Today was a wonderful day where our students took part in some practical conservation at Berry Head!
First of all we made our way to a patch of ground where we would be clearing gorse to make a better habitat for the local invertebrates. The group was shown how to use secateurs, loppers and bow saws and got to their task very enthusiastically! After a couple of hours, they had cleared an enormous pile of gorse and made a mountain of cut vegetation ready for the rangers to burn. They worked really hard and when they looked back at the work they’ve done they were amazed by how much they’ve managed to do collectively.
Afterwards, the group deserved a break so he took her out walk around Berry Head, particularly for those that haven’t been there before. Rich gave us an explanation about the local geology and we had a look for any interesting flowers and plants that we found en route. We were all treated to a big mug of hot chocolate at the Coast Guard Café before we headed back to the field for lunch. After lunch, Amy and Eve led some sensory activities so that everyone could get to know their local environment in more detail.
The group had a fantastic experience today and for most of them it was the first time they had done any practical conservation. They are all super keen to find out what we’ll be doing next time we go to Berry Head!
