Applications are now OPEN for 2025
See below for descriptions of expeditions from 2024.
The Iceland Expedition is a well-established expedition, taking place for the 11th time in June 2019. A team of 6 students travelled to East Iceland and stayed in the Skálanes research station for 6 weeks. The place is very remote, as the area of the Skálanes reserve is located 17km from the nearest town Seyðisfjörður. Iceland is the only expedition located in the Arctic and has a very unique climate.
Skálanes is home to many animal and plant species. In the summer, many migratory birds such as the Arctic terns and puffins nest in the area to breed. Bird watchers will be amazed by the bird abundance and diversity that can be observed just from the house. In 2019, students had a chance to see a lot of birds including snow bunting, Arctic skua and harlequin ducks. The team also spotted a humpback whale, seals and reindeer.
This summer students conducted research projects varying from monitoring seabird colonies and microplastic presence to investigating the effects of the invasive Alaskan lupin. The research opportunities are numerous and not limited to wildlife projects. The team of 2019 also helped to plant 15,000 birch and rowan trees in Skálanes contributing to the national reforestation scheme.
This expedition is an opportunity to experience living away from civilisation, learn about the local fauna and flora and to contribute to research helpful for the management of the reserve. You can gain life experience and skills in scientific fieldwork, organisation, fundraising and communication while meeting people from around the world.
The 2020 Guyana Expedition will be the fourth from ExSoc. Each year 7 students have split the six-week expedition between 2 field sites purpose built for our teams. The expedition is carried out in the Kanuku Mountains Protected Area (KMPA) in the south of the country.
As one of the most biodiverse and pristine areas of rainforest in the world, the expedition is tasked with working alongside the Protected Areas Commission of Guyana (PAC) to document the regions’ fauna for conservation. Guyana is the most remote and isolated expedition location.
Projects carried out there have included camera trapping, amphibian abundance and diversity studies and bat capture for projects such as parasite prevalence, capture method efficacy and species diversity. The KMPA had the 2nd highest diversity of bats of any protected area in the world, but data from the 2019 expedition has moved the KMPA up to 1st place. Previous amphibian projects have ruled out the presence of the devastating chytrid amongst its protected area. Bird species lists have been recorded for the field sites and there is opportunity here for a bird project. Camera trapping has documented jaguar, armadillo, puma, ocelot, giant anteater and tapir species among many others.
This expedition gives you the opportunity to see an incredible number of species, from howler and spider monkeys to caiman, snakes and lizards to the most beautiful neotropical birds – toucans and macaws, and the Harpy eagle. Outreach opportunities within local villages offer the chance to teach local children about the importance of conservation; seeing their enthusiasm is amazing! Team Guyana face a tough and intense expedition that’s extremely rewarding. The skills you gain and the direct impact you have on the protection of vulnerable species is invaluable and working alongside the PAC offers firsthand experience of conservation fieldwork in action!
Remote Scotland Expedition aims to travel to remote areas in Scotland, studying the native wildlife. They are the longest running expeditions of the society, starting in 1936 on the Isle of Canna. Over the years the expedition teams have studied a wide range of Ecological and Earth Science based projects. The expedition is open to any and all students that have a passion and eagerness to study Scotland’s native flora and fauna. In 2017, the Remote Scotland team went to Islay. The team was made of five Zoologists, one Earth Scientists and two students studying Environmental sustainability – everyone is welcome!
In 2018 the team were the first expedition to travel to the beautiful Isle of Harris. They created the basis of research that our team expanded and continued with hopes that the wildlife can be further studied. Our 2019 team of zoologists and earth scientists had some amazing experiences and encountered the islands wide variety of animal life including Great Yellow Bumblebees, Golden eagles, otters and porpoises.
Two of the projects focused on the bumblebee species of Harris. Looking at how the quality and species diversity of the rare Machair habitat affects bee species and the other looked at the foraging preference of bee species on flowering Machair plants and how it changes of the season. The wader project studied the differences of egg shell pigmentation and thickness across the island. The otter project looked to determine whether otters are ingesting microplastics. We visited the local primary to raise awareness about plastic pollution and protecting the Machair habitat. The children had great time collecting invertebrates and learning about otter poo. When we weren’t collecting data or beach cleaning, our team relaxed on stunning beaches, walked the hills straight from Tolkien, photographed wildlife, chilled in the café and tasted the local gin.
The Thailand expedition team are looking for 2 team leaders and 6 team members to take part in our 2025 expedition! Please read below to find out all about our past expeditions! Fill out the form and have a go! If you have any questions drop us a message on our Instagram page.
The 2024 team travelled to Koh Phangan to work with COREsea (Centre for Oceanic Research and Education South East Asia) to conduct three marine projects.
There were three projects carried out this summer. The coral project investigated the health of the coral reefs through biodiversity indices, community composition and percentage cover. There was also a social aspect to this project which explored tourist perceptions of reef health. Secondly, the fish project similarly looked at biodiversity, abundance, and health in relation to divers’ perceptions and their experience levels. The data collection for these projects was collected while diving at the local islands of Racha Yai and Racha Noi, a popular tourist spot for divers. The team had the pleasure of diving 3 – 4 days a week on board dive vessels that took them to the beautiful islands for the day. The third project explored the perceptions of key informant groups such as divers, fishermen and market sellers, on shark population changes over time and the reasons for change. This involved conducting many interviews over the 6-week period with members from each of these groups. The team also travelled to Ranong near the Burmese border to conduct interviews in fishing villages notorious for shark fishing. This was an amazing experience as some of the team got to see the beautiful Thai countryside and national parks on their road trip.
Aside from all the hard work, the team enjoyed amazing days off swimming at waterfalls, diving at the famous Phi Phi Islands, surfing, going to waterparks and visiting the Phuket Night Market. It’s safe to say that this expedition has a lot to offer.
If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team at expeditionthailandgu@gmail.com.
Expeditions to Trinidad & Tobago are some of the most established on the roster, having been running since the 1980s. In fact the group of 12 students in 2019 made it 30 years since the first expedition went out, and was even accompanied and advised by one of the professors from the original crew, Professor Roger Downie.
In 2019 we were based in the Arima valley of the Northern Range of Trinidad, returning to the William Beebe research station nestled in the lush rainforest covering the mountains. This location puts you right at the centre of the wild ecology of the island, as the surroundings are home to a hugely diverse and thriving flora and fauna which you can hear at night and witness during the daylight hours. However, populated urban areas are within easy access for shopping, tasty street food and human geography research opportunities.
We ran 6 research projects: 2 on leatherback sea-turtles, 2 on frogs an 2 based in human geography. The fieldwork for the turtle projects was conducted on nearby beaches at night during laying hours. Both frog projects involved mating behaviour and physiology, with fieldwork conducted in the stunning rainforest. The geography projects were investigating the impact of both climate change and student presence on conflict within local populations. Fieldwork involved organising interviews with local key informants, ranging from ministers within the Trinidad government to local housing agents, and putting questionnaires to local residents.
The team also visited some local schools to spread awareness of the work being done by the expedition and hopefully kick-start a passion and interest in the natural environment, both local and global. We also got involved in several beach cleans on the island through local NGOs.
This year the expedition will head to Tobago. Please see our presentation here and in the Proposals Evening recording for more information.
If you have any questions hit us up at trinidadexp@gmail.com
