Over the past two days, I and my Fulbright companions, Veronica and Katelyn, have been on a whirlwind tour of the Southwest of England. Our knowledgeable tour guide was Professor Sabel, who will be teaching on my Physical Activity Pathway and is currently a professor in Health Geography at Exeter. Professor Sabel began by taking us to the national park area of Dartmoor. Unlike America, national parks in Britain can actually have people living on them, as long as no additional adverse alterations are made to the protected areas of the landscape. Thankfully for Dartmoor, beautiful areas of woodland, rivers and moors have been set aside for recreational enjoyment and appreciation. We had the opportunity to hike through a small portion of these areas and even swim in the river. The Brits call this “wild swimming,” although from my personal perspective, “freezing cold swimming” is a more precise name. Although EXTREMELY cold, the water was absolutely beautiful and clear with brilliant blue dragonflies and birds darting about among some very characteristically English flora like fox gloves, ferns and ivy.

The River in Dartmoor

Fox Glove Flowers in Dartmoor

On our way to the Truro-Cornwall campus of Exeter (called Tremough Campus), we stopped at a lookout point to capture photos of some of the famous Dartmoor ponies. Roaming cows and sheep were also nearby and the adults barely acknowledged our presence, while the younger colts seemed quite curious and posed for our cameras.

Dartmoor Ponies

Young Dartmoor Colts

Once in Truro-Cornwall, we had the privilege of visiting the European Centre for Environment and Human Health and met with Director Dr. Lora Fleming and some of her researchers. The ECEHH is examining unique influences on human health from the perspective of the natural and constructed environments as well as the implications of different types of pollution and current medical and societal practices which impact the environment. In addition to this useful research, the ECEHH also designs innovative ways to communicate their findings to the public and constructs relationships with local businesses for community involvement and job promotion.

After a wonderful (and extremely filling!) dinner of Nepalese-Indian food, we retired to our gorgeous accommodations at the Exeter Tremough Campus. No buildings there are even over 5 years old, and their smart and functional construction makes you wonder how they ever get students to leave!

The following day, we were given a boat tour of the Falmouth Bay test site by the Falmouth Harbour Commission. This test site is home to one wave energy generation which has been producing power since 2011. Scientists are constantly monitoring the generator, which for now just produces energy and releases it into the air, to test for efficiency, durability and feasibility of this type of renewable energy. It is the hope that eventually, these types of generators will be installed at the Wave Hub, a specialized wave energy site which can connect the generators to the English power grid. With two more companies interested in testing their machines at the Falmouth site, hopefully we will have a viable new option for generating power in the future!

Wave Generator at the Falmouth Bay Test Site

The Harbour at Falmouth

Leaving Falmouth, we traveled northward and enjoyed the more rocky coast and beaches. We ate along the waterside and one of the more popular beaches of Southern England at the Bowgie Inn (which in Cornish means, Cow Shed Inn). The blue water and white sand beaches rivaled some of the best tropical destinations! Alongside the beaches rose stunning gray, almost slate looking, cliffs and hillsides covered in bright yellow flowers. We walked up and down a hill to reach the more secluded Polly Joke beach which experiences extreme tide changes leaving hundreds of feet of sand open for visitors. Shallow streams of saltwater crisscross the beach which is flanked by staggering cliffs. We explored the caves and tidal pools finding small shrimp, jellyfish, and thousands of mussels. Looking out towards the sea, it was strange to think I was seeing the Atlantic from the other side. After saying a quick “hello” to faraway Florida, it was time to head back to Exeter’s main campus.

The Cliffs at Polly Joke Beach