Uncovering the mysteries of the forest
As an HSBC Climate Champion, I was privileged to attend a two-week training programme at the Earthwatch European Regional Climate Centre in Oxfordshire in July 2008.
Working alongside the expert Earthwatch team and 11 other HSBC colleagues from across Europe, early mornings, dirty hands and hard work were all part of the package, but I was relishing the challenge and eager to further my knowledge of climate change and how we can reduce the impact of it.
Our days were filled conducting field experiments in Wytham Woods. With its 775-hectare home, over 3,800 recorded animal species and 600 plant species, Wytham was the perfect location for such a programme.
Hearty breakfasts
We would typically start our days at 5.30-6.30am, as all 12 of us had to make our breakfasts and packed lunches for the day ahead - room service was definitely not part of the deal! After a hearty breakfast, we'd get into our mini-bus and head out to the Field Research Centre near the woods for 7am.
Each day we were greeted by Earthwatch's lead scientists who briefed us on the day's itinerary and activities. These were primarily based around tree, moth and mammal monitoring in relation to climate change trends.
We spent the mornings in the depths of the forest conducting field research. Tasks varied, but included:
- Setting up and collecting live mammal traps to amass data on which areas of the woods attract most species. This will be compared with historical data to ascertain whether certain breeds are declining or increasing due to climate changes.
- Setting up and collecting moth traps to monitor numbers and species in certain areas of the woods. Again, this data over time will show trends brought about by the effects of climate change.
- Tree mapping - we had to identify certain types of trees and plot them against an aerial photograph of the woods. This will then be used in conjunction with mammal data to see if certain types of trees accommodate and help sustain certain species better.
- Butterfly transects - monitoring butterfly species in the area.
Cultural opinions
After a full morning in the forest we would walk back to the Field Research Centre for a well-earned lunch followed by a learning session. These sessions were interactive and very useful. We would form working groups and present our opinions and ideas. It was really interesting to compare cultural opinions on climate change and each person had something valid and useful to contribute, ensuring we all learned a great deal to take back to our respective countries.
Each session was filled will motivating yet hard-hitting facts. For example: Nicholas Stern is an environmental economist who acts as an adviser to the HSBC Sustainability Team. He predicts that if we act now on becoming sustainable, it will cost us 1% of global GDP. However, if we leave it until later it will cost us between 5% and 20% - that's minimum US$900 billion!
Sharing best practice
Following on from the learning sessions, we would return to the forest to conduct more research or collect findings from the morning visits.
After a long, fulfilling day in the forest, we would head back to our lodging house and prepare dinner for the team. This was usually followed by sessions sharing ideas and presentations and, for those who had the energy, a game of rounders or tennis.
Passionate group
We became a really close group, passionate about climate change and eager to make a difference on return. The mixture of active hands-on research, teamed with the interactive and theory-based learning sessions, provided us with a vast range of skills and knowledge.
It was a truly amazing experience, which will stay with me for a long time. I learned a great deal about climate change in these two memorable weeks, and what communities and businesses can do to help. It was a fantastically rewarding project to be involved in, and I felt proud to be in such a partnership with Earthwatch.
- The HSBC Climate Partnership is a groundbreaking five-year partnership between HSBC and four world-class environmental charities: The Climate Group, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), WWF and Earthwatch Institute.
Report by Alexandra Liptrot, Corporate Events and Corporate Social Responsibility Officer, HSBC Bank International, Jersey, Channel Islands.
Read a review of work past and present at the Earthwatch Regional Climate Centre: One Year in the Woods.