7-10 Heathland - Second Nature Asia Pacific

What we provide

Award-winning educators/ facilitators
Itineraries and Flyers
Curriculum-based work-booklets
All relevant equipment (supplying up to 150x students per session)
Example assessment tasks
Transportation options (we provide quotes to utilise our own buses for every excursion and can purchase all relevant flights relating to your program where applicable)
Pre/Post Excursion Activities (usually a PPP)
Risk Assessment (location specific)
Variety of field-work locations (where available)
Accommodation options (we provide quotes to utilise the most affordable and most appropriate accommodation to suit your needs)
Catering options (we provide quotes to utilise our own in-house catering service for every excursion (where available) and/or catering through a third-party provider

Secondary School (Yr 7-10) Programs

Our “Heathland” programs for years 7-10 have been specifically developed for units of study in Geography and Science. Each can however be tailored to a school’s needs. The programs are great fun and involve the exploration of a natural environment (excursions), or an exciting interactive PPP with classroom activities (incursions). A detailed understanding and awareness of the importance of heathland ecosystems and a new-found appreciation for this amazing habitat are key outcomes. These programs are delivered by passionate facilitators with specialist knowledge on coastal geography. The experiences can be delivered to complement the following units or modules:

Geography

Year 8 Landscapes and Landforms
Year 9 Geographies of Interconnections (QLD/VIC) or Interconnections (NSW)
Year 9 Changing Places (NSW)
Year 9 Sustainable Biomes (NSW)
Year 10 Environmental Change and Management

Science

Year 7 Biological Sciences (QLD/VIC) or Living World (NSW)
Year 9 Biological Sciences (QLD/VIC) or Living World (NSW)

Trip Overview

Heathland is not a commonly considered destination for studies in biology or ecosystem dynamics. However, this habitat presents a number of unique plant and animal adaptations that support life in a highly dynamic environment. There are also opportunities to investigate hazards such as invasive species. On this adventure, you will learn about the importance of heathlands and the unique community of organisms that live there. You will also use a variety of fieldwork techniques to investigate a heathland and coastal/desert ecosystem. If you are seeking a different approach to your heathland study, we can design a program that is suitable for you.

Highlights

Exploring an exciting new ecosystem!
Sketching
Map-reading/comprehension
Biodiversity surveys
Identifying adaptations of xerophytic plants (heat/light/water/reproduction etc.)
Identification of plants and animals suited to the desert using age-appropriate keys
Scientific equipment use (anemometers/barometers/thermometers etc.)
Looking for additional evidence of wildlife (bird nests etc.)
Use of binoculars (e.g. bird watching)
Quadrat and line transect activities

More Information

Inclusions

Excursions

Exploration of 1-2 heathland or coastal environments
Xerophytic plant identification activity
Bird identification activity
Field sketch of environment/s
Presentation on human impacts and management (observable in the natural environment)
Field work (quadrat or transect studies)

Incursions

An age-appropriate interactive PowerPoint presentation
Investigation of xerophytic plant adaptations using samples taken from a living ecosystem
Bird and plant identification activities
Passing around of items found in heathland
Active “Food Chains and Food Webs” game
Quiz (with prizes!) to assess comprehension

Educational Outcomes

Awareness and knowledge of heathland and coastal/desert environments
Appreciation for the diversity of heathland organisms
A basic understanding of how heathland systems work including knowledge of food chains/webs, habitats and propagules.
Awareness of the impacts of human activities on heathland and coastal/desert environments both locally and globally
Knowledge of local and largescale environmental issues affecting heathland and coastal environments including invasive species and pollution, as well as habitat destruction and fragmentation
Learning of sustainable behaviours that minimise these issues
A sense of connection to and feeling of stewardship towards Australia’s heathland and coastal/desert environments
An understanding of the complex processes involved in managing our heathland and coastal/desert environments in a sustainable manner.

Itinerary

Below is an example itinerary for a 1-day heathland excursion.

09:00	Tour group pick- Second Nature have a fleet of vehicles available to cater for any number of passengers (within reason). We can provide transport to and from schools and airports
09:45	Arrive at destination for Activity session 1 Australia’s heathlands are home to a unique community of plants and animals that have pioneered some bizarre and impressive adaptations to cope with a dynamic semi-arid environment. During this activity, you will identify plants and animals of the heathland and nearby beach (or desert). You will take note of the adaptations they use to survive in their environment and draw a lateral view of the visible plant communities as an initial field sketch.
10:45	Morning tea
11:15	Field Work Session 1 Line transects and quadrat surveys are frequently utilised by field scientists to monitor how an area changes over time. During this activity, students will be divided into groups to assess an undisturbedarea of heathland using techniques explained by our guides. The activity will involve taking measurements of physical factors using supplied equipment and recording results in a data collection table. This is excellent hands on experience in the field!
12:15	Lunch at destination Great areas to take a break and enjoy the scenery
13:15	Field Work Session 2 Students will conduct a contrasting line transect and or quadrat survey at a second study site. This site will have been disturbed by natural processes (e.g. wind erosion) or human activity (e.g. invasive species). The comparison of undisturbed and disturbed sites will later form the basis of the students’ summative field reports.
14:15	Depart destination, back to school or airport
15:00	Arrive back at school or airport when required

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Second Nature Education offers an amazing variety of educational and experiential programs to a variety of heathland environments in: Queensland and New South Wales; throughout Australia; and overseas.