Biology: The Devonshire Edition

Five days, one cassowary, 150 snails, and zero chance of a lie-in.

Dr Herbert retells the Biology Trip like only he can...

Our Year 12 biologists set off last Monday with dreams of a leisurely five-day retreat to sunny Devon — a much-needed swap of textbooks for tan lines. What they got instead? A 9-to-8 timetable, an alarming number of gastropods, and more fern-based data than anyone reasonably needs in one lifetime.

The rain in Ascot did little to dampen their spirits, though Paignton Zoo’s cloudy skies did give off strong “you’re not in Kansas anymore” energy. Still, as we arrived, a miracle occurred – the clouds cleared, and the sun followed us for the rest of the week (only dipping out at night, due to planetary rotation – thanks, Year 12, for that clarification). Clearly, the sun favours those armed with quadrats and clipboards.

Day 1: Zoo-perstars and Cassowary Chaos

Our first stop: Paignton Zoo, where students led their very own Charters Zoo Tours – expertly researched, energetically delivered, and brimming with ecological insight. From giraffes (with their surprisingly sunburn-proof black tongues, thank you Ellie!) to red pandas, the animal facts came thick and fast. But the highlight? Harry and Thomas’s cassowary presentation, which was so captivating that the bird itself strutted theatrically to the front of the enclosure for a dramatic feathered finale. David Attenborough would have wept.

Adding to the moment, Charters proudly unveiled a plaque for our adopted Rothschild giraffe – a gesture of conservation support and proof that our pride doesn’t just come in lion form.

Later, students arrived at the Field Studies Council in Slapton, ready to meet their tutors Bethan and Chloe – two walking encyclopaedias of ecological knowledge and boundless enthusiasm. Within hours, students were rooting through hedgerows in a mark-release-recapture exercise with snails. Over 150 were successfully tagged, named (Steve, Doris, and Beyoncé among them), and gently returned to their habitats. If you’ve never seen a Year 12 scream at a snail and then become emotionally attached to it within seconds… you’re missing out.

And as if that wasn’t enough zoological adventure for one day, they headed into the village armed with bat detectors, hunting for pings from pippistrelles and horseshoes. One student declared: “Why don’t we do this all the time?” Answer: budget, logistics, and... school.

Day 2: Fern Frenzy and Stream Dreams

The morning brought ancient woodland, freshwater streams, and a chance to meet some spineless celebrities — aquatic invertebrates. Students braved pools and riffles (and the occasional bootful of water) to classify tiny creatures and determine if there was statistical correlation for their preference – spoiler, it was inconclusive.

They then turned their attention to ferns — a plant species many admitted they had previously ignored, but now know intimately, thanks to a prolonged data collection exercise across various slopes. They now know the word pinnae, and they can’t unknow it.

Day 3: Succession and Slight Sunburn

Ah, the beach day! A chance to bask in the sun, kick back, and… take soil temperatures at various quadrat points on Slapton’s shingle ridge. Succession was the focus: the biological kind, not the HBO one.

Anemometers were waved, light meters calibrated, and students discovered who had the largest lung capacity by dramatically blowing into their instruments (see photographic evidence of the impromptu lung-off).

The scientific principle of melting was observed next, as ice creams met the blazing sun with rapid phase change. A delicious, if sticky, end to a successful field day.

Day 4: Crabs, Coordinates, and Canine Cameos

East Prawle offered a textbook rocky shore — teeming with algae, limpets, and hidden crabs, which were soon not-so-hidden thanks to competitive rock pooling.

Seaweed identification reached fever pitch, and students learned how to use GPS-enabled iPads to track zonation data.

Smoothies and ice cream followed, obviously. And an unexpected highlight came in the form of a local dog, who helped remind everyone that not all fauna need classifying.

Day 5: The Grand Finale – Individual Investigation Day

Armed with data-handling confidence, ecological insights, and the muscle memory of 500 quadrat tosses, students tackled the most challenging part of the A-level practical endorsement: their individual investigations. Their performance was exceptional — a testament to the support and coaching from Bethan and Chloe, and the students’ own scientific determination.

By Friday afternoon, our so-called holidaymakers were sun-kissed, exhausted, and thoroughly proud of what they had achieved. Although some may have arrived thinking they’d booked an all-inclusive resort, what they got instead was five days of unforgettable fieldwork, new friendships, and a newfound respect for slugs with shells.

Huge thanks to Miss Lawson and Dr Herbert for their tireless energy and enthusiasm. Their enduring memories? Impromptu fishing by a keen student angler (2 x mackerel and sand eel surprise!), and the kindness, humour, and support the students showed each other from start to finish.

Biology isn’t just a subject — it’s an adventure. And what an adventure this was.