Exploring Biodiversity: The New School Club Promoting Nature Awareness

Earlier this year, our Environmentalist-in-Residence Miss Webb and Head of Biology Dr McVean, launched a new lunchtime club to explore and understand the biodiversity within our School grounds. They have called this initiative Bioblitz, a term used for events that involve cataloguing a large number of species in a short period of time. Miss Webb said of the club: “our goal was simple: to learn more about the variety of plant and animal life around us, and to engage students in the process of discovery.”

Dr McVean continued; “Biodiversity, which refers to the diversity of life in a given area, is a critical aspect of environmental health. By creating Bioblitz, we hoped to encourage students to observe, identify, and appreciate the rich tapestry of nature surrounding our School. A good number of students from across the School joined in January to learn how they could participate in this exploration.”

The first step for the club was to learn various surveying techniques and familiarise themselves with the different species commonly found in the UK. The next step was dividing the grounds into 10-by-10-metre squares, creating a manageable framework for study. Each square was categorised into a habitat type, recognising the wide range of environments we have on site. We're fortunate to have a pond, a wildflower meadow, an orchard, a woodland, and several other habitats.

Since March, Bioblitz have been diligently surveying the squares, collecting data on tree diameters, mammal sightings, bird observations, and the types of plant species within each area. The process has been educational and exciting, revealing just how much diversity exists in our School's ecosystem.

Their most recent exploration took them to the orchard, where they made an unexpected discovery. With the help of a camera trap, they captured footage of a unique visitor which you can see here:

Every week, the club meets to explore more squares and continue their survey work with the hope of uncovering fascinating details about the School's natural environment.