News

Year 13 students from Kingsbridge Community College have visited Nettlecombe Field Studies Centre this term as part of their studies.

The centre lies in a secluded valley at the eastern edge of Exmoor National Park made up of heritage parkland and ancient woodland.

The A Level Biology trip to the centre kicked off with a full day comparing land management techniques of grasslands and setting up small mammal traps to leave overnight.  The second day started by seeing what was in the small mammal traps.  The students recorded all the species and weighed and released them.  They had mostly caught wood mice and house mice. 

The group then started a mark-recapture study to estimate population sizes of woodlice and spent the rest of the day on freshwater ecology and studying animal behaviour. They used kick sampling -  disturbing the riverbed and trapping the dislodged organisms in a net - to compare different microhabitats. 

On the final day the students finished the mark-recapture study and then used transects to study how the distribution of species can change along an environmental gradient.

Tina Graham, Principal at Kingsbridge Community College, said:

“It’s brilliant that our Year 13 Biology students were able to visit Nettlecombe to conduct their fieldwork.  This was a really hands-on trip that allowed them to put into practice everything they have been learning about in the classroom.”

Matthew Shanks, CEO of Education South West said:

“It’s great to hear that Kingsbridge students have been exploring in North Devon.

“Taking  Biology students into the field isn't just about catching mice or identifying plants - it's also about connecting with nature in a way the classroom can't replicate. The real world teaches lessons you can't find in textbooks, and it's where curiosity truly comes alive."