The Call of the Wild

Children learn better when they are doing stuff, right? So can they learn more and better retain information in an outdoors setting compared to a conventional classroom set up?

Well a growing amount evidence suggests they might, capably augmented by recent research by second year undergraduate Emma Cowie-Smith. She carried out a small study of how 'real world learning' impacted upon the teaching of year 1 primary school children - to learn more about what she found take a look.......

She will be presenting this work at a conference at the University tomorrow!

Dip Dip Hooray!

Students are often actively involved in surveying for wildlife on our sprawling estate, and in the glorious sunshine yesterday EACM and EDCM students followed tutor Julia out to a biodiversity hotspot - Clump Pond.

Neatly buffered from surrounding agricultural fields by Farmer's Wood, it is surprising what can be found in the dark, murky depth of your average farm pond. So, armed with nets and trays, these are what are intrepid students found in their pond dipping adventure.......see if you can name the species - (answers below)

Logan Freer was the brave animal handler featured in these pictures!

Lauren Hutchings and David Naylor make a record of what they have found.

All these records can be added to our annual biodiversity report, happy days.

(Answers from top: Male smooth newt x2; dragonfly nymph; great diving beetle). 

A Letter from David Attenborough!

One of our final year students, Saadia Khan, was at a recent BBC recording of an interview with Sir David Attenborough and she handed him a letter saying how much he had inspired her wish to work in conservation.  And the attached is what Sir David sent in return!

You can also read about her amazing letter here

The Challenges of Woodland Restoration

Bringing small woodlands back into management is an incredibly difficult and usually an expensive undertaking. This makes the progress in the restoration of Round Lown Woods near Sudborough that much more remarkable. Last week students on the Foundation Degree in Countryside & Wildlife Management course took a guided walk with the owners - Gerald and Sue Collini - and learnt about the practical challenges they had faced in the restoration of the wood.

Fig 1: Entrance to Round Lown Wood

Fig 2: Sue, Lynne, Kim and Gerald on an ancient earthbank in the wood

With Gerald taking the lead on implementing a management plan to extract timber for firewood sales on site, Sue has pushed her Forest Schools initiative. This recognises the value of 'natural capital' and the benefits of outdoor learning to all ages and abilities - you can read about it here.

Fig 3: Early spring sunshine dapples through to the woodland floor.

Students then convened in the bespoke woodland shack for a cuppa to reflect on their experience. Sue and Gerald are members of the Rockingham Forest Coppice Group which aims to promote sustainable woodland management practices for some of our most ancient of woodlands. So it seems the future of our woodland heritage is safe in sunny Sudborough!