Recently, the Year 12 Biology A level students travelled to Somerset for their field trip, staying at the historic Nettlecombe Court. Over the course of three days, they explored a variety of ecosystems and learned to use a range of sampling techniques to study grassland, freshwater, and rocky shore ecology.
Upon arrival and after settling in, students got straight to work. Using quadrats, they sampled two different areas of the grounds before assembling small mammal traps in hopes of capturing nocturnal wildlife.
“My favourite part of the trip was definitely the small mammal trapping! I can’t believe I caught a vole – who I called Volecan. It was so cute, and I found it really great to be able to study the species that are so integral to the UK, but that we rarely see.”Amelia, Year 12 Student
Thursday began with excitement as the traps revealed two mice and a vole. The day was spent in the moorland of the stunning Exmoor National Park, where students sampled invertebrates along a river. The peaceful setting encouraged moments of mindfulness during the walk, which included sightings of native Exmoor ponies, Highland cattle, and deer. Back at the centre, students applied their field data to statistical tests studied in class.
On Friday, the group visited Hellwell Bay to study marine ecosystems in rockpools, observing a range of species in their natural habitats. They also had the opportunity to hunt for fossils, discovering many embedded in the sedimentary rocks.
“I really enjoyed the rocky shore visit because it was great to get hands on experience with identifying lots of different sea creatures I’ve seen before but never been able to identify. I also enjoyed the mammal trapping even though I almost lost my trap in the vegetation.”Jasmine, Year 12 Student
One highlight of the trip was seeing the variety of different ecosystems on offer in a more rural area of England. The group felt it was amazing to be able to identify many different species and put knowledge we learned in the classroom into practice.
