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LookOut Centre

On the 28^th and 30^th of November a total of 30 students visited the LookOut Centre in Hyde Park to engage it geographical and scientific fieldwork in the nation’s capital.

The first group investigated the sustainability and impact of human events on the plant and animal life within the park. Students compared The Parade Ground, the location of Winter Wonderland, to The Meadows, an area left to re-wild. Through detailed geographical investigation using a range of equipment and techniques, students measured the ground permeability, the amount of people and litter in the area and the biodiversity of the two study sites. After careful analysis of their results, students concluded that human events have a significant impact on the environment and should be managed in a way to mitigate the impacts.

The second group investigated biodiversity and species classification within Hyde Park. Students gathered a sample from the pond in the LookOut Centre and used a range of scientific equipment to examine and classify the species. Following this, students took to the winding paths of the park with binoculars to identify and classify the wonderful bird life surrounding the Serpentine Lake. On this trip students gained a greater understanding of biodiversity with the urban setting of London and engaged with hands-on learning.

“It was really fun to learn outside of the classroom and see Hyde Park and Oxford Street with my own eyes. I will take what I have learnt about classifying different species of birds and apply it to Barking Park when I walk through it”