DCG champions next generation of nature-minded leaders through conservation and land-based education

As the urgency of nature recovery and sustainable land management grows across the UK, Derby College Group (DCG) is celebrating the role its Broomfield Hall (Morley) campus plays in preparing students for careers that directly support the future of the environment.

Broomfield Hall, DCG’s working estate in the Derwent Valley, equips learners with hands-on experience in land and wildlife management, conservation, ecological surveying and habitat stewardship, skills that are increasingly vital amid nationwide efforts to protect and enhance biodiversity. At DCG, students don’t just learn about nature, they work in it.

The importance of this educational focus is underscored by the growth of landscape-scale conservation and nature-based solutions work locally and nationally. Organisations like Wild Solutions, the ecological consultancy owned by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust (DCT), have been leading the way in delivering evidence-based habitat restoration, nature-based solutions and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) services, a statutory requirement under the UK Environment Act 2021 that mandates all commercial developments deliver a minimum of 10% net gain for biodiversity.

Wild Solutions goes beyond the legal framework by targeting at least 20% net gain and securing habitats for long-term ecological benefit, making them an important partner in the region’s nature recovery network.

Paul Foskett, Teacher of Countryside & Arboriculture at Broomfield Hall, commented: “Nature isn’t an add on to what we teach at Broomfield, it’s fundamental. Our students are learning that good land management, food production and environmental responsibility all go hand in hand, and that understanding nature is essential to the future of farming”

Students at Broomfield Hall gain relevant, real-world skills that align with these broader conservation trends, from species identification and ecological survey techniques to land management and countryside crafts. This prepares learners for competitive careers as ecologists, conservation officers, land managers and countryside professionals, all vital roles in supporting local nature recovery, expanding habitat networks and meeting increasing environmental commitments.

There will be ongoing surveys of DCG’s other sites, the Roundhouse and Joseph Wright College in Derby and Ilkeston College, to explore what more can be done for nature in these very different, much more urban sites.

In a world facing climate and biodiversity decline, DCG’s commitment to land-based education ensures that the workforce of tomorrow is ready to respond not only to employer needs but to the critical environmental challenges of the 21st century.

Please see more details about how DCT are helping DCG support more biodiversity in their latest blog: www.wildsolutionsdwt.co.uk/news-blogs/broomfieldhall