ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE WITHIN THE ENVIRONMENT
At Wild About Nature we are hugely passionate about inspiring young minds to find and follow an interest in the natural world. Our own fascination stems from childhood experiences shared with us by equally impassioned role models and we hope to ignite a passion and respect for nature in those who hold the future of our natural world in their hands.
Topics include:
Balancing Ecosystems
The importance of apex predators
The Carbon Cycle
How carbon atoms move through the world
Sustainable Farming
Where it began and how it has changed
Food Webs
Identifying species and their importance to the ecosystem
Wildlife & Landscape Conservation
Why this is vital and how it affects us all
PROJECT EXAMPLE
How did wolves change the course of a river?
Students investigate the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone Park and their effect on the trophic levels of the ecosystem and consequently the landscape.
Comparisons are made to the reintroduction of beavers on the River Otter and how they have affected the local landscape. We consider their potential contribution to the UK’s flood defences in the face of climate change.
We then consider what potential positive and negative effects introducing wild boar to Dartmoor might have on the local ecosystem, landscape and climate change, looking at examples of rewilding to inform our views. A visit to a beaver projects is optional.