Sophie's Wild Cornwall – 300 mile coastal trek to showcase nature and the environment through social media

Issue date: 30 May 2017

Sophie Pavelle, an MSc Science Communication Student from UWE Bristol will use social media this June to document her month long trek along the 300 mile coastline of Cornwall. Sophie's Wild Cornwall aims to highlight how the way we use social media can be changed, to spread the word about nature, the environment and pollution as part of her MSc project.

Starting on 11 June, Sophie's 22 day adventure along the South West Coastal Path will start in Bude and end on 2 July in Plymouth.

Zoology graduate, Sophie who hails from Exeter, says, “I've always been a bit of an adventurer and am passionate about nature and the environment, this was a great opportunity to combine the two and do something a bit different for my final year project. I'm a keen walker and June is the perfect time to explore Cornwall's beautiful coastline. I hope to capture pictures and short video clips of basking sharks, harbour porpoises and grey seals which I'll share on my Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and You Tube accounts. I really hope that followers will share my adventure, appreciate the natural beauty around us and raise awareness of the damage caused to our coastlines by plastic pollution.”

Sophie's supervisor, Dr Clare Wilkinson adds, "We're delighted to be supporting Sophie as she carries out this impressive trek. Like many of our MSc Science Communication students, Sophie was keen to develop a project that built on her individual passions, as well as creating an opportunity to equip her with the skills we know employers are looking for. It will be fascinating to see the results of her research, including how people engage with environmental messages via social media, and we look forward to following her journey along the way."

Follow Sophie's adventures on social media via the Sophie's Wild Cornwall website.