ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø

ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø cookie policy

We use cookies on reading.ac.uk to improve your experience, monitor site performance and tailor content to you

Read our cookie policy to find out how to manage your cookie settings

As a student in the Department of Geography and Environmental Science at ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø, you’ll have access to an extensive range of facilities that will support your learning. Many of these are on-site at Whiteknights, the University’s main campus, which has won 14 consecutive *. 

We offer custom-designed laboratories and specialised research facilities, as well as a large area of experimental polytunnels and glasshouses that are available for research purposes. 

The University is also home to a unique range of environments. We treat our campus as a “living laboratory”; both staff and students make the most of their immediate surroundings for field work.

*Whiteknights campus has been awarded 14 consecutive Green Flag Awards, 2011–2024.

Environmental Diagnostics Module

In this module, you will venture into the woodlands situated by the Harris Garden to assess the symptoms and signs of tree health.

Earth Lab Module (campus activity)

The Earth Lab module gives you the opportunity to place diffusion tubes around campus to quantify air quality in both roadside and urban locations.

Earth Lab (farm activity)

In this module, you also will visit Hall Farm to measure soil health in grassland, arable and woodland locations. 

Specialised laboratories

When you study with us at master's and PhD level, you’ll have access to specialist instruments for work in molecular ecology and biochemistry, environmental chemistry, physics and stable radioisotopes. 

We have dedicated sedimentology and soil science laboratories. Our full computing suite supports ArcGIS geographical information systems (GIS), Rockworks, Erdas Imagine landscape analysis and visualisation and remote sensing.

We also have strong links to the University's on-site Chemical Analysis Facility.  This facility provides NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, optical spectroscopy and thermal analysis equipment. 

The ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø's campus was unlike anything I had visited, as it felt like a home away from home. The campus is at the heart of everything.

Charlie Mariner

BSc Geography (Physical) graduate

University farms

The ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø maintains 760 hectares of farmland in the ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø area. This provides excellent opportunities to study flora and fauna, examine the impacts of agriculture on the landscape and assess current farming methods.

The Herbarium

Established in 1900, the Herbarium is one of the most impressive collections of plant specimens existing today. It houses over 300,000 specimens, including flowering plants, conifers, cycads, ferns, lycophytes and non-vascular plants. 

Harris Gardens

Whiteknights campus boasts a large former botanic garden. It is home to thousands of plant species and a variety of habitats including woods, copses, and damp and dry gardens.

Research

Our researchers are tackling the most urgent global issues and helping to shape our future. They're combating challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, social inequalities, and poverty.

Meet the team

Our community of staff includes internationally renowned and award-winning academics, recognised for the excellence of their teaching and research.

Stories

Read stories from our staff and students in the Department of Geography and Environmental Science.