Lynn students take a walk on the wild side

Nature-loving students from a King’s Lynn school boosted their knowledge of native flora and fauna with a field trip to the Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserve at Roydon Common.

Four members of the Eco Group at Springwood High School took part in the nature ramble, under the expert guidance of the school’s Environmental Lead, Agnieszka Munns.

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Equipped with field guides, binoculars and a telescope, Barbs Oreluk, Lily Edwards-Ballantine, Ben Mchale and Alice Mestere spent two hours studying the wildlife at the 482-acre reserve, which is home to 15 species of dragonfly, 30 species of butterfly and 450 species of moth, as well as many rare and threatened birds and plants.

“Birdlife was obliging,” said Mrs Munns. “Yellowhammers, linnets, skylarks and stonechats all posed or displayed in the sunshine, allowing everyone to practise identifying them and finding them in the guides.

“Red kites were distinguished from common buzzards, and a garden warbler was identified singing on ‘Merlin’, bringing a modern app to the natural world.”

“Insect life was less conspicuous,” she continued. “While one fly-by dragonfly species was spotted, three sadly unidentified beetle species were examined.

“Any of the adders which can be encountered in thicker, heathery spots were, of course, avoided by staying on the marked footpaths.”

The young environmentalists, all in Years 7 and 8 at Springwood, a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust, were also introduced to the ecology of the Site of Special Scientific Interest, where sandy soil and other geographical features show how it once formed part of the ancient coastline.

“It was an all-too-short introduction to this Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserve and some of its outstanding flora and fauna,” added Mrs Munns.

“Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to visit this fragment of a disappearing world, seeing birds that are increasingly rare and threatened, and appreciating the value of a place that needs to be protected and treasured if it is to continue to survive.”

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