Duration
5 days
Exam board
AQA
Availability & Prices

This 5-day fieldwork course offers the opportunity for students to tackle 9 different fieldwork enquries across a range of dynamic habitats.

Students will gain first-hand experience of all the requires sampling techniques (ST) and gain in-depth understanding of all required methodologies (Me).

Students will use a variety of specialist fieldwork equipment useful to the study of Environmental Science including moth traps, soil ovens, bat-detectors, pit-fall traps and infiltrometers.

Enquiries will be set within an environmental context enabling students to gain a broad and deep understanding of real-world Environmental Science.

Mathematical skills and the use of GIS will encourage students to interrogate and manipulate fieldwork data.

Students will be inspired by dynamic, exciting environments as they meet the specification requirement of 4 days of fieldwork.

Example Timetable

Day 1

Morning

Arrive Midday
  • Students greeted by FSC staff.
  • Welcome talk and Centre tour.
  • Pre-course meeting with FSC staff and teachers.
  • Allocation of wellies/waterproofs.

Afternoon

Hydrosphere

Investigating how rates of infiltration vary between contrasting areas.

Evening

Data Analysis

Using their data collection, students will draw a box-whisker diagram to compare infiltration rates in the two areas. Before completing a Mann-Whitney U statistical test.

Day 2

Morning and Afternoon

Succession

Investigating how species presence, abundance and diversity changes over time.

Data Analysis

Using their data from their succession investigation, students will construct a scatter-graph before completing a Spearman’s Rank Correlation Co-efficient.

Evening

Management and conservation of habitats.

Students will consider how the importance of conservation is related to the threats from human activities, using a real-world decision-making task based on their area of study from earlier in the day.

Day 3

Morning

Populations of Organisms

Investigating an estimate of the population size of an organism in a habitat. (Lincoln Index). Investigating differences in invertebrate communities in two contrasting areas.

Afternoon and Evening

Populations of Organisms

Investigating how temporal change impacts the populations of flying organisms. Using moth traps and bat detectors, alongside observation and sweep netting. This investigation will begin in the afternoon and continue into the early evening and aim to consider how the abundance of certain species differ during this day to night transition.

Day 4

Morning

Carbon Cycle

Investigating differences in carbon storage and sequestration between two contrasting areas of woodland.

Afternoon

Soils

Investigating differences in soil characteristics.

Evening

Data Analysis

Graphical and statistical methods will be used to present and analyse data from the two investigations. Students will consider the real-world significance of their data with links to sustainability and the carbon cycle.

Day 5

Morning

Pollution

Investigating how a biotic indicator can be used to assess the presence and impact of pollution. (Freshwater and Lichens)

Afternoon

Depart at Midday
  • Review of the course.
  • Signposting further actions and opportunities with the FSC and beyond.
  • Final farewell from FSC staff.

Please note: to ensure safe and quality learning experiences for students, the timetable may alter depending on weather conditions and local factors at centres.

How this course fulfills the specification

Specification Links

Methodologies

Me 1 Sample location- random sampling
Me 2 Sample location- systematic sampling
Me 3 Number of samples
Me 4 Sample size
Me 5 Sample timing
Me 6 Standard deviation; Statistical testing

Sampling Techniques

ST 1 Measurement of abiotic factors
ST 2 The use of quadrats to measure biotic factors
ST 3 Measurement of edaphic factors
ST 4 The use of methods to measure biotic factors related to animal taxy on the soil surface and in soil
ST 5 The use of methods to measure biotic factors related to animal tax on foliage and flying animals
ST 6 The use of aquatic sampling methods to measure biotic factors

Added value of this course

  • Develop personal skills
  • Have fun
  • Be inspired by a passion for the subject
  • Build friendships

Why Choose FSC?

  • Expert tuition by fully trained staff

  • Stunning locations across the UK

  • Outstanding curriculum knowledge

  • Rigorous health and safety procedures

  • Support before and after your visit

  • Free places for visiting staff