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A successful student should be able to:

1	Demonstrate practical hands-on experience with a current problem in conservation, restoration and management of flora, fauna or ecological processes;
2	Apply scientific principles to solving current problems or deficiencies in the management of flora, fauna or ecological processes of benefit to the Natural Resource Management sector;
3	Develop and demonstrate an ability to work co-operatively in small groups and interact with potential clients (e.g. Natural Resource sector personnel);
4	Show self-confidence and ownership of environmental problems and solutions;
5	Apply skills in planning, executing and reporting on a particular problem relevant to the Natural Resource Management sector;
6	Demonstrate effective written, oral and communication skills.

There is no textbook prescribed for this course.

This course will be delivered by the following means:

• 2 x 1-hour lectures per week
• 1 x  3-hour practicals per week 
• 4-5 days of field work either as a series of day trips or as field camps.

A student enrolled in a 3 unit course, such as this, should expect to spend, on average 12 hours per week on the studies required. This includes both the formal contact time required to the course (e.g., lectures and practicals), as well as non-contact time (e.g., reading and revision).

Schedule

	Lecture	Practical
Week 1	Introduction, vegetation clearance Effects of vegetation losses on biota and ecological processes	Project selection
Week 2	Types of habitat degradation  Habitat degradation – changes for plants	Health, Safety and Welfare Issues
Week 3	Habitat degradation – plant-animal interactions, herbivory Habitat degradation – changes in competition	Training in field methods
Week 4	Habitat degradation – changes in predation Habitat degradation – fire and drought	Project development
Week 5	Population and Conservation Genetics (1) Population and Conservation Genetics (2)	Field trip for plant ID
Week 6	Population and Conservation Genetics (3) Population and Conservation Genetics (4)	Project presentation
Week 7	Population and Conservation Genetics (5) Population and Conservation Genetics (6)	Population Genetics Practical
Week 8	Seed conservation Captive breeding and cross fostering programs	*Project execution
Week 9	Restoring habitats and monitoring outcomes Scales and strategies for re-establishing habitats	*Project execution
Week 10	Declining species management Abundant species management	*Project execution
Week 11	Ecosystem management: Arid Recovery Ecosystem management: Coorong	*Project execution
Week 12	Conservation & Restoration under climate change & Overview	Project presentation

This course aims to equip students with good field based skills and includes a 4-5 days of field work either as a series of day trips or as field camps.

Assessment Task	Task Type	Percentage of total assessment for grading purposes	Hurdle (Yes/No)	Learning Outcomes being assessed/achieved	Due date
Assignment	Summative Formative	5%	No	2	Week 7
Group project	Summative Formative	45%	No	1-6	Tasks due in week 6,12, 13 Formative feedback during semester
Theory exam	Summative	50%	No	2,6	Exam Period

Assignment: (5% of total course grade)
Report on the Population Genetics Practical held in week 7 and submitted in week 8


Group project: (45% of total course grade)
This course involves students working in small groups to plan and execute a field-based research project. The aim is to provide experiential learning opportunities to students that are realistic with the natural resource management profession. This profession usually works in teams (an increasing necessity for field work) and a key feature of the course is training in health and safety reviews and in conducting risk assessments of field work and addressing any risks. These are important skills both in the work-force and are also needed in subsequent years of higher education (Hons, Ph.D.). An important part of experiential learning is for students to have some ownership and independence in conducting their field projects and this requires the students to work (as a group) in the field in the absence of a University staff member for at least some of the time (although a University staff member and or local NRM Manager is contactable at all times by phone). To provide a safe operating environment for students while they are in the field they therefore must work as part of a group. A range of different field projects are offered to the students in each year and the students choose the project that fits with their time-table and other commitments. In any one year there are typically 10-15 groups of 3-5 students, with each group doing a different project. The different projects help facilitate ownership of a project by the different groups. In the work force a single report would be produced with all participants contributing. Producing a single joint report with everyone in a group collaborating is also part of experiential learning. Depending on the project group reports also go to an external agency and a single collaborative report is what these agencies seek.

Although this course does not provide assessments of tasks until week 6, the development of the individual projects (project outline, field methods, logistics, HSW assessment and budget) are developed interactively between course staff and the students during the first four weeks of the course. This provides immediate feed-back for students and allows them to produce a well-designed project outline that can be safely executed. The emphasis in the first six weeks is to develop these fundamental skills that will serve students well in the future, rather than having an assessment that indicates that they are on track in the first half of the course. The first assessable tasks, however, are delivered in week 6.
 

Summary of Group Project	Weighting	Due
Written report outlining purpose of project and methods* Written report on logistics and Health, Safety & Welfare risk assessment* Oral presentation to class outlining the project*	10%	Week 6
Oral presentation on your project to the class*	5%	Week 12
Written report and data bases for your project *	25%	Week 13
Field aptitude and application during project development and fieldwork (with self-assessment)	5%	during semester

* note these tasks are assessed as a group

End of term theory exam: (50% of total course grade)
The exam is held in the exam period and is given to address understanding of the material from the entire course.

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Late submission of assessments
If an extension is not applied for, or not granted then a penalty for late submission will apply. A penalty of 10% of the value of the assignment for each calendar day that is late (i.e. weekends count as 2 days), up to a maximum of 50% of the available marks will be applied. This means that an assignment that is 5 days or more late without an approved extension can only receive a maximum of 50% of the mark