Wednesday 22 July 2015

Biology Trip to Betws Y Coed

3rd-10th Jul 2015

For a biology trip with the school I spent a week in Betws Y Coed, Snowdonia, Wales.
Most of the trip involved plant sampling but on some of the days, we got to get more involved with wildlife.

On the Friday when we arrived, we set Longworth small mammal traps. We filled them with straw, food pellets and a slice of apple for moisture, and then chose a place for them to go. The next morning, we were able to check the traps and I found there was a small mouse in mine. Other people had caught voles and we were able to compare them and their different adaptations. 


That evening, we set moth traps and spent Sunday morning taking the moths out, putting them in pots and identifying them. We found that moths can actually be very colourful and not just brown and dull.

On Tuesday, we visited a rocky shore and got to catch shrimps and crabs. It was fun getting to handle them even though it was difficult to pick them up. 


On Wednesday, we got to visit a farmer at Cwm Idwal who spoke to us about rearing his stock and how the supermarkets affect the farmers and their sales. It was very interesting to hear his perspective on supermarkets and fast food and it was an interesting insight into the difficulties of being a live stock farmer.
                             

On our final day, we visited a bog and saw Scottish Highland Cattle which had been put there to graze. We were told how they are adapted for the boggy conditions due to their usual habitat.


Overall, although the trip wasn't too relevant to my work experience, I still was able to pick up some knowledge about wildlife.