Darren Axe (LUSU/Green Lancaster)
Name: Darren Axe
Subject: BSc Physical Geography
Year Graduated: 2009
College: Grizedale
Where are you now and what are you doing?
After graduating from Lancaster in July 2009 I was very lucky after just two months to find myself back in a full-time job at Lancaster University! And this where I still find myself in August 2016. I work for Lancaster University Students’ Union (LUSU) as the Green Lancaster Coordinator. This involves running a range of practical student opportunities within environmental and sustainability projects. It’s a great job and over six years we’ve managed to achieve so much through collaborative working between LUSU and Facilities. The flagship achievement has to be the Green Lancaster EcoHub at Alexandra Park.
I’ve now been at Lancaster for over ten academic years and have experienced the university both as a student and staff member. It definitely feels like home to me now and campus has a very friendly atmosphere.
What would you like to do next?
For the last few years, I have been working towards my International Mountain Leader (IML) award. This culminated in March 2016 with my winter assessment in the Pyrénées-Orientales. It’s an interesting and diverse award and is a perfect companion to a Geography degree. Alongside my work for Green Lancaster, I am now developing ways to work as an IML. In the near future, I plan to work in partnership with LEC to provide extra-curricular field journeys in the mountain landscapes of the UK and Europe. Sustainable exploration was a big part of my reason for doing the IML and I plan to lead trips that will draw strongly on environmental values. For more information on this, please view my website at darrenaxeimlfrgs.com.
Why did you choose to study at Lancaster?
Lancaster attracted me due to it’s position near to the geographical centre of the island of Great Britain. I grew up in South Wales, so it was important to be based somewhere where a weekend visiting the family was easily practicable by train. As a keen outdoor enthusiast, Lancaster presented great opportunities for exploring the landscapes of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales, as well as being a convenient starting point for weekend trips to the Scottish Highlands. Even London is only 2.5 hours away by train, making Lancaster ideally located for wherever you’re going your next journey! Geography was critical to me in my choice of where to study, as well as being the reason for my study itself.
What was your favourite part of your degree and why?
The highlight for me was definitely the Geomorphology of Northern Spain field trip with Phil Barker and Andy Quinn. Learning through field experiences is one of the key reasons that I choose to pursue Geography to degree level. The Cordillera Cantabrica, sometimes known as ‘green Spain’ (for the relatively temperate climate and resulting vegetation colour) was a fantastic base for this trip with diverse landscapes and an interesting human history. As the field trip fell within the Easter vacation of final year, I decided to extend the trip at both the start and end by making my own way there and back by train. This gave me the extra opportunity to explore southwestern France and the coast Northern Spain.
How do you think your time at Lancaster prepared you for what you’re currently doing?
Perfectly! The broad range of modules on the Geography degree programme develops a really diverse thinking. As the environment and sustainability issues were my particular interest area, I found modules that looked at human-natural environment interactions particularly useful. The dissertation was also a great exercise as it pushed me into a more proactive approach to research, consolidating the academic way of learning. I was also very lucky to visit Wellington, New Zealand for 6 months during my degree. This was a fantastic experience and certainly gave me the opportunity to experience some very unique landscapes and meet some wonderful people.
What did you enjoy most about your time at Lancaster?
The highlight for me was the friendly community at Lancaster both within the academic department and also the wider student body. There are so many opportunities for involvement in sport and activities at Lancaster. Indeed, it can feel a little overwhelming trying to decide how you’re going to spend your time as there is so much going on. I was heavily involved in the Lancaster University Hiking Club as walking on the mountains was my favourite pastime. This provided me with numerous outings in the British mountains as well as wonderful friends, many of whom I still meet up with regularly either in Lancaster or further afield. It was also a fantastic development opportunity as well as I got involved in both the running of the club and developed my mountain leadership skills, perfect experience for my current professional career. The best trips were always the week-long winter trips to Scotland in the Christmas vacation. I was also introduced to Alpine mountaineering through excursions with friends in the club.
