Y12 Environmental Science Field Trip

For four days, the Year 12 A-Level Environmental Science students stayed at Nettlecombe Court, run by the Field Studies Council centre, on the edge of Exmoor. Nettlecombe Court itself is a striking Tudor and Georgian country mansion set within its own grounds and ancient woodlands.

Students took advantage of these surroundings and carried out a range of investigations which will support them in their exams at the end of Year 13. Much fun was had kick sampling freshwater invertebrates to monitor the quality of water in two streams, identifying moths collected in a light trap and using point quadrats to sample succession at Braunton Burrows, where some of the sand dunes can reach 30m in height.

Students found that the trip helped them to “visualise all of the theory work we had been learning about in lessons” and enjoyed “visiting the sand dunes, catching freshwater invertebrates in the river and mammal trapping.”

Many thanks to J Brook and M Cook for supporting the students on the field trip.