Environmental change and management excursion
Geography
Program
Blackman Park is a multipurpose recreational space managed by Lane Cove Council. It is located beside the Lane Cove River and contains sports grounds, picnic areas, dog off-leash areas, a skate park and river foreshore bushwalks. The site enables Stage 5 geography students to engage in fieldwork that investigates biophysical and human-induced processes that change Earth’s environments, the conseqences of environmental change and management strategies that can be observed in Blackman Park.
Inquiry questions
What biophysical and human-induced processes have changed the environment at Blackman Park?
What are the consequences of these changes?
Are these changes being effectively managed at Blackman Park?
Fieldwork
With a focus on fieldwork inquiry and tools, this program enables students to investigate change and management of the riverine environment at Blackman Park, a multipurpose recreational space managed by Lane Cove Council.
Maps and field sketching will be used to examine the human and natural features of the riverine landscape, as well as the biophysical and human processes that have influenced past environmental change.
Students will then complete a rotation of focused investigations on local management issues caused by changed land use and processes.
Water contamination
- Students use water testing equipment to assess water quality and draw conclusions on the consequences for aquatic ecosystems.
- Students conduct litter surveys and measure environmental variables to determine the processes that lead to marine plastic pollution.
Biodiversity decline
- Students will walk through remnant eucalypt forests to conduct a habitat survey, observe conservation strategies in place and conduct a belt transect to sample introduced species (weeds).
