Students and Teachers
Students Pre-Survey Work
The Sefton Coast is an ideal location to carry out survey work due to the variety and accessibility of habitats and sites. Before you carry out your survey work there are several things you must complete before you can start.
Your first step should be discussing your study with your supervisor and doing some background reading. Ensure that you understand from your supervisor what academic criteria you need to satisfy when carrying out your project and that the broad objectives you have identified are satisfactory. This, however, is only the first step as the project may need refining to reflect advice from land managers, site limitations and available information.
You must contact the relevant site manager to discuss your proposal and ask permission to conduct fieldwork work on their site. The site manager will be able to advise you of the best places and times to conduct surveys, safety issues, as well as being a very useful source of information.
The site staff, though happy to help, are not there to do your project for you!
If you propose to take soil samples you will need ask the site manager to apply, on your behalf, for permission from Nature England (the site manager will be able to advise on this). You will need to provide details, in writing, of the types and amounts of samples to be taken. Permission is required due to the conservation status of the sites. Plant sampling is not allowed. If permission is not granted you will not be allowed to take samples and will have to alter your project accordingly.
If the site manager and your supervisor are happy with your proposal you will have to formally ask permission from the site manager to conduct field work on their site by providing written details of the survey work you intend to undertake, where you would like to survey, when you are planning to survey and, if applicable, details of any permissions for soil samples to be taken.
You should make a site visit before you start any survey work to check the study area and the practicalities of surveying in that area e.g. access to the site, getting equipment on site.
You may have to provide evidence of insurance (your school or university should be able to provide this).
You may need to check tide times, sunrise/sunset times.
This process can take some time depending upon permissions etc needed, please give yourself plenty of time before you start you survey work.
Once you have satisfied all these criteria you should be in a position to begin your survey work. We have produced a list of useful points to consider when conducting survey work.
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