Week long programmes offered to 11-14 year old pupils each summer. Each course has 25 places offering opportunities to explore natural environments and to develop scientific investigative skills. There is a strong marine biology focus, but freshwater (river and pond), woodland and coastal sand-dune habitats are also visited. Along with habitat explorations, lab exercises, aquarium activities, sand-castle building competitions and artwork, each pupil conducts their own investigative project on an aspect of the natural environment that most interests them. These are submitted for nationally recognised bronze CREST awards, that are awarded by the BA.

An 8-week evening course in Marine Biology. No previous knowledge of Biology needed. Laboratory experience and shore explorations included.

Students will carry out a detailed survey of the rocky shore, identifying all algae and animals found and will determine the height on the shore of stations sampled. Classroom analysis will involve students presenting their findings in kite diagrams and explaining the patterns found in terms of the biotic and abiotic factors discussed.

Students will carry out a detailed survey of the rocky shore, to provide information on changes in marine communities that will assist scientists in detecting effects of climate change. This is part of a national project co-ordinated by MARLIN at Plymouth.

Introductory PowerPoint presentation. Students will learn about lifecycles, feeding and migration in zooplankton. The crucial role of zooplankton in oceanic foodwebs, and their importance to fisheries will be explained. Zooplankton as indicators of global climate change. Practical work will involve identification of live and preserved plankton specimens; estimating abundance per unit volume of water; investigating plankton behaviour; estimating feeding rates.

Introductory PowerPoint presentation. Students will carry out a detailed survey of the terrestrial plant communities across a gradient of environmental conditions within a coastal sand dune system. They will be asked to interpret and discuss their findings with respect to concepts of succession and adaptations of organisms to environmental stress. Issues relating to coastal management will be discussed.

Introductory PowerPoint presentation. Students will carry out a field survey sampling invertebrate populations at a number of stations along a small river. Environmental variables including flow rates, pH, temperature, substrate type, and depth will be recorded and used to explain patterns of species distributions observed. Classroom analysis will involve sorting and identification of invertebrate organisms and conclusions will be drawn from collated class results. Concepts of indicators of pollution will be discussed

Pupils will conduct a sea safari to gather information on where different animals and plants like to live on rocky shores. They will explore 4 “mini-habitats”, and answer : “Where do I live?” “What do I eat?” “ How do I survive when the tide goes out?” Pupils will have the opportunity to visit the Dove aquarium and to handle and observe at first hand live marine organisms – adaptations will be discussed.

Pupils will conduct a study of the rocky shore habitat – and use quantitative methods (quadrats) to investigate which mini-habitats are occupied by which organisms. Pupils will have the opportunity to visit the Dove aquarium and to handle and observe at first hand live marine organisms – adaptations will be discussed.

Pupils will undertake a study of a freshwater habitat – measuring environmental parameters, and investigating lifecycles of freshwater animals. Northumberland Wildlife Trust staff will provide information on river mammals and on water conservation.