Important notice: This is an archived version of the Peak District National Park Authority's website. It was last updated on 2 August 2011. The current version can be found at www.peakdistrict.gov.uk. This old version of the website will remain available until all content and functionality has been transferred across to the new website, after which it will be switched off.
Learning About
The Learning and Discovery Team will continue to provide high quality education services after the closure of Losehill. Contact Sarah Wilks on 01433 620373.
- Education Services
Student and teacher resources and our environmental education centres - Guided Walks and Events
Free guided walks suitable for all and other events all year round - Education factsheets
Curriculum-linked factsheets and resources for students and teachers
MICCI Project Schools
14 students from Brinsworth Comprehensive School went out to two MICCI sites on Monday 9 of March.
They visited the Moorland Discovery Centre first on the Longshaw estate and then walked on to Cowper Stone Path at Stanage Edge.
They had to search quite hard to identify all the plants within one if their quadrates.
11 students from Chapel-en-le-Frith High School went to Derbyshire Bridge on Friday 13 March.
Together with their teacher Sue Dunn and Chris Robinson from the Losehill Hall Learning Team they conducted their experiments and collected samples for the school lab. Unfortunately the weather was typical moorland weather: foggy, rainy and very cold.
Students from Glossopdale Community College visited Snake Pass on Monday 9 March.
One main part of the experiments was to identify the plants within a sample quadrat.
The students had a lot of fun trying to assess the percentage of bare peat within a 20 M radius.
Honley High School went to their site at Wesenden Reservoir on Wednesday 11 March.
They were luckier with the weather than most and conducted their experiments with the help of Losehill Hall leader, Clare Youens and Andy Valentine, a national park ranger
Their teacher Vicky Jackson was also up to her elbows in the work too . One of their tasks was to measure the water level in the peat. They were able to conduct these measurements with the help of three grey kitchen pipes stuck in the ground.
Hope Valley College visited Cranberry clough (above Derwent reservoirs).
Here they are resting after some frenetic activity.
King Ecgbert School went to Burbage Edge North on Thursday 12 March.
15 students conducted their experiments with the help of Paul Maddox from the Moorland Discovery Centre and two of their teachers. Paul visited King Ecgbert School beforehand, to introduce the topic and the experiments to the students. They had to collect several peat samples for their school lab. By burning the peat in the lab they were able to calculate the percentage of water in their sample.
16 students from Lady Manners School and their teacher Andy Gregson went to Harland Brook near Chatsworth House.
The weather fortunately was dry and sunny so it was a perfect day for doing some experiments out on the moors.
One of their tasks was to measure the nitrate level of a little stream nearby.
Long Eaton School came all the way from south Derbyshire to take part in the MICCI project.
Twelve students and two of their teachers went to Burbage Brook together with Paul Maddox. They were really lucky with the weather as Wednesday the 12 March was a nice and sunny day.
Their site was a sheltered spot, so they had perfect conditions to conduct their experiments.
Eight students from Painsley Catholic College went to Averhill side near Warslow.
Although it did not rain, they had to face freezing temperatures and strong winds. But even the very wet and tussocky moor could not stop the students.
One of their tasks was to measure the depth of the peat with a soil spike.
Royston High School went up to Long Grain on Thurlstone Moor.
They met with Ted Willmot one of Losehill Hall’s Leaders to conduct their experiments and collect their samples.
The group had the most extreme weather conditions. They faced snow and very strong winds. Nevertheless the students worked like professionals and by doing so contributed their bit to the greater MICCI picture.
The group from St John Houghton School went to Umberley Brook.
One of the first things they checked when they arrived on site, were the water levels in their dipwells. The pipes have several holes in them and inserted in the soil. The water fills the tubes to the level it is in the soil.
West Hill School went to Wesenden Head on Thursday 12 March.
They were luckier with the weather and conducted their experiments with the help of National Park Ranger Andy Valentine and their teacher Sue Boccacini.
They were identifying the different moorland plants, analysing the soil and the water from the stream nearby.
