Year 12 Biologists learnt all about the rewilding of Dartmoor this week.
On Wednesday, pupils set out to compare the species richness between farmland and grassland across Dartmoor. Throughout the morning, they sampled and identified the different species in the two areas which helped them to calculate biodiversity.
During the afternoon, the biological enthusiasts visited Rewilding Coombeshead, a farm-turned-rewilding centre where a group of people, including ecologists, are working towards reintroducing native wildlife into the local area to help balance out the country’s reduction in biodiversity. These included wild cats, water voles and beavers.
As well as reintroducing species, Rewilding Coombeshead is trying to simulate what Dartmoor was once like with larger breeds of herbivores, such as water buffalo and Iron Age pigs, which churn the ground and control the rate of plant growth. In the late evening, pupils took part in a stake out to watch the nocturnal beavers take their ‘morning’ swim.
We would like to say a massive thank you to Tay and the team of ecologists for touring us around the 400-acre site and their rewilding project. Some of the group’s favourites characters were Bernice an Iron Age Pig and Barbs the water buffalo.
Article written by Austin and Jasmine, Year 12
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