A Level Biology pupils, members of the Sustainability Committee and two members of our Grounds staff visited the Coombeshead Rewilding project on Thursday, where they were met by an ecologist who discussed the decline in large animals in the UK over hundreds of years and particularly the reduction in biodiversity since the intensification of farming started after the Second World War.
Amongst the animals that were housed at the project, the pupils learnt about roles of the water buffalos; wildcats – which are hopefully to be seen reintroduced into the wild; lynx as examples of large predators and beavers and the importance of their dams for the local ecology.
The Year 12s considered the many wild plant species such as yellow rattle that have recolonised farm fields naturally over time, due to the rewilding of the land, and how the reduction in plant diversity in the UK must be reversed to maintain stable environments for animal populations and the overall biodiversity of the UK.
This was a great opportunity for pupils to visualise how biodiversity can be improved and will hopefully be inspired to investigate further how they can individually help the rewilding process.
More photographs can be found on Facebook.
Article by Beth, Year 12
Categories: Academic
