On 30th June, all SFC1 (Year 12) A Level and IB biologists went on a day trip to Bishops Wood, a Field Studies Council centre located in Worcestershire. This was a lovely trip as the end of term can always be a bit hectic. Being able to go out and be surrounded by nature for the day was very rejuvenating.
For the IB biologists, our first investigation was comparing the diversity of invertebrates in two freshwater ponds. We used nets and what our guide, Rachel, called essential kitchen supplies (strainers, plastic spoons, ice cube trays and even a turkey baster!) to collect organisms from different parts of each pond and count the number of different species we found.
I’m not very eager to get my hands dirty but luckily my group partners Hester and Maddie were more than keen to do this part, and I helped identify the organisms and took some lovely photographs.
The second practical was investigating the impact of meadow management on plant species. We gathered data using random and systematic quadrant sampling. During this investigation I learnt a lot about how various biotic and abiotic factors interact with each other.
I am a keen biologist; however, as I am mostly intrigued by animal biology, I often overlook plants. Learning about how herbivores help maintain the plant biodiversity of meadows was particularly fascinating. One of the most interesting things I learnt was that many colourful flowering plants, ones that could be classified as ‘pretty plants’, only thrive in low-nutrient and undisturbed soil.
Towards the end of the day, Rachel made us walk into the forest and pick a spot to sit in silence and 'just be' in nature. This forest-bathing was one of my favourite parts of the trip.
Esohe, SFC1 (Year 12)
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