Biology Fieldtrip: University Prep Certificate (UCL)

>> We spend five days away at a field study centre
in north Somerset, studying ecology,
which is the relationship between animals and plants,
and the environment that they live in.
All the biologists, they go on that,
and while we're away we study marine biology,
freshwater biology, terrestrial biology and, surprisingly, we
look at sand dunes as well.
We stay in a centre owned by the Field Studies Council.
It's a very old building, - parts of it date from 1599 -
but it does have electric light and heating.
We're based there.
There are classrooms there,
and there are laboratories there which we use.
The general pattern of the day
is we have about an hour in a classroom, briefing
and discussing what's going to be done.
The Field Studies Council have specialist tutors
who are experts in the area.
>> They actually like dry conditions,
whereas the other snail species --
>> They're doing this sort of work all the time,
so they're very familiar with the plants and animals
and other creatures that are around us that we're studying.
>> -- on the rocks.
And remember that's where they all were.
>> Typically we might leave the centre at 9:00,
arrive at the site 9:30, start the work after a short briefing
at about 10:00, 10:15.
>> So really what we're looking at is a particular kind
of habitat which is --
>> And then the students work
in small groups as threes.
[ Silence ]
>> We've been analysing the rock shore, like the organisms,
invertebrates and the vertebrates abiotic factors and biotic factors.
>> So what's this?
You met this yesterday, what was that?
>> One generation is haploid, one generation is diploid.
>> We started from the bottom, since the tide was low,
and we started analysing every five metres with the method
that was called... the vertical string.
I don't remember to be honest.
We found around eight or nine different invertebrates
and plants, algae mainly.
It is amazing to see how it changes, like, in every stage.
Like at the beginning we found more invertebrates, but
towards the end we found more algae,
and different kinds of it.
So it's really nice to see how everything adapts
to its own environment.
It is really exciting,
'cause it's not something we see in our own country.
Mainly it's our first time,
most of us, it's the first time we've been here,
and it's, like, really nice.
>> That's a good question there...
>> The field trip features very much as
the high point of the course.
It's probably the most favourite thing
that they actually do.
They thoroughly enjoy it.
It also brings them together as a
group, and I think they
enjoy that very much as well.
>> This spinal wrap then --
>> I believe this field trip, has been a great experience,
not only because we got to interact
between each other more, but we've learned a lot,
and the workload is a lot, but it's worth it.