Fieldwork in Catalonia

A new cohort of UCL Geography undergraduates enjoyed a field class in Catalonia during the middle week of their first term.

Blessed with early November sunshine and temperatures nudging 20^oC, they were based in Sitges, near Barcelona, carrying out field projects as part of a ‘Geography in the Field’ course.

This allowed them to gain hands-on experience in approaches to field-based data collection in relation to various geographical problems.

• Human influences on water quality associated with water abstraction and industrial and agricultural inputs were examined by collecting invertebrate and chemistry data on the River Tordera.

• Coastal processes were analysed around the resort of Sitges, including the effects of hard and soft geoengineering as management strategies.

• Urban geography projects were carried out in Barcelona on themes of work, identity and movement. Ethnographic research methods, including interviews and observations, were employed to gain insights into Catalonian life and politics.

As usual, the fieldwork gave everyone the opportunity to get to know new fellow students, as well as the staff and postgraduate project leaders.

Towards the end of the week, they all enjoyed a lively but competitive quiz hosted by a double act of Fabien Cante and James Todd, and there was also a fun independent final evening, taking in the sights, sounds and tastes of Barcelona.

Finally, back in London, two workshops encouraged participants to use computer mapping tools to analyse and present their results and explore socio-economic data on Barcelona.