We recently hosted a successful school visit to Siblyback Lake from St Breward Community Primary School, during which the children learned about invasive species and joined the team for an interactive countryside walk.

Invasive Species Officer Nicola Morris delivered a talk on invasive species and biosecurity, and the children enjoyed the opportunity to try on and demonstrate the use of some of the kit, such as waders. They also joined a guided wildlife walk with Countryside Warden Nigel Tomkinson, who talked about the practical conservation work we do to protect native species, including bat box monitoring. Games helped the children to engage with bat communication and to explore how they find food, and practise finding invasive non-native species which had been hidden around the lake. They also carried out a survey in the stream, through which the children found a common frog and cased caddis fly larvae.

Nicola Morris said, “A big part of my role as Invasive Species Officer is to engage with people who visit the lakes and to educate user groups and school groups on the importance of good biosecurity. Many of the children who joined us for the workshop are visitors to Siblyback and our other lakes so this is a great opportunity to engage with and encourage them to spread the message about the impacts of invasive non-native species and what everyone can do to help prevent their spread. Conservation and wildlife education has the greatest impact when it is taught at a young age and these children really enjoyed their visit and went away with lots of new knowledge which will stay with them.”

 

Tim Brewer, Teacher at St Breward, said:

“Siblyback is an ideal place to take a class or group for an environmental topic, especially a water-related one. The staff are all knowledgeable and friendly, and there are excellent facilities on site for the children to access, including a play area for them to let off steam.”

For more information about Siblyback Lake, click here.