Second year A level Biology students at Richmond upon Thames College went on a field trip in September to complete their required Ecology Practical Assessment. The trip took place at the FSC Field Work Centre Juniper Hall, which is a superb country house located in the scenic, unspoiled area of the chalk North Downs and at the edge of Box Hill in Surrey. It is an Area of Outstanding Beauty and has many habitats of scientific importance for our students to learn from. A trip to Juniper Hall allows visitors to immerse themselves in the natural world, taking in its sights, sounds and smells.
This outing was a fantastic opportunity for our students to explore the local environment and bring the curriculum they have been learning to life. The excursion involved a woodland walk and grassland study, where tutors asked their students to study the ecology of a habitat. This location is particularly interesting as it allowed the students a range of habitats to choose from for their study. The students were lucky enough to also have the resource of an excellent ecologist from the centre, who had fantastic knowledge of the area to help them with their studies.
Lecturer, Annette Prestidge who organized the trip said, “Our eager Biology students were able to carry out an investigation comparing the effect of human management on the biotic and abiotic components of two different woodlands and the effect of human trampling on the chalk grassland. We were lucky with the weather on this day and were able to enjoy our lunch outdoors looking over the valley and the lovely scenery of Box Hill. The students thoroughly enjoyed their experience.”
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