Wellacre’s Citizen Scientists

Posted at 9:55 am on 30th June, 2022

Taking Action for the Environment

Mrs Doolan’s P6 Environment Club have been busy working together outside of the classroom to become Citizen Scientists and help collect important data to help inform national campaigns.

As part of Plantlife’s No-Mow May survey, the largest-ever survey of the British lawn, Mrs Doolan’s P6 Environment group spent time in Wellacre’s wildflower area in the eco-centre.  They have counted species such as Oxeye Daisies, Cow Parsley and Creeping Buttercups.  

The research undertaken by Citizen Scientists across the UK who have taken part in the survey reveals the diversity of wild flowers growing on Britain’s lawns and that simple changes in mowing can result in enough nectar for ten times more bees and other pollinators; essentially every flower counts!

Mrs Doolan, Teacher of Geography, said:

“Wellacre’s results reveal that our personal nectar score is 389.16mg of nectar sugar per 10m2 of lawn.  This means that a bumblebee could fly for 10 hours thanks to the flowers in our wildflower garden!”

Wellacre students also took part in The Pod’s ‘What’s Under Your Feet?’ project.  They dug a patch of turf in the eco centre before sorting, identifying and recording the invertebrates they found in the soil, including worms and insects.  

They have provided all the data to the project to help scientists at the British Trust for Ornithology understand the relationship between climate, the availability of invertebrates and how this impacts UK bird numbers and their migration patterns.

Mrs Sharrock, Principal, said:

“The students continue to widen their knowledge and apply it to practical contexts through the Environment Club - well done boys.”