Year 11 Biology Students Visit Perth Hills Discover Centre

 

Last term, our Year 11 ATAR Biology class went on an excursion to Perth Hills Discovery Centre, where we studied the effects of prescribed burnings on bushland. We were able to record measurements about factors that would affect an area's susceptibility to bushfires, such as fuel load and ground cover, and factors that are affected by fires, such as canopy cover, topsoil invertebrates & humus content of topsoil. We also learned about the different adaptations that different organisms have developed to withstand fire and some microorganisms that depend on fire for survival. We also learnt about Noongar's previous prescribed burning techniques, such as fire-stick farming, and the negative impacts of stopping those burning techniques.

 

This excursion was a significant part of our curriculum that allowed us to learn about Australian history and wildlife and expand our knowledge of factors that affect biodiversity.

Matilda | Year 11 Biology Student