A contaminated site by Ryan Putt and company, 11th Feb 2016
Location: Devon Great Consols, Copper mine, Tavistock, Devon

A group of MSc Environmental Consultancy students visited the contaminated landscape of Devon Great Consols for the first time. In addition to photographing the landscape, student Ryan Putt is collecting their perception of the scape over time – here is data from the first visit. Two weeks later he collected more data to see whether there are differences – an interesting comparative study.

‘Below are the responses from the group regarding their perception of the landscape. I think they mirror some of the images quite nicely. I think weather conditions and seasonality play a significant part in perception – it will be interesting to see if their responses change if the conditions in a couple of weeks are worse, as today it was beautiful.’

Peaceful, Chilly, Historical, Birds, Relaxed, Dirty, Excited, Nice, Impressive, Big, Mystery, Derelict, Scarred, Grubby, Rays, Tranquil, Lost, Airy, Scenic, Haven, Secluded, Slopes, Pretty, Post-Industrial, Chilled, Serene, Nice, Baron, Deserted, Expansive, Colourful, Patterns, Cool, Undulating, Nostalgic, Weird, Wide.

‘Second visit to Devon Great Consols today, with overcast conditions, frequent misty showers and a fierce wind – the weather was a stark contrast to the beautiful winter sun greeting our first visit. The context of the day was also quite different, with each group (the course were split into seven groups of four) giving a talk on a particular contamination topic – including the uptake of arsenic into plants and animals, the pathways of contaminants into the home environment and the availability of arsenic within the mining spoil heaps. An interesting day, with the perceptual data below.’

Dreary, Misty, Bleak, Polluted, Tranquil, Long Views, Winter Walks, Historic Valley, Babbling Streams, Mysterious, Birds Twittering, Historic Valley, Dangerous.