Upper 6 Biology students put classroom theory into practice, developing their ecological sampling and data analysis skills during a hands-on fieldwork day in Bushy Park
Our Upper 6 Biology students set off on a trip to the Field Studies Council (FSC) at the Stockyard in Bushy Park. It was a blustery September morning when they set off but drespite the weather, everyone was ready to get stuck into a day of practical Biology.
One of our students on the trip, Devina commented:
“We began the morning with a quadrats workshop, developing our skills in ecological sampling. This gave us the opportunity to practise identifying and recording plant species, as well as thinking how we could use them to answer ecological questions. We then moved on to Core Practical 15, where we put these techniques into practice in the field. Working in different areas of Bushy Park, we measured environmental factors including soil depth, temperature and the height of the tallest plants. This allowed us to investigate how differences in the physical environment might affect the distribution of plants.
After a well-earned lunch, and a pleasant turn in the weather we continued with Core Practical 16, using a belt transect to investigate changes in plant height along the Nature Trail. It was a great opportunity to see ecological patterns developing in front of us rather than simply discussing them in a classroom. Once our fieldwork was complete, we analysed our results using statistical tests, including a t-test and Spearman’s rank correlation, to investigate whether there were significant differences and relationships in our data.”
It was a valuable opportunity for us students to experience Biology as it is studied in the real world: observing, measuring, questioning, analysing and drawing conclusions from the evidence around us.
