The local environment offers fantastic opportunities for field studies for GCSE and A-level. We can cover a wide variety of topics from the Geography and Biology curricular. Groups often choose to combine exam work with a day or two of activities. Areas of study could include: Glaciation, Rivers, Forests, Sand dunes and contrasting localities.
Courses are run in full partnership with your department, so your students concentrate on the methods and techniques most appropriate to your area of study.
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River Study
Follow a river from source to sea, measurements such as bed profile, flow rate, wetted perimeter and pH can be measured at several sites along the watercourse. Combined with other measurements such as pebble size and angularity, collected data can be plotted to compare how the river changes along its journey downstream.
The two major local rivers, the Mawddach and Dyfi both have major sand bars at their mouths. |
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Sand Dunes
Compare a managed dune site with a natural successive dune system. The sand dunes and visitor centre of Ynys Las provide a valuable insight into the conflicts between recreation and conservation on a managed dune system. The dunes of Aberdyfi offer a comparison to this site.
Transects and vegetation quadrat measurements yield students with a clear understanding of how a dune system changes as it ages. |
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Mountains & Glaciation
Lyn Cau on the slopes of Cadair Idris is one of the largest glaciated corrie lakes in Britain. Measure stone orientation and angularity in the glacial till, discover erratics, roche moutonnée and other periglacial landforms.
The northern side of Cadair passes through several geological layers inclined due to the rising of the Harlech dome. Ordovician rocks, dominated by slates, marine mudstones and volcanic rocks with excellent examples of pillow larva at the summit. |
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Forests and Soils Starting at almost 600m above sea level, digging soil pits and taking measurements such as soil type and pH. Compare readings taken here with those taken at other sites lower down. Add into this the girth and height of trees, and the level of light at the forest floor, this area of study provides students with a good understanding of why forest plantations are planted where they are. |
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Contrasting Localities Machynlleth town centre and its market makes a great location to compare to the students local environment. The village of Corris, or the towns of Barmouth and Dolgellau also lend themselves to town studies. The Centre has several resource packs coupled with historical data which allows students to compare how these towns and villages have developed. |
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Rock Pools The local beaches host a wide variety of littoral habitats for study. At keystage 2, identification of sea creatures is a fascinating journey of self guided discovery. At A-level, biological investigations into adaptation of molluscs and crustaceans or sea-weeds can provide students with opportunities for studying this habitat. |
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History
The Centre is in the heart of one of the major North Wales slate industry areas. Machynlleth is where Owain Glyndwr held the first Welsh parliament. Several castles and other historic monuments in the local area provide an insight into the past. |
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Classroom & Equipment
Both of our centres have space which can be used for work prior to or following the field work. PCs, digital cameras and printers are available. The Centre has a modest supply of field studies equipment including tapes & ranging poles, flow, pH and light meters, quadrats, metre rules and lenses. |
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Adventurous Activity Many field studies groups choose to combine exam work with a day or two of outdoor activities. These can serve not only to challenge, but also illustrate how many facets of the landscape are used for recreation today. Ty’n y Berth holds an adventurous activities licence, so appropriate field study sites are supervised by qualified staff within a framework of safety. |