On Thursday 14th of September, Year 12 Biology students went on a field trip to Epping Forest to investigate biodiversity. In the morning, we focused on the biodiversity in freshwater. We used nets to collect samples from the pond in order to look for invertebrates that were living there. We found a variety of biological organisms including water snails, newts and a dragonfly nymph. We even caught a fish! After a close call with a potential swim with the frogs, we had collected all of our data. We went back to the field centre and recorded the biodiversity levels using the Simpson’s index of diversity. We had lunch and then got right back out to the forest where we were now measuring the diversity of terrestrial invertebrates. This time we were using nets to sweep through two sites (grassland and woodland) in order to discover the richness and evenness of a selection of species. After a few scares with spiders, we made our way back to the field centre and, again, collected our data using the same diversity index. Once we had completed this, it was time to thank the field centre staff and make our way home. We would like to say a huge thank you to Mr Frank and Ms Hillier for taking on this enriching trip.
Ava, Scarlett and Saskia Year 12