Top ten BSU science stories
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Celebrating British Science Week
Monday, 11 March, 2024Whether it’s wildlife conservation, nutrition or exploring the mind through psychology, Bath Spa University is a great place for science. In addition to offering a wide range of science courses, BSU campuses provide ample opportunities to get lost in nature, and our science students and alumni are doing amazing things every day.
To celebrate British Science Week (8-17 March), here are our favourite BSU science stories from the past year:
1) Sniffing out success – Biology Conservation graduate Natasha Underwood is lucky enough to run a successful business with her best friend... who just happens to be a sniffer dog. She’s tracking down success by starting her own detection and ecology dog business.
2) Clearing the pond for wildlife – Students from our Wildlife Conservation and Environmental Science degree courses teamed up with staff to clear up the Newton Park campus pond, giving our resident newts the best possible chance to breed.
3) The secret life of BSU bats – Bats have long been associated with Halloween, but at BSU, they’re residents all year round! And they’ve become fascinating research studies as well as an important part of the campus ecosystem.
4) Busy bee: Bath Spa alumna helps keep biodiversity booming – Environmental Science graduate Susey Bamber talks about her work as a Severn Trent Senior Agricultural Advisor, helping farmers to create wildflower mini-meadows that can aid biodiversity, prevent flooding and improve soil quality.
5) Video games – a force for good or bad? – Do video games rot your brain and make you violent? Or do they provide positive spaces for people to explore their emotions and connect with others? Dr Pete Etchells, Professor of Psychology and Science Communication, explains why the need for unbiased analysis is more important than ever.
6) Beer and Biology: Students study the science behind brewing beer – A field trip to a brewery is the kind of field trip most students dream of – but our second year Biology students visited the Electric Bear brewery in Bath to discover the industrial processes involved in making beer and find out more about the context of the brewing industry.
7) BSU awarded Gold Accreditation by British Hedgehog Preservation Society – Last February, we were proud to announce that BSU was awarded a Gold Accreditation from the British Hedgehog Preservation Society for being a Hedgehog Friendly Campus – a well-deserved recognition for our staff and students who have worked hard to make our campuses safe for the prickly creatures, as well as raise awareness of the species’ decline.
8) Bee the change, parts one and two – In this two-part series, Biology student Sophie Ricardo shines a spotlight on how the ‘Save the Bees’ campaign led to detrimental 'bee-washing' and explores the misinformation around bee conservation with ecologist Professor Jeff Ollerton.
9) Wasps: Pests or pest control? – In keeping with the buzzing theme, Sustainability Co-ordinator Emma Jakins makes the case for why wasps are just as important and provide just as much value as their better-loved cousins.
10) Peeking behind the trees at Newton Park – There's great care, hard work, history and a lot of interesting facts behind our trees at Newton Park. To find out more, we joined Grounds Manager Penny Snowden for a walk around campus.
Interested in science at Bath Spa University? Explore our courses in Psychology, Sociology and Criminology; Biology, Food and Nutrition and Geography.