Geology and Geography A-Level Field Trip

This week, our Sixth Form Geologists and Geographers came together for a combined field trip to Nettlecombe Court Field Study Centre, on the edge of Exmoor National Park. The location is perfectly situated to allow our A-Level students to explore some of the South West’s best locations for field study.

Our Geography A-Level cohort focussed on upskilling their geographical fieldwork techniques, essential to their future NEAs (Non-Examined Assessments, which is worth 20% of their A-Levels). They started by exploring Watchet and how to identify sense of place before an evening lesson on ArcGIS (Global Information Systems) and how to digitally locate data presentation.

Day two involved physical processes and analysing sediment transfers from Porlock Weir to Bossington. The afternoon was spent in Minehead, collecting risk assessment and flood management data.

The evening class used all of the students’ collective data to statistically analyse the processes within the bay.

On our final morning, our Geographers utilised the woodlands on the Nettlecombe Estate to calculate the efficiency of trees in terms of carbon capture. The average person in the UK produces around 12.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year and the woodland captured only 4.5 tonnes, which provoked a discussion on other management strategy options.

The feedback from our students was that it was a helpful experience to support them with their NEAs and was an enjoyable trip that helped the groups bond over a shared love of these topics.