Ponds can be as diverse as a rainforest! So how do so many different animals manage to live in the same place without treading on each others toes?  This resource features a three-dimensional pond model and involves sorting pond animal cards into their separate niches. This shows how each animal species can avoid competition from similar animals.  

Multi-storey
Pond

The workshops listed below have all been used at Science Fairs or in schools or other situations where a 30-50 minute activity is required.
Further workshops continue to be developed and can be devised to suit any ecological theme or to link with other topics in the science curriculum.

Most suitable for KS2 and early KS3 or for family learning

The Most
Dangerous
Animal
in the Pond

Imagine what it would be like to scuba-dive in a pond if you were just 1cm tall! With the aid of some live pond animals and a close-up video camera you can find out what ir would be like and decide which animal is one that you need to avoid!  This workshop is great for thinking about adaptations and there is data handling too.  

Cockles
And
Mussels

Linking Forces with Adaptations, this workshop looks at the life of bivalve molluscs on the seashore and how they are adapted to feed and breathe using tubes called siphons. The oystercatcher is a specialist when it comes to opening cockle shells, but how much force is required to do this? Involves live action, video clips and some hands on cockle-crunching!

Bugs
On
Screen

Bug is a scientific term that is misused  in common speech. So what do people think of as bugs and what are the true bugs. Having sorted that one out with the aid of live video action, there is time to consider what makes “bugs” so fantastic and why we should think carefully before we squash them.

Freshwater Ecology Training

Courses designed to help a specific group of people to increase their knowledge and understanding of freshwater ecology. The group can be of any age and the course can be of any length. This might be of value to a local volunteer group who are responsible for managing their village pond or for a group of educators who wish to extend and enhance their own expertise. The course can be delivered using just the Hi-Tech Wild-Trek trailer at a suitable venue or can be combined with  indoor sessions. There is also the option of running this mostly indoors during the winter months.
Cost is dependent upon the structure and location of the course but a guide price is around £25 - £30 per head/day