Exeter University are recruiting for an upcoming PhD studentship on disturbance, which is fully funded by SongBird Survival.

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The project, which is based at the University of Exeter on Penryn campus, is called Understanding and mitigating impacts of recreational disturbance on birds. You will be working with Dr Sarah Crowley, Centre for Geography and Environmental Science, Professor Robbie McDonald, Environment and Sustainability Institute, and Professor Stuart Bearhop, Centre for Ecology and Conservation.

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This is an inter-disciplinary project which encompasses conservation, ecology and social science to investigate various recreational activities in our green spaces and their impact on songbird breeding and survival. The focus of the project is on understanding if hiking (with and without dogs), cycling, horse-riding and other activities affect wildlife through disturbance, including the propensity of songbirds to nest in areas of high disturbance. The aims of this project are to develop mitigation measures to create actionable solutions, with the intent to inform national parks and other green spaces of how best to protect wildlife, whilst maintaining our rights to roam and access green space.

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For more information and to apply, please visit the University of Exeter's website. The deadline is the 26th February 2024, with the PhD studentship to start in late 2024.

We look forward to reviewing your applications and wish you all the best of luck!