Large black cat not spotted!
All Year 12 Geography students are currently studying the topic of Ecosystems and have recently visited Ruff Woods – a mainly deciduous woodland behind Edge Hill College in Ormskirk.
Year 12’s completed their own risk assessment for this trip although didn’t include the fact that there had been two sightings of a mysterious, large, black cat in the woods – possibly an escaped puma!
The wood covers 19 acres on the east side of the town and was donated to the local council in 1912 by a local benefactor; Thomas Holcroft J.P. Ruff Wood is a haven for wildlife and is an ideal spot for quiet walks and contemplation. There is a circular path and many link routes around the wood which has Biological Heritage Site status due to the presence of the red squirrel. In the centre of the wood the remains of an old quarry are all that is left of an important site which provided sandstone to build houses in Ormskirk in the 19th century.
In class students had studied how nutrients cycle around a woodland ecosystem – from the trees (biomass) to the leaf litter, to the soil and then back into the vegetation. They have also looked at how deciduous woodlands are layered due to all the plants competing for light with each other.
The visit was only a mini-fieldtrip during periods 1 & 2 to avoid missing too many other lessons. Being December it was not surprisingly cold and on Wednesday, wet but we carried on regardless! Students completed a circular walk around the woods and stopped off at various points to collect some data. Students attempted to identify some tree species, collected data on the height of the woodland canopy & under canopy using some fieldwork equipment – clinometers, tape measures and ranging poles. The groups also looked at how this small woodland had been affected by human activity.
Both the C1C and C1E groups worked very well and now have an additional case study to add to their notes. Some of the students (mentioning no names, Michael & Matthew) were a little disappointed that although they’d spotted squirrels and various species of birds, they didn’t see any sign of the mysterious large cat!