KS5 Woodland investigation - biodiversity and conservation

Pupils gather data from two coppiced woodland plots, to compare their diversity, using a diversity index.

Pupils learn about the conservation of coppiced woodland and how coppicing leads to increased biodiversity. On the walk to the woodland the pupils see examples of ex situ conservation in the botanic gardens.

This session makes up a half day or part of a full day visit that is tailored to suit the needs of your group and is planned in detail with a Wakehurst teacher prior to the visit. Select one other workshop to build a full day visit.

Learning Outcomes

Educational visits at Wakehurst support and enhance the curriculum offered in schools and colleges.

We aim to give pupils opportunities that are difficult or impossible to create in the school or college environment. We design our sessions to match the learning outcomes in the national curriculum and exam board specifications.

This session offers pupils the opportunity to:

• Appreciate the amazing diversity of living plants and animals in their natural habitats.
• Name some of the species found.
• Investigate and use equipment and techniques to carry out field work.
• Consider sampling techniques for comparative studies and understand they must be practical, representative and repeatable. There is an option to include work in line with prescribed practical requirements.
• Obtain relevant data to calculate a biodiversity index.
• Understand the need for management regimes to maintain biodiversity.

Curriculum Links

This KS5 visit supports and enhances the curriculum offered in schools and colleges.