A key element of the A Level Biology curriculum is the development of practical biological skills by undertaking fieldwork. A group of Upper Sixth Biology students set off for the Juniper Hall field study centre which provides an excellent location for fieldwork on the North Downs in West Sussex.

Upper Sixth Form girl, Alessandra reports,

“I enjoyed the Biology field trip because it really brought to life the science we have studied in textbooks and in the classroom. In the beautiful environment of rolling hills and forests surrounding Juniper Hall, we set to work with a range of different quadrats to pick out trends in plant life growth in coppiced and mature woods. The picturesque environment provided a lovely backdrop to an afternoon spent amongst the undergrowth and plants of the forest. After having collected the data, we enjoyed tea and cakes and spent the rest of the afternoon analysing our work with various statistical tests.

In the evening, we set non-invasive and cruelty-free traps in order to obtain information about the wildlife of the area. To everyone’s excitement, we managed to find a mouse, a shrew and a vole. We observed the movements of each animal and how they are adapted to their nocturnal or diurnal habits. On the second day, we climbed a hill to measure changes across the chalk-based landscape with transects. Having spent a wonderful day on the windswept hillsides around Juniper Hall, we returned to School with a deeper insight into practical biology, its applications and uses.”