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Pennyburn Environmental Trail A Resource Booklet for Teachers Key Stage 2 & 3 1 Contents Introduction: Page 2 List of illustrations: Page 3 Map of Environmental: Trail Page 6 Part 1. Information for Preparation and Follow-up. Trees: Page 7 Flowers: Page 10 Mini-beasts: Page 11 Mushrooms: Page 13 Birds: Page 14 The Pond: Page 18 The Vegetable Garden: Page The Eco-house: Page 23 Part 2. Practical Exercises on Site Trees: Page 25 Flowers: Page 26 Mini- Beasts: Page 27 Mushrooms: Page 28 Birds: Page 29 The Pond: Page30 The Vegetable Garden: Page 31 The Eco-house: Page 32 Part 3. Suggested Follow-up Material General: Page 33 Trees: Page 34 Flowers: Flowers: Page 35 Mini- Beasts: Page36 Mushrooms: Page 37 Birds: Page 38 The Pond: Page 40 The Vegetable Garden: Page 43 The Eco-house: Page 44 Glossary: Page 45 Appendix: Links to the Northern Ireland Curriculum Page 46 2 List of Illustrations Figure 1. Map of Environmental Trail: Page 6 Figure 2. Diagram to show photosynthesis: Page 7 Figure 3. Diagram of simple food chain: Page 8 Figure 4. Trees, their leaves and seeds: Page 9 Figure 5. Common insects: Page 10 Figure 6. Diagram of the structure of a mushroom: Page 12 Figure 7. Some common mushrooms: Page 13 Figure 8. Birds: Page 15 Figure 9. Pond wildlife: Page 18 Figure 10. Diagram of frog metamorphosis: Page 19 Figure 11. Compost bins: Page 22 Figure 12. Crop rotation: Page 22 Figure 13. The Eco-house: Page 24 Figure 14. Tree chart: Page 25 Figure 15. Flower identification chart: Page 26 Figure 16. Mini-beast recording sheet: Page 27 Figure 17. Bird survey chart: Page 29 Figure 18. Pond survey chart: Page 30 Figure 19. Ecosystem diagram: Page 34 Figure 20. Mini-beast chart: Page 36 Figure 21. Birds beaks and feet: Page 38 Figure 22. Pond life chart: Page 40 Figure 23. Pond pollution: Page 42 Figure 24. World map: Page 43 3 Pennyburn Environmental Trail Introduction: This booklet has been written to help visiting schools to make the best use of their visit to the Pennyburn Playtrail. The booklet is aimed at KS2 and KS3 pupils. It is designed to cover many recommendations of the ‘Northern Ireland Curriculum’. It is cross curricular incorporating knowledge and skills in English, Maths, Science, Geography, History, and Art. Although aimed mostly at schools, it should also be of use to any visitor with an interest in wildlife. More specific links with the Northern Ireland Curriculum can be found in the Appendix at the end of this booklet. The booklet concentrates on various aspects of biodiversity. ‘Biodiversity’ is a scientific term that means ‘all the living things that exist on the earth from the largest whale to the smallest microbe’. The Pennyburn Playtrail is based in an area that was once part of a large estate standing on the outskirts of Derry. The city has expanded to make the estate an isolated area of mature trees forming a small semi-natural wood in an otherwise urban landscape. It provides opportunities to study many aspects of biodiversity and the links between them. The main aspects of biodiversity covered by the booklet are: trees, flowers, fungi, mini-beasts, birds and mammals. Concepts such as food chains and ecosystems should become clearer during the visit and after the follow-up work. In addition there is also work on the pond, the vegetable garden and the ‘Eco-house’. How to use the booklet: The booklet begins with a map (see: Fig 1) showing various stops. The first part gives basic information about different topics covered on the trail. It can be used as preparatory information and as back up material after your visit. The second part makes suggestions as to the activities at each stop. The various worksheets are designed to be copied and used on the trail. Each stop requires the visitor to perform various tasks related to different aspects of the study. You may wish to use all or just some of the activities. Visitors can prioritise whichever activity suits their needs. The third part makes various suggestions as to activities and exercises on return to school. There is also a glossary of some of the words and terms covered in the text. Equipment: You can use the booklet to prepare work sheets which you will use at each stop. Each child may work individually but dividing your party into groups of approximately six cuts down on the amount of equipment needed and encourages cooperation. You will find the following equipment useful: - Clip boards with waterproof clear plastic covers and pencils - Crayons and paper to do bark rubbings - Measuring tapes to calculate width of trees - Plastic trays and jars/pooters to collect mini-beasts - Magnifying glasses and/or the digital microscope supplied to schools to view specimens in more detail - Pond dipping net/s - Plastic bags to bring specimens of leaves, seeds etc back to school - A camera is always useful 4 Seasons: The different seasons make a big difference to the trail. The trail changes as the seasons progress. Spring and summer are good for flowers. The autumn is best for seeds and mushrooms. Winter is obviously the most difficult time as nature shuts down to avoid the bad weather and lack of light. School Follow-up: Many of the practical tasks using the work sheets can be repeated on your return to school. The children can also repeat the same exercises near their homes. Results can be compared and comparisons made between the different places. The local or school library should have reference books for further research. The WELB pack ‘From Field to Fork’ is a particularly useful resource. The Eco-house: The Eco-house can be used for on site follow-up work such as examination of specimens. Health and Safety: It is important to note that the supervision of, safety and behaviour of the school or group visiting the Playtrail is the responsibility of the school/group. For further information refer to the ELBs “Educational visits: Policy, Practice and Procedures” document. 5 Figure 1: Map of Environmental Trail Stop 1 Trees Stop 2 Flowers Stop 3 Mini-beasts Stop 4 Mushrooms Stop 5 Pond Stop 6 Birds Stop 7 Vegetable garden Stop 8 Straw House 6 Part 1. Information for Preparation and Follow-up Trees: The History of Trees in Ireland: The collection of trees at the Playtrail is part of the original Belmont estate which was comprised of a large house and garden occupying the site. The site is now surrounded by the town of Derry with its houses, roads, schools and factories. Looking at this landscape it is difficult to believe that at one time the whole of Ireland was one huge forest. When the last ice ended about 10,000 years ago trees began to grow in Ireland. The first people arrived in Ireland 9,000 years ago. By that time Ireland was covered by a forest which occupied 90% of the landscape. Huge forests of mostly oak and ash covered nearly the whole landscape from the coast to the tops of the mountains. The first Neolithic farmers arrived in Ireland about 6,000 years ago. They began to clear this forest to make way for their farms. Over a period of 6,000 years this original forest has been completely destroyed. Almost none of this forest remains, with less than 1% of Ireland covered by deciduous trees. Obviously such a fine collection of trees at the Playtrail is very important for wildlife in the area. It acts as a small wood and is an ideal refuge for a wide variety of wildlife. Photosynthesis: Trees are plants. Like all life on earth we, as human beings, are totally dependent on plants. Firstly, plants absorb carbon dioxide and release the oxygen which we need to breathe. We are also totally dependent on plants for another reason. Plants by using sunlight, water, minerals from the soil and air are able to make their own food. They do this by absorbing energy from sunlight into their leaves and producing the food which allows them to grow. The food produced by plants is then eaten by other living things including ourselves. This process of food production is known as photosynthesis. It is so complex that it is not fully understood by scientists. Figure 2: Diagram to show photosynthesis 7 Food Chains: All life on earth depends upon the ability of plants to photosynthesise. The food produced by plants feeds the birds and animals. The food is passed from one animal to another in what is known as a food chain. The diagram below shows that the food produced by the tree is eaten in the form of dead leaves by small creatures known as invertebrates, slugs, woodlice, beetles etc. These are, in turn, eaten by birds like robins. The robins and other small birds will be eaten by hawks and other predators. Figure 3: Diagram of simple food chain Reproduction: All living things have something in common. They do not last for ever. A butterfly might live for only a few days. Trees live for several hundred years but eventually they die. Very few people ever reach 100 years. Each living thing needs its own means of carrying on after it is dead. We call this reproduction. Seed dispersal: It is obvious that without the trees and other plants the invertebrates, small birds and their larger predators would not survive. Animals do not produce their own food. They need to eat plants either directly or indirectly. It is also true that some trees would not survive without birds and animals. They would not be able to reproduce. Trees use seeds to reproduce. If a seed simply dropped beneath the tree it would not grow. It would find it difficult to find sufficient room. The parent tree would use all the water. Most importantly the parent tree would block out the light. Each seed must be spread away from the tree. This process is called seed -dispersal. Trees use different ways to spread the seed. The ‘helicopter’ seed of the sycamore tree obviously uses the wind. The bright red berries of the holly tree attract birds. They can absorb the soft part of the berry but the hard seed passes through the bird allowing the seed to grow in a suitable place away from the parent tree. The tree and the bird depend on one another for survival. The tree feeds the bird and the bird helps the tree reproduce. Larger seeds such as the acorns of the oak tree are spread by squirrels. They bury acorns for winter food. They forget some of the buried acorns which then have a chance to grow into new oaks. It is obvious that the squirrel needs the tree and the tree needs the squirrel. We will see many other examples of this interdependence in nature. 8 Figure 4.Trees, their leaves and seeds Oak Ash Chestnut Beech Sycamore Holly Native Trees: Some trees such as the oak, ash and holly grow here naturally. These are known as native trees. Other trees such as the beech, chestnut and sycamore have been brought to Ireland at different times by people. They are called non-native trees 9 or ‘introduced species’. The native trees are best for wildlife as they have more invertebrates living on them. These small creatures feed larger birds and animals further up the food chain. Oaks growing in Ireland have nearly 300 different invertebrates which live on them, whereas the sycamore has only 15. Flowers A visit to the sensory garden will allow you to see and smell herbs. Herbs are cultivated plants that are used in cooking, as medicine and perfume. Around the sensory garden and into the wooded area you will find many wild flowers. Approximately 1,000 different types or species grow in Ireland. You will already recognise common ones such as daisy, buttercup and dandelion. These may be just ‘weeds’ to the gardener but are beautiful in their own way. Flowers do not grow all at the same time. There are special spring, early summer and late summer flowers. Very few flowers grow in winter. It is too cold and there is little sunlight. Flowers and insects are closely linked. The flowers feed the insects and the insects help the flower to reproduce. Bees and other insects are attracted to the flowers by their colour and smell. As they collect the pollen and nectar from the flower, they move the pollen from the male part of the flower, the anther, to the female part of the flower, the stigma. This allows the seed to develop and new flowers to grow. This is another example of interdependence in nature, similar to the relationship between birds and trees in seed dispersal. Figure 5: Common Insects Honey bee Bumble bee Large white butterfly Many attractive insects feed on the pollen and nectar of flowers. The flowers need the insects to pollinate and reproduce. These insects are also very important to farmers and gardeners. Honey bees make honey but they also pollinate a wide variety of important crops. An obvious example is apples. Bumble bees are also important for pollination. Some insects are regarded as pests, for example the large white butterfly is not popular with gardeners because its caterpillars eat cabbages. Mini-beasts The mini-beast hunt allows you to catch a wide variety of small creatures. These live in different places: beneath the ground, among the leaves, in bushes and high up in the trees. The best place to find them is among the dead leaves below the trees or by shaking the bushes. Once you have found them you will be able to examine them more closely by using a magnifying glass. They make a very interesting study. They can help us understand the idea of classification. Classification is the study of 10 different types of living creatures such as plants and animals. It is also important to understand the part they play in maintaining the health of the trees. Classification: The scientific name for mini-beasts is invertebrates. An invertebrate is an animal without a back bone. If you touch your back bone or spine you can feel that it is made up of a number of smaller bones. These are known as vertebrae. Five groups of animals have vertebrae. These are: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. Human beings are mammals. The other animals in the world lack the vertebrae bones so they are known as ‘invertebrates’. There is a huge number and variety of these animals. Depending on what features they have they are divided into different groups. Slugs and snails are soft bodied creatures called molluscs. Millipedes and centipedes are called myriapods, which means having many legs. Woodlice are related to creatures, some of which live in the sea such as crabs and lobsters. They are crustaceans. Spiders are arachnids. True insects are creatures with their bodies divided into three segments and have six legs. Beetles, flies, bees, wasps, butterflies and moths are all insects. There are more than 12,000 different types of insects in Ireland. Most insects pass through four different stages to reproduce: egg, larva, pupa and adult. This is known as metamorphosis. You may find the eggs, larva or pupa of many insects in the leaves. Decomposition: We have already seen that birds need trees for food and trees need birds to spread their seeds. Every living thing in the woods is connected in some way. This is known as an ecosystem. The invertebrates may seem small and insignificant but they are an essential part of the woodland ecosystem. Many of the invertebrates eat dead things: leaves, wood, birds and animals. By doing this they clear the woods of dead material allowing space for other things to thrive. Most importantly they return to the soil essential minerals, potassium, nitrates and phosphates. Plants need these minerals to grow. As we have seen without the plants there would be no animals, as animals cannot make their own food. The trees need the invertebrates to provide them with the minerals they need. This is another example of interdependence in nature. We have already seen that the invertebrates are an important part of the food chain. This process of recycling dead stuff is known as decomposition. The invertebrates are decomposers. They are not the only decomposers. Mushrooms and bacteria do the same work. The bacteria are too small for us to see. Mushrooms Mushrooms belong to a larger group of living things called fungi. There are over 7,000 varieties of fungi in Ireland. They come in different shapes, sizes and colours. Most mushrooms grow in autumn. The mushroom may look like a plant but it is not, as it cannot photosynthesise. The mushroom we see is a small part of the whole living thing. The mushroom is known as the ‘fruiting body’. Its job is to reproduce the mushroom. In a typical mushroom, tiny dust-like particles fall from the gills of the mushroom. These particles are called spores. The spores grow new mushrooms. Once the spores have been spread the fruiting body quickly rots and disappears. 11 Mushrooms rot dead material such as dead, wood, birds and animals. The fruiting body is only a temporary part of the mushroom used in reproduction. The rest of the mushroom is a network of tiny tubes called hyphae. These form a network called a mycelium. The mycelium spreads through dead material and may be quite large. It spreads through a dead tree or through the leaves beneath a tree. These tubes are able to break down dead material chemically and sustain the fungus. There is a close link between trees and mushrooms. Dead leaves from the tree keep the mushrooms alive and the mushrooms release the essential minerals the tree needs to grow, yet another example of interdependence in nature. Figure 6: Diagram of the structure of a mushroom The diagram shows how mushrooms grow. The fruiting body usually lives for just a few days. After spreading its spores it rots. The mycelium remains hidden from view continuing the essential work of decomposition. Mushroom or Toadstool? We think of mushrooms as edible and toadstools as being poisonous. Actually there is no real difference between mushrooms and toadstools. They are all fungi. Of the 7,000 different kinds in Ireland only a few are poisonous. Some are edible. There is no easy way to tell the difference between the edible ones and the poisonous ones. It is best to avoid eating any of them as mistakes can be fatal. 12 Figure 7: Some common mushrooms Fly Agaric ( Poisonous) Death cap (Deadly) Lawyer’s Wig( Edible) Birds There may be as many as 30 species of birds living in and around the trail. A species is the name for an individual kind of living thing such as an animal or plant. Below are pictures and descriptions of some of the birds you are likely to see along the trail. They originally lived in the woodland habitat of the Irish forests 6,000 years ago. As all these ancient forests were chopped down the birds found new habitats in fields, parks and gardens. Birds differ in size and colour. Their beaks and feet let us know what they eat. These features are called adaptations. Adaptations allow creatures to avoid danger and find food. Birds only sing in spring. Male birds sing to attract a mate with which they can build a nest, have eggs and raise their chicks. The also sing to let other birds know that they control the area around the nest. This is called a territory. They need this space to find enough invertebrates to feed their chicks. Once the young birds have left the nest the breeding season is over and the singing stops. Figure 8: Birds Robin Chaffinch Blue tit Song thrush 13 Blackbird Magpie Wood pigeon Sparrow hawk Long eared owl Robin: Length 13 cm. The robin is probably our most easily recognised bird. It has a thin beak which it uses to catch invertebrates. Its feet are adapted for grasping the branches of the bushes where it spends much of its time. Robins will often be quite close by during mini-beast hunts as they find food easy to find in the disturbed leaves. The robin is the only bird that sings in winter as it continues to keep a territory. Chaffinch: Length 16 cm. The male chaffinch can easily be confused with a robin as it has an orange chest. Unlike the robin it has black and white on its wings and a blue crest. The female is a much duller bird. The chaffinch has a stouter beak than the robin. This allows it to eat seeds in winter. After the breeding season the chaffinch gathers into small flocks to search for food in the fields and hedges. Blue tit: Length 12cm. This tiny bird has the most beautiful plumage of blue yellow and green feathers. It is just as brightly colourful as any parrot. You will rarely see a blue tit on the ground. It prefers to hang acrobatically in the trees searching for tiny insects. Each species of bird has an individual nest. They place their nests in different places. The blue tit squeezes into a tiny hole in a tree, a wall or a bird box. This protects it from any predator that might want to eat its eggs or chicks. Song thrush: Length 23cm. The song thrush is an easily recognised bird because of its spotty chest. Song thrushes can be seen running across any piece of grass looking for worms. They need to be careful of predators in such exposed places. They do not 14 need to turn their heads. The position of their eyes at the side of their heads gives them all round vision. This is a good example of an adaptation. Blackbird: Length 28 cm. The blackbird is closely related to the thrush. It has much the same shape and habits. Some birds like robins and blue tits look very similar but male and female blackbirds are very different. The male blackbird is all black with a bright yellow beak. The female is not black at all but has brown feathers. The male bird uses its colours to attract a mate. The female’s duller colours are good camouflage when it is sitting on eggs. Magpie: Length 50 cm. There is no mistaking the magpie with its black and white plumage and its long tail. Like all members the crow family the magpie is very adaptable. Its large beak allows it to eat all kinds of food: seeds, invertebrates, meat and rubbish left behind by people. In spring it spends its time raiding other birds’ nests for their eggs and chicks. This may seem an unappealing habit but like all predators it helps to keep the numbers of birds in balance. Wood pigeon: Length 44 cm: The wood pigeon is a very obvious bird. Even when it cannot be seen its coo-cooing call can be heard. This call can be mistaken as an owl but owls call only at night. The wood pigeon feeds on seeds. The wood pigeon has a far longer breeding season than any other bird. It normally lays two eggs in a flimsy nest in the trees any time from early spring until October. Sparrow hawk: Length 35 cm. The sparrow hawk is a typical bird of prey. It has sharp talons for gripping its prey. Its hooked beak is used to tear off feathers and eat the flesh. It is a very powerful bird capable of killing any of the woodland birds even up to the size of a woodpigeon. The hawk is difficult to see but a pile of feathers on the ground alerts us to its presence. Long eared owl: Length 37 cm. This owl is strictly nocturnal so it is rarely seen. The Pennyburn woods are an ideal habitat for this owl. There are large trees to roost in during the day and it can find plenty of food mostly mice, small birds, frogs and beetles. Like the hawk the owl is a bird of prey but because it hunts at night it needs extra adaptations. Its eyes are ten times better than ours at seeing in darkness. It has special ears that allow it to hunt by hearing alone when the nights are too dark even for its eyes. The owl’s feathers are specially adapted to allow it to fly without making any noise. The owl is a silent hunter. Mammals: Unlike birds, there are a number of reasons why mammals are difficult to study. They are generally afraid of people and stay hidden. They are almost exclusively nocturnal which makes them even more difficult to see. Finally, even though they are not as intelligent as us, their senses are much better than ours. This allows them to avoid us and keep out of harm. The wood will definitely have a number of resident mammals: rats, mice, shrews, hedgehogs and stoats. Rabbits and foxes will also make visits. It is quite likely that grey squirrels will soon become established in the wood. Finding evidence of mammals is not difficult. Look out for signs of their presence: footprints, holes in the ground, food remains and droppings. 15 The Pond The wooded area formed by the trees is very different from the pond. We think of these distinct places as habitats. A habitat is the home of a distinct group of plants and animals. The creatures of the pond habitat are different from those of the wood because they must survive in or around water. Many of the basics remain the same: photosynthesis, reproduction, food chains and decomposition. Below is a diagram of a well developed pond showing some of its wildlife. Figure 9: Pond Wildlife All life on earth in woods, ponds or in any location is sustained by the plants. The pond plants convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and through photosynthesis pass food up the food chain. The most important plants in the pond are the algae. They are shown as criss-crossed features in the diagram. These are tiny plants growing on the surface of the pond and on the rocks and larger plants. The algae are eaten by the smaller creatures for example young tadpoles. In turn the tadpoles are eaten by larger animals such as diving beetles. The beetles in their turn are eaten by the stickleback and the stickleback by the kingfisher. The recycling of dead material also takes place. Creatures such as the water louse eat decaying material in the same way as its land cousin the woodlouse. The insects in the pond have a similar life cycle as their land cousins: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Many insects spend their early lives as pond creatures and only emerge as flying insects in the final adult stage of their lives. A good example of this is the dragonfly. It spends up to four years underwater in the pond and only a few weeks as a flying adult. 16 Frog life cycle: You may be lucky in spring time to witness some stage of the life cycle of the frog. Frogs lay their frogspawn in ponds in early spring. This begins the process of metamorphosis, frogspawn, tadpole and froglet. The whole process takes from 12 to 16 weeks. Frogs are part of a group of animals called amphibians. Amphibians can breathe in or out water. While out of the water they breathe like us using lungs. While in the water they can absorb oxygen through their skin. People think frogs live mostly in ponds. In fact frogs are largely land based animals only coming to ponds for a week or two in early spring to lay their eggs. Figure 10: Diagram of Frog Metamorphosis 17 Pollution Ponds can very easily become polluted. Sewage, industrial and agricultural waste can find its way into ponds. Rubbish can be deliberately dumped into ponds. It is possible to estimate the level of pollution in ponds by looking at the variety of creatures living in the pond. If it is impossible to find any creatures in the pond, it is very polluted. Some creatures such as snails, leeches and water louses will tolerate some pollution. If beetles, small shrimps and tadpoles live in the pond, there is little or no pollution. You will quickly be able to tell if the pond is polluted by examining the creatures in it. Ecosystems: We have now looked at two very different habitats the woodland and the pond. Each habitat depends upon the capacity of plants to photosynthesise. This energy is passed to all the other living things through a complex web of food chains. We have seen the importance of decomposers, which clean up dead material and keep the soil fertile. We understand that nothing lives forever and needs to reproduce. We have also seen some surprising examples of interdependence: birds and trees, bees and flowers, mushrooms and trees. When we put all these complex connections together we can think of the whole thing as being an ecosystem. The wood and the pond are separate ecosystems. The Vegetable Garden The Playtrail has a community vegetable garden. Facilities are provided for local groups, schools and individuals to grow their own vegetables. This is a wonderful idea that almost anybody can copy. There are many benefits from having a little vegetable plot. You can have the satisfaction of growing your own fresh food. Gardening is great exercise. By growing different crops you are contributing to biodiversity. Gardening has only a small carbon footprint. The food you grow is local. This avoids the expense of long distant transport which contributes to pollution and global warming. Gardening brings you closer to nature. It allows you to understand the whole process of food production. Making a vegetable garden The basics of vegetable gardening are very simple. You need very few tools: a spade, a fork, a rake, a hoe and a trowel. Almost any soil can be made to grow vegetables. It is best to begin with a very small plot. Sometimes it is a good idea to use a wooden box. It keeps things tidy .The soil must be dug over with a spade and all the weeds removed. You then use a fork and rake it to break up the soil. You are now ready to plant seeds. This is done in spring when the soil has warmed up after the winter. Some seeds, such as potatoes or carrots, are planted directly into the soil. You can also plant small onions called sets. If you have a greenhouse, poly-tunnel or warm window sill, it is a good idea to begin by planting individual seeds in little pots until they are big enough to plant out in your vegetable plot. Cabbages, leeks and lettuce benefit from 18 being started in this way. The plot must be kept free of weeds by using a hoe. As the vegetables grow you can eat them. Working with Nature Gardening was invented 12,000 years ago in the middle-east by the first Neolithic farmers. Gardening began in Ireland 6,000 years ago. Since then every new gardener quickly realises that he or she must work with nature. Things grow in a garden in the same way as they do in nature by using sun, water, soil and air to photosynthesise. Nothing will grow without sunlight, sufficient water and fertile soil. Every gardener quickly realises this as some plants do well and others fail. The main problem is to keep the soil fertile. By growing crops and eating the produce the essential minerals are removed from the soil. In a wood this happens automatically as invertebrates, fungi and bacteria return the minerals to the soil. Composting The gardener has two main ways of keeping the soil fertile. The first is to have a compost heap. All the waste from the garden, except weeds, and much household waste, is left in the heap to rot. Grass cuttings, vegetable leaves, paper, cardboard and uncooked vegetable peelings are all very good. These are gradually decomposed by fungi, invertebrates and bacteria. It is a good idea to have two composts heaps. All of one year’s material can then be allowed to rot for a whole year as the second compost heap is used. Good compost looks like dark soil. The compost can be dug back into the soil in spring before planting. Animal manure from cows, pigs, horses and chickens is also very good for the soil but it must be well rotted. Composting is not only good for the garden it also contributes to the whole business of recycling and is therefore good for the environment. Figure 11: Compost bins 19 Rotation: As the crops grow they use up the essential minerals in the soil. The soil can quickly become exhausted. The most important minerals are nitrates, phosphates and potassium. These can be replaced by using the compost. Some crops can actually replace the nitrates by capturing nitrogen through their roots for example cabbages, sprouts and cauliflowers. They are called brassicas. The brassicas can help to maintain the fertility of the soil. This is achieved by ‘rotation’. The plot is divided into three sections: the brassicas in one section, root crops, potatoes, carrots and turnips in the second section and lettuce, onions peas and beans in the third section. Root crops use up a lot of minerals but brassicas help replace them. The sections are rotated to encourage nitrate production. Figure12: Crop rotation First year Second year Third year Section1 Roots Brassicas Others Section 2 Others Roots Brassicas Section3 Brassicas Others Roots The Eco-house You will be able to visit Eco-house, the straw bale house. At first sight it looks like a normal building but it has a number of special features: Solar panels – You will see these on the roof. They use energy from the sun to make electricity. Glass panel - Inside the building is glass panel which allows you to see that the house is built of straw. Rainwater harvesting system – There is an underground tank which collects rain from the roof. It is used in the Eco-house for flushing the toilets. South facing windows – These windows capture as much heat as possible reducing the need for electricity. Under floor insulation – Old newspapers have been re-used as under floor insulation. Roof slates – These are made from re-cycled plastic. Low energy bulbs and eco-paint are used throughout the building. All these features are linked to our care for the environment. Global Warming: The different features of the house relate to the problems of global warming. This is a very complex problem but most scientists agree that human activity has led to an un-natural rise in the temperature of the earth. This rise has occurred in the last 150 years but has accelerated in recent years. Modern life styles require huge amounts of electricity and transport. Power stations, central heating, cars, ships and planes all burn fossil fuels, coal, gas and oil. Burning these fuels produces carbon dioxide gas. The carbon dioxide rises high into the atmosphere. This increase of carbon dioxide has led to more of the sun’s heat being trapped in the atmosphere. This has led to an increase in the temperature of the earth. Carbon 20 dioxide and some other gases are called ‘green house gases’, because they act like a green house trapping heat and increasing the temperature. It might seem a good idea if our temperature was to increase in Ireland but many scientists predict all sorts of terrible problems worldwide. These would include: rising sea levels, an increase in severe weather, some parts of the world turning to deserts, animals and plants suffering and becoming extinct, people in low lying areas and islands being forced to leave their homes because of flooding and food shortages world wide. The threat is so serious that politicians are working to reduce the amount of energy we use and save the planet from possible disaster. The Eco-house makes its own contribution to reducing global warming by having the following features. Solar Panels: The solar panels on the roof produce electricity. This is used in the house and helps to reduce the reliance the house has on normal electricity which involves the burning of fossil fuels. Solar panels do not produce carbon dioxide. It is one form of alternative energy. Other forms of alternative energy are wind and water power. They do not release carbon dioxide into the air. Construction: It may seem very odd to build a house from straw. Straw bales are used to make the walls of the house. The straw is then coated with lime render to make it waterproof. The house has normal foundations and roof. Straw houses are eco-friendly in a number of ways. The straw is an excellent form of insulation as less heat needs to be used to keep the house warm. The normal materials used to construct a house are concrete blocks or bricks. To make these materials takes large amounts of energy produced by burning fossil fuels. No extra energy is needed to make straw as it is just a bye-product of farming. Water Collection: Water from the roof is collected in a large tank below the ground. It is then pumped back into the house and used to flush the toilets. Saving water like this helps the environment because water is an expensive and precious commodity. Our water comes through the tap and we rarely think about it except perhaps in dry summers when there are water shortages. Water needs to be stored in reservoirs, purified, and transported through pipes over long distances. The construction and maintenance of these infrastructures requires energy in terms of burning of fossil fuels. By using water sensibly in our own locality, we can save a little on the need for these infrastructures. The straw house is a very interesting building. Many of its features are beginning to be used by more and more people. Not only is it cheaper to build and maintain than a normal house it contains many features which help the whole environment. 21 Figure 13: The Eco-house - The straw bale house Part 2 Practical Exercises on site Stop 1: Trees Identify these trees along the path: oak, ash, horse chestnut, beech, hawthorn, sycamore (you will find a holly tree later on your walk). Tasks: - Collect a few leaves from each tree - Collect the seeds of each tree. You will only be able to do this in autumn - Make a bark rubbing of each tree - Measure the width of each tree in centimetres at shoulder height. Divide this figure by 2. This will tell you the approximate age of the tree. - Decide whether the tree is evergreen or deciduous. Complete the following chart using these clues. Some of them are already done for you: Leaves: wriggly, two times table, like a hand, like a shield, five-pointed leaf, spiky 22 Seeds: acorn, key, conker, helicopter, berry Bark: smooth, rough, very rough Age in approximate years Deciduous/ evergreen: Figure 14: Tree Chart Tree Name Leaf Seed Two times table Key Bark Age Oak Ash Horse Chestnut Beech Hawthorn Deciduous/ Evergreen Deciduous Very rough Wriggly Sycamore Holly Stop 2 Flowers Look in and around the sensory garden and the wood nearby. See if you can find these flowers. Tick off what you observe Figure 15: Flower Identification Chart Herbs in the sensory garden Lavender Rosemary 23 Oregano Common Flowers – Spring and summer Daisy Buttercup Dandelion Spring Flowers Lesser Celandine Wood Anemone Blue bell Early Summer Flowers Cow parsley Hogweed Violet Late Summer Flowers Herb Robert Rosebay willowherb Foxglove Stop 3 Mini-Beast Hunt Look in the leaves and under logs. Shake the bushes. Try and collect as many minibeasts as possible. Put them on the tray, identify them using the chart and store them in your jar. 24 Figure 16: Mini- Beast Hunt Recording Chart Stop 4: Mushrooms Try and find three kinds of mushrooms. Draw them. Make a note of their size, colour shape and where you found them: on the ground, attached to a log or higher up in a tree. Use this page to make your drawing: 25 Fungus 1. Note: Size, colour, shape, location: Fungus 2. Note: Size, colour, shape, location: Fungus 3. Note: Size, colour, shape, location: Stop 5: Birds It is probably best to retrace your steps along the trail observing the birds as you walk along. 1. Record the number of birds. 2. Note where they were, on the ground, in a bush, high in a tree etc. 3. Say what they were doing: flying, feeding, collecting nest material, singing etc. 26 Figure 17: Bird Survey Chart Name Robin Chaffinch Blue Tit Song Thrush Blackbird Magpie Wood Pigeon Sparrow Hawk Other 27 Tally Total Position Activity Stop 6: The Pond Follow safety rules at the pond. Use your net to examine the pond. Do three sweeps with the net: the surface, low water and deep water. Try not to disturb the bottom of the pond. Put your specimens on a tray. Use the chart to record your results. Return your specimens to the water. Figure 18: Pond Survey Chart Creature Tally Total Creature Snail Spider Shrimp Leech Beetle larva Pond skater Diving beetle Whirligig Beetle Tadpole Water boatman Other Creatures Other creatures 28 Tally Total Stop 7. The Vegetable Garden Task 1: Use this space to draw a plan of the vegetable garden include: the compost heap, the tool shed, the poly-tunnel and the different plots. Crops: Most of us have eaten vegetables like: potatoes, cabbages, carrots, leeks, onions and tomatoes but many people have no idea what they look like as they grow. Find these vegetables and draw them. Potatoes Cabbages Carrots Leeks Turnips Tomatoes 29 Stop 8: The Eco-house Look at the Straw House carefully. Make a sketch of the house labelling its special environmental features: straw walls, solar panels, roof slates, floor insulation and water collection system. Draw your own house and label a number of improvements you could undertake to make your house more eco-friendly. 30 Part 3. Suggested Follow-up Material You will have gathered a lot of information about your visit to the trail. Read the information section of this booklet and attempt the following activities and questions. (Note: It should be easy to repeat the same tasks by using the data collection sheets in and around your school and nearer your home. You can then duplicate the activities and exercises making a comparison between your school, your home area and the Playtrail). General: Write a short account of your whole visit to the trail. Include the following: The day and date What season it was What the weather was like What activities you did and what equipment you used Make a list of the species of plants, birds, animals and other creatures you saw Write just one thing you learnt about each of these things: trees, birds, flowers, mini-beasts, mushrooms, birds, the pond, gardening and the Eco-house. Say what you enjoyed best about your visit Trees Follow-up Material 1. Growing a tree: By using the seeds you have collected it is possible to grow trees. Acorns are best for this task but you can try a variety of seeds. Clean the pulp off any berries before planting .You can use small pots, discarded yogurt cartons or margarine tubs to plant out the seeds you have collected. Make a few holes in the bottom of the container to let water drain out. Plant the seeds in soil or compost. Leave the seeds outdoors over the winter and see if a small tree begins to grow. Look after your tree for a few years by transferring it into bigger pots as it grows. Then plant your tree in a suitable place. Your tree will be the home of many invertebrates, which will feed birds and mammals further along the food chain. Ireland has fewer trees than any other country in Europe, so just one tree can make a big difference. 2. Art: You can use the specimens you collected to do all sorts of art work. The leaves are great for printing patterns. All your bits and pieces you have collected will make a collage. 3. History: Imagine you are one of the first Neolithic farmers to arrive in Ireland 6,000 years ago. Describe what the landscape would look like and what you would do to set up home in this country. 31 4. Look at this diagram of a simplified ecosystem. From what you have learnt make a drawing of an ecosystem at the Playtrail. Figure 19: Ecosystem diagram Flowers Follow-up Material 1. Beginner’s Botany: Collect three flowers whose name you do not know from around your school. Avoid the old favourites, dandelion, daisy and buttercup. Use the school library to find out the names of the flowers. 2. Using one of the flowers you have found make a careful drawing of the flower and its leaves. Mini-beasts Follow –up Material Examine the invertebrates you have found. Use a magnifying glass to look at them carefully. Count the parts and make an estimate of the number of legs. Draw each creature into the space provided. Then classify them according to these rules: - No legs = mollusc - 6 legs = insect - 8 legs = arachnid - 14 legs = crustacean - More then 14 = myriapod - Be careful with larvae. What will they develop into? * Class = Classification 32 Figure 20: Mini-beast Chart Mini-beast Snail Parts Legs Class Mini-beast Harvestman Slug Woodlouse Beetle Centipede Beetle Larva Millipede Fly Larva Pill Millipede Spider Other Parts Legs Class Mushrooms Follow-up Material Read these statements about mushrooms and say whether they are true or false. Discuss your answers. 1. Mushrooms are part of a larger group called fungi. True/False 2. The mushroom we see is the fruiting body, a small part of the whole living thing. True/ False 3. We can find lots of mushrooms at any time of year. True/False 4. You can eat mushrooms but toadstools are poisonous. True/False 5. Mushrooms are plants. True/False 6. Mushrooms rot dead material. True/False 7. White coloured mushrooms are safe to eat. True/False 8. Mushrooms, invertebrates and bacteria do the same job. They are all decomposers. True/False 33 We have looked at different types of interdependence in nature. Explain the following statements: Birds need trees and trees need birds. Bees need flowers and flowers need bees. Mushrooms need trees and trees need mushrooms. Birds Follow-up Material 1. Make a bar graph of the numbers of birds you found. You can compare your figures with the same survey around your school or house. Discuss the similarities and differences. Remember that birds survive best where they can find food, shelter and places to build their nests. Does the Playtrail have any advantage over your school or home area? 2. There are roughly 300 different species of birds. Resident birds live in Ireland all year round others migrate to Ireland in summer or winter. Birds can live in a wide variety of places. They do this by having special adaptations to fit into their particular home known as a habitat. Their most obvious adaptations are their beaks and their feet. Look at these pictures below and link the feet and beaks to the correct name: Figure 21: Birds beaks and feet 34 Once you have made the correct link. Describe how the beaks and feet help the bird to find food. Which bird am I? Link three clues to the correct bird. I have a spotty chest I have a red breast I have sharp claws I have a very long tail I am a silent hunter I am nocturnal I eat small birds I raid other birds’ nests in spring I eat worms You might have seen me doing my own mini-beast hunt I am part of the crow family Unlike other birds I sing all year round I am at the top of the food chain You will see me running over the grass My favourite food is mice Birds: Robin, Long eared owl, Magpie, Song thrush and Sparrow hawk 35 Pond Life Follow-up Material Figure 22: Pond life Chart 1. Label the wildlife in the pond: shrimp, caddis fly larva, water boatman, tadpole, diving beetle, stickleback, kingfisher, frog, snail, algae, whirligig beetle and pond skater. 2. Odd one out: One of the creatures in each of these lists does not fit with others. Choose which it is and discuss the reason for your choice: 36 Pond weed, frog, dragonfly, kingfisher Dragonfly, diving beetle, pond skater, shrimp Frog, newt, stickleback, toad Tadpole, frog, caterpillar, larva To help you make a sensible choice think of these words: plant, animal, insect, amphibian and metamorphosis 3. Pollution: The pond in the picture is affected by all sorts of pollution. Describe the different types of pollution. Discuss what can be done to prevent this pollution. 37 Figure 23: Pond Pollution 38 The Vegetable Garden Follow-up Material 1. Start your own vegetable garden: The most obvious follow- up from your visit to the vegetable garden is that you will start your own garden at your school or home. Use what you have learnt during your visit and read the information section carefully. You will then know enough to begin your own garden. 2. Write your own cook book: Celebrity chefs are never off the television. They make a fortune selling their cook books. You will have seen all kinds of vegetables on your visit: potatoes, cabbages, leeks, turnips, onions, tomatoes, etc. You will have discovered, perhaps for the first time, what they look like as they grow. You can now try to prepare them for eating. Ask your teacher or any responsible adult how to prepare vegetables for cooking. Then try to cook it so it can be eaten. Each member of the class can then describe how each thing was prepared and cooked. You can use this to compose your own cook book. It may be a best seller. 3. Where does that food come from? We rarely think of where the food we put into our mouth comes from. A huge amount of energy is expended in moving food. Much of our food is not grown close to us or even in this country. By having your own vegetable garden you not only have fresh things to eat but you cut down on transport. This means you are reducing the amount of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere and helping to reduce global warming. Go into the fridge, the cupboards and the vegetable rack in your house. Collect labels from ten food and drink items. Using a map of the world and plot where each thing comes from. You will be amazed. Figure 24 World Map 39 The Eco -house Follow-up Material You have learnt that the Eco-house has a number of features that are aimed at improving the environment. The straw bale walls require less energy than bricks or concrete blocks. The solar panels do not burn fossil fuels. The water saving measures need less pipes and energy to move water over long distances. Here are some suggestions as to how you might improve the environment. Discuss the benefits they might bring. Think especially about global warming but think about other things it might improve. Starting your own vegetable plot Making a compost heap like the ones at the Playtrail Cycling or walking to school Using a seed to grow a tree Taking home your rubbish home from the Playtrail or any place in the countryside or beach and putting much of it in the recycling bin Using empty yogurt or margarine cartons as plant pots to grow your tree seeds Making bird boxes for your school or house Making a pond at your school Watching less television and getting out in the countryside and taking more of an interest in: trees, flowers, invertebrates, birds, mammals and pond life. Remember every little helps. 40 Glossary Adaptation: The special things a living thing has to allow it to survive, e.g. an owl’s soft feathers Amphibian: A type of animal that can breathe both in and out of the water Biodiversity: All the living things on earth from a microbe to a whale Botany: The study of plants Classification: The scientific method of putting living things into different groups Deciduous: A tree that loses its leaves in winter Decomposer: A living thing that breaks down dead material, e.g. fungi, invertebrates and bacteria Ecosystem: A collection of living things which live together in a mutually dependent way in a particular habitat e.g. in a woodland. Food chain: A method of following the way energy from the sun is passed to plants and animals Global warming: The theory that the world is being over-heated due to human activity Green house gas: gases like carbon dioxide which are causing global warming Habitat: The home of a group of plants and animals and other living things, e.g. a wood, a pond or the sea Invertebrate: An animal which does not have a backbone Metamorphosis: The process which some creatures go through in their development where each stage is very different from the other Photosynthesis: The ability of plants to use the energy of sunlight to make their own food Reproduction: The ways for all living things survive after the death of an individual Seed dispersal: The way plants spread their seeds Species: A kind of living thing 41 Appendix: Links to the Northern Ireland Curriculum A visit to the Pennyburn Environmental Trail is a break from the normal classroom routine. Children should enjoy the whole experience. Hopefully it will inspire children to have a greater respect for their surroundings. The visit is not completely divorced from what they would normally learn in the classroom context. Indeed it should be seen as reinforcing what they would be expected to learn. The booklet is designed to be used largely by teachers and has, therefore, been written to comply with the requirements of the Northern Ireland Curriculum. It should not be necessary for practising teachers to draw out in detail the links between the benefits of a visit to the trail and the specific contents of this booklet within the requirements of the curriculum. A brief overview should suffice. At both Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 a visit to the trail gives ample opportunity to develop the relevant ‘Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities’ envisaged by the curriculum: Managing information Thinking, problem solving, decision making Being creative Working with others Self management Children are placed in a different situation from their normal classroom environment. The success of their visit will depend on how they adapt to this new situation. An ‘open air classroom’ presents numerous challenges that have to be met both by the individual and the group, in a unique way that cannot be easily replicated in the classroom environment. The lack of four walls is a challenge in itself but it is also an opportunity to develop new approaches to learning and insights that are not so easily replicated in a classroom context. Key Stage 2: In general terms the booklet meets the requirements of the curriculum with respect to curriculum objectives. Areas of learning: It requires a cross curricular approach giving practice in: language and literacy, mathematics and numeracy and physical education. More specifically any perusal of the requirements of the curriculum outlined in the section ‘The world about us’ indicates the extent to which it overlaps on themes within the booklet and the curriculum itself. Learning experience: The whole experience at the trail is an opportunity to develop the child’s capacity to learn in an enjoyable and practical way. This would include various aspects outlined in the curriculum: 42 Investigating and problem solving Links between curriculum areas A relevant and enjoyable experience Skills integration Active and hands on Challenging and engaging Supportive of the environment Varied to suit learning style Enquiry based Attitudes and dispositions: The main idea underpinning the booklet is that the environment is something important and interesting. Furthermore it is something for which we need to take responsibility. This would include various aspects outlined by the curriculum: Personal responsibility Concern for others Openness to new ideas Self confidence Curiosity Community spirit Respect Key Stage 3: As with Key Stage 2 the booklet gives ample practice in the cross curricular approach advocated in Key Stage 3: literacy, numeracy, art, physical education. One of the main sections outlined in the requirements for Key Stage3 is ‘Education for sustainable development’. This booklet provides a basis for properly addressing that requirement in that it allows children to see what exists within their local natural environment. More specifically various exercises ask them to examine how sustainable development might be achieved. As future citizens they are repeatedly challenged to assess the worth of their local natural environment and are given many suggestions as to how this might be improved especially in the sections on the pond, the vegetable garden and the straw house. The booklet complies with the requirements of the curriculum with respect to: Curriculum Aim Curriculum objectives for learning for work and life Key elements especially with respect to citizenship and education for sustainable development Cross curricular skills – communication, using mathematics Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities – managing information, working with others, thinking and problem solving, being creative Areas of learning: The arts, environment and society, maths, physical education and science and technology Learning Experience: See above Key Stage 2 Attitudes and dispositions: See above Key Stage 2 43