Having been introduced to our tutor Andy and settled into our room, we went to our classroom where we started to learn about timber production management. We then walked to a nearby forest to see evidence of these techniques. After supper, we were with Andy rounding up our results and looking back at the photos of the day.
Day two was spent looking into the plant species and biodiversity in differently aged burn plots on the Quantock Hills moorland. We set up quadrants and measured the distribution of plants, while also calculating the values of the abiotic factors. We then returned to Nettlecombe and calculated the diversity index for the species we found, and had an introduction to Sunday’s activity. As we finished theory work faster than anticipated we earned ourselves an evening outside of the classroom setting up a badger night camera and listening for bats.
After a cooked breakfast, we drove up to Exmoor, to an area called Embercombe, avoiding the highland cows meandering through the road. We walked down the stream until we reached an area of confluence. Then the fun started! Having stroked several wild Exmoor ponies, we began collecting samples of invertebrates from the pools and riffles of the stream. As fun as this was, with the water at only 9.5 degrees and a strong wind chill, it certainly tested our determination! We identified the different species and recorded our data, before moving on to our other sites. Among the highlights were a rogue slug, a mammoth collection of cased caddisfly larvae and Tayiwo (Form UVI) putting her hands back in the icy water to pose for a photograph! We posed for our final group photos and set off back to Nettlecombe to calculate statistics using the Spearmans rank technique. We reminisced about our trip with a slideshow of some of the more amusing moments, and set off upstairs to pack. The trip was a great success, and we certainly made many friends along the way. We’d like to say on behalf of the Luckley girls and ourselves a big thank you to Miss Wells, Dr Jones and Mrs Buck for making this trip possible.