Ellen Charters

Why did you choose to study animal conservation? 

I’ve always loved working with animals; it’s been a passion of mine since I was young. So studying animal conservation just made sense. It really spoke to me once I realised it’s a field that can take you almost anywhere in the world. 

I’d like to move abroad, and conservation gives you that flexibility, it opens opportunities both here in the UK and overseas. Working abroad means you can often work on larger-scale projects and get involved in a wider variety of species and ecosystems. For me, it just brings everything I care about together. 

Why did you choose to study at the University of Cumbria? 

I chose the University of Cumbria because of the Ambleside campus. It’s outdoorsy, relaxed, and offered a lifestyle that suited me far more than being in a busy city. It just felt like a better fit. I was really drawn to the course itself, but also to the fact that it’s a smaller university. That kind of environment means you get more focused time with lecturers and staff. I felt like I had a much better one-to-one relationship with my supervisor, which made a big difference, especially when it came to organising and preparing for our placements. 

What is a sandwich placement and how does it work? 

A sandwich placement is a year-long work experience opportunity that forms the third year of the course. You then return to university for a fourth year to complete your degree. It’s like an extended internship, giving you the chance to gain hands-on experience in a field related to your course. You’re responsible for finding your own placement, but the university offers plenty of support. For example, I was originally interested in working with primates, and my tutor helped me find an amazing placement through tutorials and guidance. I ended up switching interests, but the help was super valuable.     

You can go pretty much anywhere with it depending on what you’re interested in. Since it’s only around seven months, you still have time afterward to start your dissertation research. That’s actually what I’m doing now - I continued with the same project I started during my placement. 

For my placement, I worked as a research assistant. It was basically like having a job - I gained a lot of experience doing actual research. I even got funding to help support myself during the placement. 

Tell me about your placement. 

I’m currently doing my placement at the Alldays Wildlife and Communities Research Centre in Limpopo, South Africa. The centre’s main aim is to give students like me a platform to develop our own research, gain hands-on experience, and even start writing our own academic papers. 

Everyone begins with a baseline project, and from there you have the chance to develop it into something more personalised. The project I’m working on started from one of those initial ideas, and I’ve taken it further and shaped it into something of my own.  

My supervisor and I mainly focus on large predators and anti-poaching, but others are researching baboons, vervet monkeys, small mammals like rock hyraxes, or birds. 

What’s also great is how involved we are with the local community. We regularly visit the local school to help out, and we support nearby farmers with issues like poaching. There’s a strong community focus, which I’ve found really meaningful. 

What does your day-to-day look like while on placement in South Africa? 

My daily routine here is very different from what I was used to. We usually start quite early at around 5:00am and work until about 11:00am, doing fieldwork out in the bush. That involves collecting data, tracking wildlife, and checking camera traps. Afterwards, we head back, and the rest of the day is more office-based. That’s when I focus on data analysis, going through camera trap photos, and organising our findings. 

The lifestyle here is actually quite relaxed. It gives you time to reflect, process your work, and chat with others. There’s always support if you need it, the supervisors are around to guide you, and you’re never left on your own. 

What have you learnt since being on your placement? 

I’ve learnt so much since being here and have also had the opportunity to support others - teaching them how to use camera traps and how to analyse the data effectively. I’ve also been introduced to tools and databases I didn’t even know existed before, such as Kobo Toolbox, which is widely used here for data collection. It’s really broadened my skill set and given me experience with practical tools that are used in real-world conservation work. 

I never expected the experience to be like this. Before coming, I wasn’t sure - I kept thinking, “Should I go to South Africa? Should I just stay at home like everyone else?” But I decided to go for it, and looking back now, I’m so glad I did. I’ve learnt and experienced more than I ever imagined. 

Can you explain the conference you’ve set up? 

The Alldays Wildlife Research Conference is a fully women-led initiative, something I’ve been organising alongside my research placement here in South Africa. It’s been an amazing experience to create something that could have such a lasting impact.   

There are quite a few research centres in this area, and although they’re all working on similar issues, everyone tends to use different data collection methods and protocols. The idea was to bring everyone together — to share our work, discuss methodologies, and hopefully begin standardising some of our approaches. We weren’t aiming for anything huge, just something that could kick-start collaboration. 

In this area, there hasn’t been much collaboration between centres — there are seven that host students, and most work quite independently. We saw a real opportunity to connect the dots. If we can agree on standard methodologies, then we can actually share and compare data, which would massively benefit research across the region. That, in turn, helps local communities, such as farmers, as our work often relates to pressing issues like poaching and predator monitoring. If we all contribute to a shared pool of knowledge, it can really amplify the impact of what we’re doing. 

What has been your highlight at university so far? 

Apart from the opportunity to come and study in South Africa, I’d say one of the best parts is how our course is taught. 

We do a lot of “walk and talks”, which is quite unique. Since we're based in the Lake District, we’ll learn something in a lecture and then go out and walk through the landscape to see it in action. It’s a really immersive way to learn, and it feels very different from a typical university experience. 

It’s also much more relaxed. You’re not sitting in a lecture hall trying to take everything in, instead, you’re outdoors, chatting with your lecturers, asking questions as you go. It makes everything feel more approachable. If you don’t understand something, you can just say it, and the discussion flows naturally. 

What I really value is the connection you build with the lecturers. You get to know them on a more personal level, and they get to know you - what you’re interested in, what motivates you. If they know you’re not especially excited about a certain topic, they’ll find a way to get you engaged, that kind of teaching has made a big difference for me. 

What’s your favourite thing about Ambleside? 

Definitely the community. I work in a pub, so I’ve got to know pretty much everyone - it’s such a tight-knit place. Everyone knows each other, and more importantly, everyone’s supportive. There’s a genuine sense of people looking out for one another, which you don’t always find in bigger towns or cities. 

But aside from that, it has to be the scenery. You can wake up feeling a certain way and just decide to take an hour to yourself - walk down to the lake, sit by the water, and be surrounded by the hills. It’s incredible. 

What’s special about Ambleside is that everyone just gets it. If someone says, “I’m feeling overwhelmed,” the response is usually, “Do you want to go swimming in a waterfall?” And honestly, it works. There’s something amazing about living somewhere like Ambleside. 

What has the support from the university been like? 

The support from the university has been really helpful. When I was organising my placement, I needed various documents for my visa such as letters, confirmations, that kind of thing - and honestly, I had no idea where to start. 

So I just sent an email basically saying, “Hello… help me, please!” And straight away, they got me in touch with the right person. Within a couple of days, everything was moving. I think there’s someone who specialises in visas specifically, and they were brilliant. 

What advice would you give to someone who is thinking of studying a conservation course at the university? 

Take every opportunity that comes your way. Even if something doesn’t sound like your thing at first, just give it a go. Every opportunity is a chance to learn something new, and sometimes the things you least expect end up becoming your biggest passions. 

I never imagined conservation would be my thing, I thought I might end up doing something more like animal rehab. But through the course and the placement, I’ve found myself invested in research, which I never expected. 

The course itself is amazing, and I’d honestly recommend it to anyone. It’s not often you get the chance to spend part of your degree in a different country, gaining hands-on experience. I’ve learnt so much, not just academically, but in terms of practical skills and confidence. You really won’t know what you love until you give it a try. 

Learn more about our Conservation Courses at the University of Cumbria.