The world of animal science – an alligator dissection

Writtle College Animal Science lecturer, Nieky van Veggel, was part of the dissection team during last week’s student seminar. Here he discusses the experience and the benefits to our students.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Last week has been a week of weird and wonderful at Writtle College. We organised our annual Inspiration and Activity Week for our higher education students. This is a week where there are no formal lectures scheduled, but instead students have the opportunity to attend a range of different activities, including demonstrations, workshops, industry visits and guest lectures.

This year we had a truly unique experience on the timetable: Writtle College lecturers Jarmila Bone and Nieky van Veggel and third year BSc (Hons) Animal Science student Ed Church organised a live demonstration dissection of an American Alligator. To top it all off this dissection was performed in the Northumberland Lecture Theatre, giving 170 curious students and staff an opportunity to experience this fascinating dissection up close. Attendance was overwhelming, with interest shown by Higher Education (HE) and Further Education (FE) students across disciplines, ranging from horticulture and conservation to equine and animal science. In addition, we were fortunate to have alumni and staff in attendance, as well as students from other HE and FE institutions.

The dissection itself was a very interesting experience. The alligator in question used to belong to a private collection and had died unexpectedly. Although her death was unfortunate, it did enable us to provide the audience with a great and unique learning experience. It really was a fascinating opportunity for students to witness an exotic dissection such as this first hand.

I think it is safe to say it was a positive experience for all involved, including staff and students. Offering students with experiences like this, both as audience members or in this case for Ed as an actual demonstrator to a general public, make Writtle College a unique learning environment.

Finally, I think events like this demonstrate the wide variety of activities the College, and the School of Sport, Equine and Animal Science, organises. We’re really looking forward to running similar events like this in the future, so watch this space!”

Postgraduate Animal Science courses at Writtle College

Writtle College Animal Science and Management degrees

Writtle Wildlife Watch (November 2013)

Writtle conservation expert, Alan Roscoe, has been busy putting together November's wildlife watch. This month provides a fantastic entry about crayfish! 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Your blogger is very keen on crayfish sandwiches but his interest in these animals extends far beyond what he had for his lunch.

The chunky crayfish which turn up in sandwiches are commercially harvested American Signal Crayfish but there is a dark side to your lunchtime snack. In recent decades these non-native animals have escaped from captivity but, in doing so, they have brought problems for their smaller British cousin, the White-clawed Crayfish.

Our much more delicate native species has succumbed in huge numbers to a disease carried by the American species and the situation is now so grave that some of the White-clawed populations have been removed from their natural homes and re-housed away from the threat in so-called ‘ark’ sites.

This month Writtle Conservation students have visited one of these sites to help monitor the success of one of these re-homing projects. In conjunction with Essex Wildlife Trust, Essex Biodiversity Project, wildlife consultancy EECOS and the Environment Agency (yes, it takes a lot of people to save just one species!) our students trapped several crayfish and took their vital statistics. Work like this is essential to help monitor whether the population remains viable…. but it also gives Writtle undergraduates valuable hands-on experience and a head-start in the conservation sector.

Writtle College Postgraduate Conservation courses

Writtle College Conservation degrees

Writtle College Countryside and Game courses

A week in the life of Lordships Stud

This week's blog post comes from our equine team. Amy Mills, who is a lecturer in Equine Science and a Breeding & Reproduction Specialist, gives a fascinating insight into a week in the life of the College's Lordships Stud.

Phew!  It has certainly been a busy one at Lordships Stud this week. From designing stable enrichment devices for our four-legged residents, to sitting astride the three-year old horses for the first time and long-reining their two-year old counterparts it’s been hive of activity for students and staff.

We have even found time to put some plans in place for our first annual ‘Lordships Olympics’ which takes place on Thursday 21^st November. The event is the brainchild of the students who founded the Writtle College Equestrian Club and insisted upon its implementation. We cheerfully agreed (of course) despite the requirement for a staff team and space hoppers! There will be a glorious prize giving ceremony following a treasure hunt and other team events and a chance for everyone to relax and reward themselves for doing so well.

Prior to the Olympics, students will be showcasing their achievements so far with a variety of the young horses. Over the last week there has been frantic mane pulling and leg trimming going on to ensure our hairy little juveniles look as presentable as possible. It has certainly been an education for them.

Last week a group of students, who represented Great Britain at the International Young Breeders competition in Sweden this summer, hosted a practical afternoon at the stud to help others develop their skills. Sessions included plaiting and turnout and the presentation of horses in hand. Those skills will definitely come in handy next week during the showcase event.

We are looking forward to the showcase event and obviously tremendously excited about the Lordships Olympics. We are immensely proud of the achievements of the students who hang out with us at the stud. If you want to see more of what they get up to take a peek at our Facebook page and look out for the report following the Lordships Olympics – there will certainly be some interesting photos!

Writtle College equine degrees