing…

We need to allow ourselves to not be where we thought we would be! We need to remember that we are all different, and have different skills, strengths and passions. We need to be open to change and learn to dance with…

In preparation for this trip, I was told time and time again that this would be a “once in a lifetime experience”. I do not think I fully understood the meaning of those words before I set off to camp in the…

When I first started talking to Mo (the Hoga base site manager) about joining Operation Wallacea in Indonesia, I could sense how professional she was. Her communication was clear and fast, any questions I had were very quickly answered. This professionalism continues…